Julia Roberts

Biography

‘Pretty woman, walking down the street, pretty woman.’ don’t you feel like crooning these lines whenever you see Julia Roberts. The lady, who will go down in the history books by this title, has proved time and again what she is capable of once she sets her mind to. From Pretty Woman to Mona Lisa Smile, Julia has charmed her way into everyone’s heart for more than a decade now. Presenting her colorful story.

Julia Fiona Roberts was born on October 28, 1967 in Atlanta, Georgia to Walter Grady Roberts who was a vacuum cleaner salesman, and Betty Lou Motes, a one-time church secretary and real estate agent. Her parents got divorced in 1971 and six years later when Julia was just 10 years old, her father died of cancer. She has an older brother and sister, Eric Robert and Lisa Roberts Gillan, are also actors.

She attended Fitzhugh Lee Elementary School, Griffin Middle School and Campbell High School and went on to graduating from Georgia State University, with a childhood ambition of being a veterinarian. She however like her sister decided to pursue a career in acting and headed to New York. Once there, she signed with the Click modeling agency and enrolled in acting classes.

Career in Movies

Julia’s movie debut happened opposite her own brother Eric in Blood Red in 1989. She soon followed this up by a television performance here and there like in an episode of Crime Story and Sesame Street. She was caught in the public eye when her few of the earliest movies Mystic Pizza (1988) and Steel Magnolias (1989). The latter went on to win her an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress.

But the movie that brought her to worldwide fame was Pretty Woman in 1990, a Cinderella like tale. The movie went on to become one of the best romantic comedy ever to appear on screen and her pair opposite Richard Gere was much widely appreciated. After that came the much acclaimed and popular Sleeping with the Enemy and Steven Spielberg's Hook in 1991, where she played Tinkerbell.

Then came a gap of two years during which she didn’t worked in any movies, but delivered the successful The Pelican Brief, opposite Denzel Washington in 1993. After that, occurred a period of series of box office flops for Julia and she couldn’t seem to repeat her earlier box office success. But she bounced back with My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), popular 1999 film Notting Hill. That same year, she also starred in Runaway Bride, repeating the winning formula of Julia Roberts-Richard Gere duo.

The first year of the millennium era saw Julia winning a deserved Oscar for her performance in Erin Brockovich (2001) as self-made lawyer who wins law suit against energy giant Pacific Gas & Electric. Ocean’s eleven (2001) and oceans’ twelve (2004) became another top grossing movies in her already overflowing kitty.

On April 19, 2006, Roberts discovered another side of her with making her debut on a Broadway as Nan in a revival of Richard Greenberg's 1997 play, Three Days of Rain opposite Bradley Cooper, and The 40 Year Old Virgin star, Paul Rudd.

She continues to be among the highest paid actress of Hollywood with being the first woman to appear on the cover of ‘vogue’. She is currently married to cameraman Daniel Moder whom she met on the set of her movie The Mexican in 2000. The couple tied the knot on Fourth of July 2002 and has three kids, fraternal twins, daughter Hazel Patricia and son Phinnaeus "Finn" Walter and third child, son Henry Daniel Moder.

The actress is also noted to be associated actively with UNICEF and other charitable organizations and hopes to continue working in film line for many years with many more quality performances.

Filmography

Fireflies In The Garden (2008)
Charlie Wilson's War (2007)
Chalotte's Web (Voice) (2006)
Ant Bully (Voice)(2006)
Closer (2004)
Ocean's Twelve (2004)
Mona Lisa Smile (2003)
Comic Relief (TV, as herself) (2003)
Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind (2002)
Full Frontal (2002)
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
America's Sweethearts (2001)
The Mexican (2001)
Erin Brockovich (2000)
Notting Hill (1999)
Runaway Bride (1999)
Stepmom (also executive producer) (1998)
In The Wild (TV, as herself) (1998)
Conspiracy Theory (1997)
My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)
Everyone Says I Love You (1996)
Michael Collins (1996)
Mary Reilly (1995)
Something To Talk About (1995)
Pret-A-Porter (1994)
I Love Trouble (1994)
Ready To Wear (1994)
The Pelican Brief (1993)
The Player (1992)
Dying Young (1991)
Hook (1991)
Sleeping With The Enemy (1991)
Flatliners (1990)
Pretty Woman (1990)
Steel Magnolias (1989)
Blood Red (1988)
Mystic Pizza (1988)
Satisfaction (1988)
Baja Oklahoma (1987)
Firehouse (1987)