Julia Roberts

America's sweetheart with a record five People magazine 'Most Beautiful Woman' titles.

For her portrayal of the title character in the film Erin Brockovich, Roberts received the Academy Award for Best Actress at the 73rd Academy Awards.^[1][2]

Last updated 2026-09-30 from the source article.

Quick Facts

Birth name

Julia Fiona Roberts

Born

28 October 1967

Birthplace

Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.

Occupation

Actress

Years active

1987–present

Children

Relatives

Eric Roberts (brother)
Lisa Roberts Gillan (sister)
Emma Roberts (niece)

Facts from the source article.

Life and work

Coretta Scott King paid the Robertses' hospital bill when Julia was born, in gratitude for Walter Roberts's service.^[3][4] Roberts made her big screen debut in the dramedy Satisfaction (1988).^[5] She gained worldwide notice starring with Richard Gere in Pretty Woman in 1990.^[6] Roberts became the first actress to be paid $20 million for a film when she took the role of Erin Brockovich.^[7][8]

Since 2009, Roberts has held the position of global ambassador for the cosmetics brand Lancôme.^[9][10] Roberts and Moder are parents to three children.^[11]

What the cited sources add

A 2000 Guardian article reported that Roberts was the first actress to make the Hollywood Reporter's list of the 50 most influential women in show business.^[8] The same source noted she had been Hollywood's highest paid actress for a decade.^[8] A 2014 article by Matt Singer for The Dissolve observed that Roberts has rarely strayed from the onscreen persona of a simple girl of limited means and unlimited heart.^[12][13] Singer also wrote that Roberts's performance in Ocean's Twelve is her career in microcosm, as she often plays "Julia Roberts".^[12]

A 2022 Guardian article by Salam stated that Martin Luther King Jr and Coretta Scott King helped Roberts's parents because they could not pay the hospital bill.^[4] A 2005 BBC News article described Roberts as "America's sweetheart" and noted she won the People's Choice favorite actress award nine times.^[14]

References

Wikipedia, "Julia Roberts" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Travers, "Erin Brockovich", February 9, 2001; Gleiberman, "Erin Brockovich", March 24, 2000; (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Julia Roberts" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Julia Roberts to receive George Eastman Award for movie work", Associated Press, February 18, 2019 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Julia Roberts" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Notable Black American Women: Book 2", VNR AG, 1996, p. 385; Salam, "The unlikely bond between Julia Roberts and Martin Luther King Jr", The Guardian, November 1, 2022; Salam, "The unlikely bond between Julia Roberts and Martin Luther King Jr", The Guardian, November 1, 2022; "Julia Roberts – Coretta Scott King was Julia Roberts's Fairy Godmother", Contact Music, February 10, 2006; Popli, Nik, "10 Surprising Facts About Martin Luther King Jr.", January 14, 2024 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
Salam, "The unlikely bond between Julia Roberts and Martin Luther King Jr", The Guardian, November 1, 2022. facts only, no text reused. theguardian.com
Wikipedia, "Julia Roberts" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Stated on Inside the Actors Studio, 1997 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Julia Roberts" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Stated on Inside the Actors Studio, 1997; Crocker, "Pretty Woman: 20th anniversary re-release", Total Film, January 25, 2010; Stated on Inside the Actors Studio, 1997; "Julia Roberts", Nash Information Services, LLC; Prince, "Richard Gere: Pretty Woman a 'Silly Romantic Comedy'", The Daily Telegraph, March 21, 2012; .; "20 Greatest Movie Dresses of All Timce", Marie Claire; Reyand, "The secrets behind Julia Roberts' red dress in Pretty Woman", Vogue Paris, August 14, 2020; Goldstone, "This legendary fashion moment from Pretty Woman almost en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Julia Roberts" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Julia Roberts collects $20 million for Erin Brockovich", August 30, 2010 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
"Julia Roberts first actress on Hollywood Reporter power list", The Guardian, December 5, 2000. facts only, no text reused. theguardian.com
Wikipedia, "Julia Roberts" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Julia Roberts first actress on Hollywood Reporter power list", The Guardian, December 5, 2000; One exception is 1995, when Demi Moore was paid a record $12.5 million to appear in Striptease.; "Nicole Kidman Tops the Hollywood Reporter's Annual Actress Salary List", November 30, 2006; "Julia Roberts Has Been a Movie Star for 30 Years—but Don't Let That Bother You", E! Online, January 4, 2019 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Julia Roberts" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Julia: New Face of Ferre Fashion", Peoplemag; Sharma, "Julia Roberts Lancôme Ambassador", June 1, 2010; Bonneville, "Lancome to secure spokeswoman Julia Roberts for $50M", Luxury Daily, September 24, 2010; "Chopard Loves Cinema", Chopard, March 20, 2023 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Julia Roberts" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Danny Moder and Julia Roberts Wedding", Celebrity Bride Guide, July 4, 2004; Schneider, "Hideaway Bride", People, July 11, 2002; "Julia Roberts Gives Birth to Twins", People, November 28, 2004; "Julia Roberts Welcomes a Baby Boy", People, June 18, 2007 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Singer, "How Julia Roberts became an icon playing the Girl Next Door", The Dissolve, September 15, 2014. facts only, no text reused. thedissolve.com
Wikipedia, "Julia Roberts" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Singer, "How Julia Roberts became an icon playing the Girl Next Door", The Dissolve, September 15, 2014; Anderson, "Julia Roberts returns to the limelight", The Seattle Times, March 22, 2009; Ebiri, "Every Julia Roberts Performance, Ranked", Vulture, November 21, 2017; Anderson, "Julia Roberts returns to the limelight", The Seattle Times, March 22, 2009; Singer, "How Julia Roberts became an icon playing the Girl Next Door", The Dissolve, September 15, 2014; Ebiri, "Every Julia Roberts Performance, Ranked", Vulture, November 21, 2017; Macn en.wikipedia.org
"Julia Roberts: America's sweetheart", BBC News Online, November 30, 2005. facts only, no text reused. news.bbc.co.uk

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Julia Roberts (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.