Julia Roberts

Date of Birth: 10.28.1967

Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress and producer.

Some of Julia Roberts' most famous films include romantic comedies 'Mystic Pizza' (1988), 'Pretty Woman' (1990), 'My Best Friend's Wedding' (1997), 'Notting Hill' (1999), 'Runaway Bride' (1999), as well as crime films 'The Pelican Brief' (1993) and 'Ocean's Eleven' (2001), and biographical films 'Erin Brockovich' (2000), 'Eat Pray Love' (2010).

Birthplace. Education. Julia Roberts was born on October 28, 1967, in Smyrna, Georgia, USA. The future actress was the third child in the family. She has an older brother, Eric Roberts, and a sister, Lisa. Julia's father, Walter Grady Roberts, was a seller of water mattresses and also an actor and writer. Julia's mother, Betty Lou Bredemus, was a secretary in the church community and also worked as an actress.

Julia's parents were in a difficult financial situation at the time of her arrival in the family. Julia's father owned a small acting school for children in Decatur, Georgia, which was attended by the children of Martin Luther King. King paid the hospital bill when Julia was born as a gesture of gratitude for the attention given to his children.

At the age of 13, Julia Roberts worked as a waitress in a pizzeria, attended Fitzhugh Lee High School, Griffin Middle School, and Campbell College in Smyrna. At school, she played the clarinet. She participated several times in a local beauty contest but never made it past the finals. During her school years, she was so impressed by her older brother's acting successes that she began participating in local amateur productions.

After graduating in Smyrna, Julia Roberts went to the University of Georgia and moved to New York with her sister to try her luck in the film industry. In New York, she signed a contract with the modeling agency 'Click' and began taking acting lessons.

Film Career. After numerous auditions and film rehearsals, Julia landed a tiny role in a film called 'Firehouse': her 15-second appearance in the 1986 film was the only thing of interest in that failed comedy.

Shortly thereafter, Roberts received an invitation from her brother Eric, a well-known actor by then, for a small role his sister played in the action film 'Blood Red,' which, however, waited three long years for its release. During this time, Julia acted in several other films. In 'Satisfaction,' she played a girl in a rock band (Roberts learned to play drums and bass guitar for the role). In the same year, 1987, Julia Roberts agreed to the role in the comedy 'Mystic Pizza,' for which she had to dye her brown hair red (which later became one of her trademarks). For this film, Roberts earned $50,000.

Julia Roberts' next role had critics and audiences talking about her as one of America's most promising actresses. Roberts received a supporting yet pivotal role as Shelby Latcherie, a girl with diabetes preparing for her wedding, in the film 'Steel Magnolias.' The film was a major box office success, grossing over $80 million at American theaters, and Roberts received a 'Golden Globe' for her role and an Oscar nomination for 'Best Supporting Actress.'

The film 'Steel Magnolias' hit American theaters at the end of 1989 during the 'Oscar season,' while Julia was finishing up her shooting for a film titled '$3000,' named after the sum a wealthy businessman promised a prostitute for a week with him. The main star of the film was the well-known actor Richard Gere; the producers wanted a recognizable face and cast Julia Roberts as the prostitute Vivian Ward. However, after Julia Roberts' tremendous success with 'Steel Magnolias,' where she became a well-known actress, Marshall decided to remove all the darkest scenes and reshoot the ending of the film. The name '$3000' also disappeared: the film was now called 'Pretty Woman,' after the famous song by Roy Orbison. 'Pretty Woman' was released in the USA on March 23, 1990, and although it received quite a lukewarm reception from critics, it earned $180 million and was the second highest-grossing film of 1990, which led Julia Roberts to her second consecutive Oscar nomination for Best Actress and her second 'Golden Globe' award.

See more