Julia Roberts biography, kids. net worth, age, height, awards 2025

Julia Roberts Biography

Julia Roberts is an American actress who shot to fame in 1990 playing a modern-day Cinderella in Pretty Woman. Today she's one of Hollywood's most influential stars with an impressive filmography. Her net worth is around $250 million.

Childhood and Family

Julia Fiona Roberts, the famous American actress with that disarming smile, was born on October 28, 1967, in Smyrna, Georgia. Her parents, Betty and Walter Roberts, were both amateur actors and scriptwriters who met while working on a play for the US Army and married in 1955.

Photo on the left: Julia Roberts's father. The photo on the right: Julia Roberts with her mother

The couple later started a workshop for actors and playwrights in Atlanta, and while Betty was pregnant with Julia, they founded a children's acting school in Decatur, Georgia. Martin Luther King Jr.'s children were among the school's students, and as a gesture of gratitude, King paid the hospital bill when Julia was born.

Julia Roberts spent most of her childhood in this home

Many of Julia Roberts' close family members also chose acting careers, including her older sister Lisa, her older brother Eric, and his daughter Emma Roberts (Julia's niece).

In 1972, Walter and Betty divorced, and Julia stayed with her mom. Shortly after, Betty got married again. Unlike Julia's biological father, her stepfather Michael Motes was abusive, cruel, and frequently unemployed. Julia Roberts despised him completely, but she never spoke publicly about the domestic violence, even after achieving fame.

Julia Roberts (on the right) with her mom, stepfather and sisters

In 1977, Betty and Michael had a baby girl, Nancy. Six years later, the relationship fell apart and they divorced. Betty later admitted that marrying Michael was the biggest mistake of her life. Julia and her family cut all ties with Michael. Julia's biological father died of cancer when she was ten.

At 13, Julia Roberts started working as a waitress at a pizza place after school. At school she loved biology, hoping to become a veterinarian, and played clarinet in the school band.

After high school, Roberts enrolled at Georgia State University but dropped out. She'd reconsidered her path and decided to move to New York. Roberts signed with the Click Modeling Agency and started attending acting classes.

Photo from Julia Roberts' model portfolio (1986)

First Roles

Julia Roberts burst onto the big screen in 1988 with her debut in the musical comedy Satisfaction, playing Daryle, a member of The Mystery band. The film also starred Liam Neeson, Justine Bateman, and Trini Alvarado.

Actually, her very first role was a tiny part with just two lines speaking to her older brother's character in the Western Blood Red, which was filmed in 1987 but didn't hit theaters until 1989.

Julia Roberts and her brother Eric Roberts

Julia Roberts then played one of the key roles in the tragicomedy Mystic Pizza. The movie took its title from a real pizza place, and the story follows three waitresses who work there. Roberts played Daisy, the beautiful waitress who falls for a wealthy law student. Fun fact: Matt Damon also made his debut in this film.

The role of a young bride with diabetes in the tragicomedy Steel Magnolias brought Roberts her first Academy Award nomination (as Best Supporting Actress) and her first Golden Globe Award.

Julia Roberts in the film Steel Magnolias

Pretty Woman

While Steel Magnolias was hitting theaters, Roberts was already wrapping up work on a film with the working title $3000. That's how much wealthy businessman Edward (Richard Gere) offers to pay Vivian (Julia Roberts), a prostitute, for a week as his escort.

Richard Gere and Julia Roberts made one of the best onscreen duets of all time

Originally, Roberts was set to play a drug addict who'd receive money from Gere's character for staying clean for a week, with the story ending as Vivian leaves Edward to fulfill her childhood dream of visiting Disneyland. But after Steel Magnolias became a huge hit, director Garry Marshall rewrote the plot, creating the beloved story we all know today. The movie was named after Roy Orbison's soundtrack «Pretty Woman».

Pretty Woman. The scene in a restaurant

This modern-day "Pygmalion" or "Cinderella" story earned 33 times its production budget at the box office. Julia Roberts earned her second Academy Award nomination (already as Best Actress), and her second Golden Globe Award.

Julia Roberts' re-embodiment. Pretty Woman (1990)

Flourishing Career

Pretty Woman's two-hour runtime launched Julia Roberts to such stardom that people recognized her on the street; landing her TV show invitations and glossy magazine cover shoots. New roles quickly followed, including the sci-fi horror Flatliners, also released that same year, where she played a young scientist willing to enter an artificial coma in the name of research. The movie also featured Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, and William Baldwin.

Julia Roberts and Kiefer Sutherland at the premiere of Flatliners

Roberts then captivated audiences again in the romantic thriller Sleeping with the Enemy, playing a woman who fakes her own death to escape her abusive husband.

Roberts' first Golden Globe Awards for Steel Magnolias and Pretty Woman

In the same year, she played Tinkerbell in Steven Spielberg's Hook, a sequel to Peter Pan.

The second half of the '90s was triumphant for Julia Roberts. Every film she starred in earned her millions and became a box office hit, including the dark thriller Mary Reilly with John Malkovich, the tearjerker Stepmom with Susan Sarandon, the rom-com My Best Friend's Wedding with Dermot Mulroney, the action thriller Conspiracy Theory with Mel Gibson, and the charming love story Notting Hill with Hugh Grant.

In 2000, Julia Roberts' acting talent was finally appreciated and honored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Roberts finally claimed her long-awaited Best Actress Oscar for Steven Soderbergh's "Erin Brockovich", the story of a beautiful, fearless, and brilliant activist who takes on a corporation poisoning the environment and wins.

Erin Brockovich is another outstanding starring role played by Julia Roberts

Roberts' character was based on the real Erin Brockovich, an impulsive, self-confident activist and mother of three, who even made a cameo appearance as a waitress named Julia. After the film's release, "Erin Brockovich" became shorthand for any determined woman who tackles challenges head-on and never backs down.

Erin Brockovich. Negotiations scene

In the years that followed, Roberts maintained her close collaboration with Steven Soderbergh. In 2001, she played in his film Ocean's Eleven; in 2002, she appeared in Full Frontal; and in 2004, she starred in the sequel Ocean's Twelve. Sure, $20 is a huge exaggeration, but Julia Roberts (along with Drew Barrymore) did agree to work for just $250K—a very modest Hollywood paycheck—in George Clooney's Confessions of a Dangerous Mind co-starring Sam Rockwell. This symbolic gesture was a show of friendship with George Clooney, whose film budget was capped at $30 million (in fact, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon worked on the movie completely for free).

The acclaimed drama Closer was released in 2004. It explores the complicated relationships between two couples. The film, based on Patrick Marber's play of the same name, was directed by Mike Nichols. Julia Roberts showed great chemistry working alongside Jude Law, Natalie Portman, and Clive Owen.

Julia Roberts ranks among Hollywood's highest-paid actresses: she earned an unprecedented $25 million for Mona Lisa Smile, breaking her previous $20 million record for Erin Brockovich, The Mexican, and Closer. By 2005, Forbes estimated Roberts' fortune at $250 million.

Her role in the uplifting "Eat Pray Love," based on Elizabeth Gilbert's bestselling memoir, stands as one of Roberts' most memorable recent performances. The protagonist Liz divorces and embarks on a journey of self-discovery through Italy, India, and Bali, where she ultimately finds love.

One of the best moments was the scene in Rome when I order lunch for my friends. It was wonderful to just sit and watch everyone working so hard to make the film great. In India, I was impressed with one little village in the province of Rajasthan. Local women wear vibrant clothing and intricate jewelry. They look absolutely elegant and stunning in these outfits. What place in Bali did I like the most? Well, all places are great in Bali! By the way, I still remember how I ate fresh mangoes in the evenings. It was so cool!

Julia Roberts has been more selective with her film roles recently. In 2017, however, she starred in the touching family drama Wonder telling the story of a boy that was born with a malformed face. In 2018, Julia Roberts appeared in Peter Hedges' drama Ben Is Back, playing the mother of a young man returning from rehab.

Personal Life

In the '90s, Julia Roberts wasn't just famous for her acting—she was tabloid gold, with paparazzi doing everything they could to catch her with her latest romantic interest.

Roberts had romantic relationships with Kiefer Sutherland, Matthew Perry, Daniel Day-Lewis, Liam Neeson, and Benjamin Bratt.

After guest-starring in an episode of Friends, Julia Roberts started an affair with Matthew Perry

Lyle Lovett, a country singer, became Julia Roberts' first official husband. After just three weeks of dating, they secretly tied the knot in 1993. Two years later, they divorced—Roberts said he didn't spend enough time with her. They remained friends though, and Lovett even wrote the song "If I Needed You" for Roberts to perform in the movie Stepmom.

Daniel Moder, a cameraman, became Julia Roberts' second husband. They married in the summer of 2002. Two years later, they welcomed twins Phinnaeus Walter and Hazel Patricia, and in 2008, they had another son, Henry Daniel Moder.

In 2014, Julia Roberts' 37-year-old half-sister Nancy Motes was found dead in the bathroom at her apartment. Reports indicated she had overdosed on prescription drugs.

There was a suicide note next to her body. Nancy wrote a 3-page letter describing her relationship with Julia and accusing the actress of driving her to suicide. She claimed Julia had caused irreparable emotional trauma by taunting her about her weight (in her younger years, Motes weighed up to 300 pounds but later lost 154 pounds through weight-loss surgery)

Julia Roberts Nowadays

Today, Julia Roberts and her family live in their Manhattan penthouse. The actress focuses on raising her children while staying heavily involved in charity work and running her production company Red Om Films.

On the right: Julia Roberts without makeup

Even though she's well into her 50s, Roberts still looks incredible. Roberts doesn't hide her beauty secrets: she exercises regularly with aerobics and running, adds olive oil to her skincare products, and always protects her face with sunscreen and eyes with sunglasses.

As for acting, Roberts has become much more selective about film roles, preferring to focus on her family. In 2019, Julia Roberts appeared in the documentary "The Movies", and a year earlier in the series "Homecoming".

Julia Roberts: latest news and articles

5 romantic comedies with Julia Roberts that are worth watching if you miss `Pretty Woman`

27 Feb 2025

Martha Ramsey

How many years ago Pretty Woman was released and Roberts still on top.

2021-03-30 15:27:16
Heather Davis

Amazing Julia :) She always playing her roles very professionally and she had really a lot of movies.

2021-03-27 23:26:10
Melanie Butler

Femme fatale Hollywood beauty but I never understand her specialty as an actress :) Where she was as bright as in Pretty Woman?

2021-03-24 16:41:37
Terry Carter

Julia is a nice woman but I don`t like her roles or maybe it`s just bad scripts.

2021-02-26 11:42:21
Dorothy Ramos

The movie Pretty Woman always will be in our hearts!

2021-02-22 20:04:08

Photos: Julia Roberts