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Julia Roberts

She was born Julie Fiona Roberts in Atlanta, Georgia, on October 28, 1967.

Two particular events left a deep lasting mark in Julia’s life. One was her father’s death from cancer when she was just ten, and her brother Eric having scored a role in Another World in 1977, the following year he was a hit in King of the Gypsies, then he earned an Oscar nomination for Runaway Train 1985.

Within days of graduating from High School in 1985, she'd taken off to New York City to attend acting classes while working at Baskin-Robbins.
Julia’s first screen break came in 1986 Mystic Pizza. Though Mystic Pizza brought her to the attention of critics as well as audience, 1989 was again a great chance for her in Blood Red.

Pretty Woman stars Roberts as a young woman driven to prostitution and hired as a week-long escort by corporate raider Richard Gere. On a budget of $14 million, the film grossed $178 million in the US alone; an explosive success that brought her to the top and won her a Golden Globe Award.

After Pretty Woman, Roberts filmed Flatliners where she met Keifer Sutherland, and romantically got involved with him during filming, and soon they were major tabloid news. Sadly Julia discovered Sutherland had had an affair with stripper Amanda Rice just days before the proposed wedding in June, 1991.

Her first 1991 release was the thriller Sleeping with The Enemy, bringing her first $1 million paycheck. Directed by Joseph Ruben, who'd earlier made The Stepfather, it begins as a tale of abuse and ended as a slasher flick. Far less frantic would be Dying Young, reuniting her with director Joel Schumacher.

In 1993 The Pelican Brief was a mentionable mark in Julia’s career, 1994 would see Roberts make further onscreen appearances with I Love Trouble. In 1997 Roberts scored another massive hit with PJ Hogan's My Best Friend's Wedding costarring Cameron Diaz and she earned another Golden Globe nomination. Her next project, Conspiracy Theory, alongside Mel Gibson, was far more serious. 1998 would bring just one screen appearance with Susan Sarandon and Ed Harris, in the heartstring-strumming Stepmom.

Stepmom was a hit, but a small fry compared to the double whammy Roberts pulled off in 1999; having turned down the lead part in Shakespeare in Love, instead she did Notting Hill alongside Hugh Grant, and scored yet another Golden Globe nomination.
Julia then reunited once again with the Pretty Woman crew - Richard Gere and Garry Marshall – to do the romantic comedy Runaway Bride.

Once and for all, Julia proved beyond doubt that she was a serious drama actress by taking the title role of Stephen Soderbergh's Erin Brokovich, in which she played a single mother of 5, desperate for work, who wheedles her way into a lowly position at a law firm and proceeds to organize a successful investigation into a public utility that has poisoned an entire community. She would be rewarded with a third Golden Globe, and a Best Actress Oscar.

Continuing to ring the changes, she appeared alongside Brad Pitt in The Mexican, which was a reasonable effort, but not a major box office hit. She moved on to America's Sweethearts alongside John Cusack and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Then she reunited with Pitt and Stephen Soderbergh for Ocean's Eleven. The hit movie included stars like George Clooney, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle and Bernie Mac.

Mona Lisa Smile was another major step for Julia financially speaking; she broke all the female records by receiving $25 million. In 2004 Julia starred in Closer, alongside Jude law, Natalie Portman and Clive Owen.

In 2005, Ocean's Twelve reunited the old gang as well as Catherine Zeta Jones, would come as light relief.

Off screen, she also won the heart of cameraman Daniel Moder. The couple would marry in July 2002, and Julia giving birth to twins Phinneas Walter and Hazel Patricia in late 2004.

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