Pretty Woman, The Normal Heart, Ocean's Eleven
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$140 Million
"You know it's love when all you want is that person to be happy, even if you're not part of their happiness." Julia Roberts has been performing in Hollywood since 1987. Throughout her career, Roberts has enjoyed immense commercial and critical acclaim. Having a net worth north of $140 million, Roberts had to do something pretty special to earn her keep, right? Well, Roberts has won a trio of Golden Globe Awards, an Academy Award, and more than 12 total nominations for other major awards.
In recent years, Roberts has seen her star begin to slightly cool off. As she focuses more on her philanthropy and directorial pursuits, it can be nice to revisit where Roberts came from. By taking a trip back to the late 80s, you'll be able to see just why and how Julia Roberts became the lead actress of the 90s.
A Troubled Childhood
Julia Roberts was born on October 28, 1967, in Smyrna, Georgia. Her mother was Betty Lou Bredemus (1934 – 2015) and her father was Walter Grady Roberts (1933 – 1977). Roberts is a proverbial mixing pot when you look to her descendants as she carries English, Welsh, Irish, Scottish, and Swedish ancestry.
Roberts was raised in a Catholic household with her mother and father. Roberts has several siblings including Eric Roberts, Lisa Roberts Gilan, and a half-sister named Nancy Motes (1976 – 2014). Julia and Eric were estranged up until they reconnected in 2004. Her parents were both playwrights and actors in their day and that is how they met one another. Betty Lou and Walter Grady would establish the Atlanta Actors and Writers Workshop located in Atlanta, just off of Juniper Street. They would then run their own children's acting school in Georgia around the time that Betty was pregnant with Julia. Among their high-profile students were the children of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. Mrs. King would pay for the hospital bills accrued during Julia's birth.
Julia Roberts watched her parents divorce in 1971 when she was only five-years-old. Roberts would stay in Smyrna, GA, where she would attend school at Fitzhugh Lee Elementary School. Her mother would marry Michael Motes in 1972, and Roberts would despite the man for his abusive tendencies. The two would get divorced in 1983 after having a daughter together.
As a child, Roberts was fascinated by animals, and she wanted to pursue a career as a veterinarian. After graduating from Campbell High School, Roberts would go on to attend Georgia State University. Roberts would drop out from GSU to move to New York City in pursuit of her acting career. She would almost instantly sign with a modeling agency before enrolling in classes.
Shining in New York City
Once in New York City, Roberts would begin living with her sister while pursuing her acting career. At the time, Eric Roberts was also pursuing his career in acting. Being that entertainment was the family business, it wouldn't be long before Roberts would begin making serious headway. She would make her first major appearance in the 1988 film, Satisfaction. The film starred also starred Liam Neeson and Justine Bateman. Only a short while later, Roberts would have her first substantial role in the film, Mystic Pizza (1988). After Mystic Pizza, Roberts had enough clout to win a starring role in Steel Magnolias (1989). In the film, Roberts played a young bride who was afflicted with diabetes. She would land a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards, and she would win a Golden Globe for her performance.
Julia Roberts ascended to A-list status in 1990 when she starred in the hit film, Pretty Woman. The project would co-star Richard Gere and it would serve as one of the biggest hits of the year. Roberts played a sex-worker who falls in love with her wealthy client. The film would turn Roberts into a tour-de-force, and she would land several accolades, including a Best Actress nod, for her work. Roberts would take the role after Michelle Pfeiffer, Meg Ryan, and Molly Ringwald all turned it down. Pretty Woman would set the standard for romantic comedies for years to come.
Roberts would continue her blockbuster tour with a starring role in the supernatural film, Flatliners (1990). While far more schlocky than her other work, Roberts showed her extensive range in the project. Roberts would get a starring role as a battered wife in Sleeping with the Enemy (1991) before hooking up with Stephen Spielberg in Hook (1991) as Tinkerbell. While the film was critically panned, it has since become a cult classic alongside its already formidable box office receipts.
Julia Roberts would take a hiatus in the early 90s which would prompt several gossip pieces, including People Magazines, "What Happened to Julia Roberts?" Roberts would return to the industry with her eyes set on more dramatic, meatier, roles. She would star in Mary Reilly (1996) as a maid who works for the less-than-reputable Dr. Jekyll. While the film might have been a flop, it gave Roberts a break from her enduring image as America's Sweetheart. Still, Roberts knew what audiences wanted, so she returned to the niche with an appearance in Runaway Bride and My Best Friend's Wedding.
When Erin Brockovich (2000) was released, Roberts would see her career take another major step forward. Roberts portrayed the real-life Erin Brockovich in the film during her fight against a power company that had been poisoning a water supply in a small town. Roberts was paid $20 million for her work, and she was rewarded with her first Oscar win. At the time of the project, Roberts was the first woman in Hollywood to ever get paid that kind of money. She would go on to star in The Mexican (2001) alongside James Gandolfini and Brad Pitt. The dark romantic comedy was a flop at the box office, but it has since become something of a cult classic.
Roberts would also take time away from the film industry to focus on her work in the theater. She would appear in Three Days of Rain on Broadway alongside Paul Rudd and Bradley Cooper. The play would earn an incredible $12 million during its 12-week run.
The early aughts were incredibly kind to Roberts' career as she joined the Ocean's Eleven franchise in 2001. The Ocean's series would become a national sensation and Roberts would reprise her role in Ocean's Twelve (2004). Roberts would decide not to appear in Ocean's Thirteen (2007) due to problems with the script, despite the entire all-male cast reprising the roles. Since then, Roberts has shared the screen with Tom Hanks in Larry Crowne (2011), Meryl Streep in August: Osage County, and Nicole Kidman in Secret in Their Eyes (2015). Most recently, Roberts starred on the TV series Homecoming (2018) as Heidi Bergman, an operator who helps soldiers come back to their civilian lives.
While Roberts has been linked to several famous performers during her career, she has been married to Daniel Moder since 2000. Moder and Roberts met on the set of The Mexican where Moder worked as a cameraman. At the time, Roberts was still in a relationship with Brad Pitt and Moder was married to Vera Steimberg. The two would eventually start dating, and they've since had four children together.
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