Julia Roberts gained fame in the early 90s, becoming America's darling after “Pretty Woman.” Her infectious, standout smile and girl-next-door charm have won the hearts of Hollywood, but Roberts also has a darker, less polished side to her that isn't often talked about in the media. In a 2020 interview, the actress admitted that she had made mistakes in the past. According to her, she was “a selfish person who put herself at the center.” As a result, such moments tarnished Roberts’ “crown”, leaving an unpleasant aftertaste for those with whom she had to deal.
Julia Roberts in childhood
After Julia's birth, her mother was forced to leave her job, which negatively affected the family's well-being. The situation was saved by Coretta Scott King, the widow of the famous black rights activist Martin Luther King, whose children attended the Roberts' drama school. It was Coretta who at first paid the hospital bills of the young mother.
When the girl was five years old, Roberts' parents divorced. Julia and Lisa stayed in Smyrna with their mother, while Eric and his father moved to Atlanta. Soon Betty Lou Bredemas threw in her lot with critic Michael Motes. Michael turned out to be a cruel man, he drank and did not hesitate to use physical force while raising his stepdaughters Julia and Lisa. Because of her stepfather, young Roberts constantly argued with her mother.
Julia Roberts in childhood
The future star grew up as a dreamy child. As a child, Julia believed that she could communicate with animals, and this belief inspired her. The girl dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. At school, Roberts tried to be as different from everyone else as possible; she wanted to feel special, although at first the girl did not stand out with any special talents. Julia played the clarinet and took part in local theater productions, inspired by the successful theater career of her brother Eric Roberts.
When Julia was ten years old, her father died of cancer. The girl did not know that Walter was sick, although she talked to him on the phone almost every day. Many years later, the actress admitted that even after her father’s death she continued to communicate with him in her dreams.
At age thirteen, Roberts took her first job at a pizzeria. Until graduation, she worked part-time in a shoe store, then in snack bars and cafes. After graduating from school, the young girl tried to enter the University of Georgia, but failed the entrance exams. Then Julia moved to New York to live with her sister Lisa and enrolled in acting classes.
In New York, Julia Roberts, in addition to acting lessons, trained her pronunciation: a southern accent was never welcome in films. Soon, however, she abandoned attending the acting course because she did not find it effective enough.
After numerous auditions and auditions for films, Julia (the actress was forced to change her name when joining the US Actors Guild, as an actress named Julie Roberts was already a member there) received a tiny role in the film Fire Brigade: her screen appearance lasted 15 seconds was the only thing that could now be of interest in this unsuccessful 1986 comedy.
Popular actress - on the screen, at home - a caring mother
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Roberts spoke about the difficulty of balancing home life with her career as a Hollywood actress. She noted that sometimes she feels that everything is going perfectly and smoothly, and sometimes the world literally disappears from under her feet, and it seems that everything is collapsing.
Roberts also talked about how her children are unimpressed by her fame and that they only judge her in relation to other celebrities they know. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, published in Harper's Bazaar, Julia spoke in detail about her children's attitude towards her status. “I don’t think they’ll ever have a true sense of my fame,” Roberts said.
The actress also talked about how she copes with the role of a working mother. Julia said that mastery of motherhood is just an illusion, since the process of parenting is very unpredictable. “I can have a great Monday and a terrible Tuesday,” the actress said.
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Roberts film career
Her brother Eric helped Julia get into the movies. He was able to organize her participation in one of the projects where he had a leading role. So in 1987, Julia played a very small cameo role in the film “Red as Blood.” Then she was invited to a couple more projects, including one where Julia had to embody the image of a rock singer. In order to play more than a minor character, Julia mastered some tools.
Also in 1987, Julia Roberts agreed to a role in the comedy Mystic Pizza, for which she had to dye her brown hair red (which later became one of her trademarks). Roberts earned $50,000 for this painting. Julia played one of them - the beautiful Daisy, who falls in love with a wealthy law student. By the way, Matt Damon played his first role in this film.
Julia Roberts in the movie Steel Magnolias
The next film of the rising Hollywood star, which brought her closer to world recognition, was the film “Steel Magnolias”. The story follows the lives of six women, in particular Shelby Latchery, played by Julia. For this role, the actress received a Golden Globe award for Best Supporting Actress and was nominated for an Oscar.
Film "Pretty Woman"
By the time the film “Steel Magnolias” was released, Roberts had already completed work in the film under the working title “$3000.” The main character, tycoon Edward, played by Richard Gere, promised this amount to the heroine Julia - a girl of easy virtue named Vivian - for a week spent with him.
The original version of the film did not envisage a happy ending: it was initially planned that Vivien would be a drug addict, and Edward Louis's condition would be the requirement to abstain from the drug for a week; in the end, Edward throws Vivienne out of the car and drives away, and in the final scene she and her friend are on a bus to Disneyland - her childhood dream.
Julia Roberts in the movie Pretty Woman
However, after Julia Roberts's resounding success with Steel Magnolias, which made her a recognizable actress, Marshall decided to remove all the darkest scenes and reshoot the film's ending. The title “$3000” also disappeared: the film was now called “Pretty Woman,” after Roy Orbison’s famous song “Pretty Woman.”
The grandiose film “Pretty Woman” was released on US screens on March 23, 1990 and, despite a rather cool reception from critics, earned $180 million at the box office, becoming the second highest-grossing film of 1990, bringing Roberts a second consecutive Oscar nomination as best actress and a second Golden Globe statuette.
Julia Roberts movie Pretty Woman
“Pretty Woman” in two hours (that’s how long the film lasted) turned Julia Roberts into an actress who was recognized on the streets, invited to television, and photographed for the covers of glossy magazines. New proposals were not long in coming.
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More than a quarter of a century has passed since the release of one of the most beloved comedy melodramas of all time, “Pretty Woman.” All this time, fans of the film did not give up hope of finding out the continuation of the love story of an unlucky call girl and a handsome banker. It looks like the chance to see how Vivien and Edward's relationship has developed is now greater than ever.
Starring Richard Gere asked fans on his Facebook page to vote for the Pretty Woman sequel to see the light of day. According to the actor, if the post gets more than a million likes, he will seriously think about implementing the long-awaited project. Just 14 hours later, the millionth milestone was surpassed, so there is every reason to hope that our favorite characters will soon return to the screen.
The first (and so far only) part of the film was released in March 1990. One of the most popular melodramas of the end of the last century is the story of Cinderella, translated into a modern twist. The main character is Vivien, a representative of an ancient profession, whose affairs are going from bad to worse. One evening, the girl meets a young and handsome banker, who invites her to spend a few days together, and in this short period of time, Vivienne and Edward manage to fall in love with each other. We will see what followed the on-screen happy ending in the second part, if it is destined to happen.
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Film "In bed with the enemy"
Then the actress again amazed the audience with her beauty in the melodrama “In Bed with the Enemy,” playing a girl who faked her own death, fleeing from an aggressive husband.
Julia Roberts in the movie In Bed with the Enemy
The audience again wanted to see “beauty” Julia in her signature role, with her signature smile. However, Roberts’ unstable personal life, as the actress herself admitted, did not allow her to choose “fun” scenarios. Roberts starred in small roles with the legendary Robert Altman, in the ultra-dark drama Mary Reilly (Julia's first financial failure) by Stephen Frears, and also in a cameo role with Woody Allen in the film Everybody Says I Love You. At this stage, Julia disappears from the public eye, ceasing to act in films for a while, and the press immediately declares the decline of her career.
The actress's return to cinema turned out to be more than triumphant. romantic comedy My Best Friend's Wedding once again showed audiences Julia as they loved her: an ironic comedian with an infectious laugh and a wide smile. The film also became a critical favorite, with leading US film columnist Roger Ebert calling Roberts' performance "brilliant."
The next significant film in the actress’s career was the biographical film “Erin Brockovich” directed by Steven Soderbergh. Julia played the role of the main character Erin Brockovich, a human rights activist who fought against environmental pollution. The film becomes a hit and brings the Hollywood star her first Oscar statuette.
Julia Roberts in the film Eren Brockovich
Julia’s fees grew from film to film, and for the film “Mona Lisa Smile” the actress received an unprecedented fee in the history of cinema for an actress in the amount of $25 million. This, however, does not prevent Roberts from participating in small projects with a budget much less than the above amount (the film “Closer” with her participation, shot for $27 million, brought in more than $115 million at the box office).
The actress does not stop playing in big movies; she is invited to many famous projects. In 2012, Julia Roberts took part in the filming of the comedy August: Osage County, where she played alongside the famous Meryl Streep. Film critics were delighted with Roberts' acting, and the actress herself was again nominated for many popular American film awards.
Julia Roberts bought the rights to the film adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert's bestseller Eat, Pray, Love, in which she played the main role.
Next, Julia successfully starred in the films “The Normal Heart” (2014), “The Secret in Their Eyes” (2015), “Money Monster” (2016), “Horrible Ladies” (2016) and “The Smurfs: The Lost Village” (2017).
In 2020, the wonderful film “Miracle” , in which the actress played the mother of a seriously ill boy.
Julia Roberts in the movie Miracle
Personal life of Julia Roberts
In the 1990s, Julia Roberts was known not only for her successful films, but also for her turbulent personal life. Among the celebrities with whom the actress had affairs, one can name, first of all, Kiefer Sutherland.
Julia Roberts and Kiefer Sutherland
Julia Roberts and Kiefer Sutherland
During the filming of the film Flatliners, Julia met Canadian actor Kiefer Sutherland. The lovers actively gave interviews to the press, talking about their love at first sight. Julia and Kiefer set a wedding date, but three days before the grand event, a compromising photo of Sutherland with an unknown girl appeared in the newspapers. After something like this, there was no question of marriage.
Julia Roberts and Matthew Perry
Then she was in a relationship with Matthew Perry.
Julia Roberts and Lyle Lovett
Roberts first officially married in 1993 to actor and country singer Lyle Lovett, who was 10 years older than her. But the couple did not live together for long and broke up after less than two years. Roberts and Lovett did not have children in this marriage.
Julia Roberts and Lyle Lovett
They have maintained a warm relationship to this day. Lyle even wrote the song “If I Needed You” specifically for Julia to sing in the movie Stepmom.
Julia Roberts and Benjamin Brett
For about two years, the Hollywood star dated “Law and Order” actor Benjamin Brett. By that time, the actress tried to keep the press away from her personal life, and little is known about the details of their romance. Brett wanted a full-fledged family and children, and Roberts completely devoted herself to her career as an actress.
Julia Roberts and Daniel Moder
On the set of The Mexican, Julia met her future husband, cameraman Daniel Moder. At the time the novel began, Moder was still married. In 2002, Danny divorced his wife Vera Steiner-Moder.
Julia Roberts and Daniel Moder
On July 4, 2002, Julia married Daniel Moder. On November 28, 2004, the couple had twins - a girl, Hazel Patricia, and a boy, Finneas Walter (in honor of Julia's father). Delivery occurred 4 weeks before term, but no complications were observed.
On June 18, 2007, Julia and Daniel had another boy, he was named Henry Daniel Moder. At the moment, for Julia, family comes first.
Julia Roberts and Daniel Moder with children
Actress Julia lives with her children mainly in New York, in a prestigious area of Manhattan. But they also have a ranch and a house in California. The couple profess Hinduism.
Perhaps the actress has recently not had such high-profile and bright projects that happened in her career before. But now Julia Roberts is happy in her family life.
The most famous film couples
The film set is the perfect place for romance between an actor and an actress. Therefore, very often relationships on camera continue in life. But there are stars who, even after several romantic meetings in the movies, remained only friends. Like, for example, Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves, who met again in the new film “The Lake House.” MK-Boulevard decided to remember its most persistent film partners.
The film set is the perfect place for romance between an actor and an actress. Therefore, very often relationships on camera continue in life. But there are stars who, even after several romantic meetings in the movies, remained only friends. Like, for example, Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves, who met again in the new film “The Lake House.” MK-Boulevard decided to remember its most persistent film partners.
Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves
FIRST DATE:
Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves met while auditioning for the film Speed in 1993. Their film romance could have ended before it even began, because the role of Annie Porter was also offered to Halle Berry and TV presenter Helen De Generes. The role of Jack Traven was contested by a whole crowd of actors: Stephen and William Baldwin, Johnny Depp, Bruce Willis, Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks. But in the end, Bullock and Reeves were approved. And although both were not burdened by marriage, their relationship outside the set never went beyond friendship.
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HISTORY OF RELATIONS:
After the release of the film, which immediately became a hit and made the main characters stars of the first magnitude, the press “married” the actors. When Reeves and Bullock, who got married in the summer of 2005, attended the Oscars together this year, rumors of their romance were renewed. But it turned out that this was a smart PR move for their new joint film, “The Lake House.” Sandra and Keanu have not acted together for more than ten years, but all this time the actors regularly call each other and send each other postcards for the holidays, and have lunch when they meet. “We are like brother and sister” - this is what they themselves say about their tender relationship. However, they admit that on the set of the film “House by the Lake” (2006) they kissed not like relatives, but for real, since they both like it. No wonder their kiss in “Speed” was called “the best kiss in cinema.”
EKATERINA GUSEVA AND SERGEY BEZRUKOV
FIRST DATE:
Ekaterina Guseva was the film wife of Sergei Bezrukov twice. A year before the sensational "Brigade", in 2001, in the film "Pale-faced Liar" the actress played an opera singer who, for money, agreed to portray the wife of a swindler trying to deceive his rich uncle. But for some reason the film was never released in wide release. Therefore, viewers saw the “married couple” on screen for the first time in the TV series “Brigade”. Guseva later said that it was very difficult for her to pretend to be in love with Bezrukov. Director Alexei Sidorov even threatened that either she or Sergei would be removed from the film, since the actors could not work together. But gradually everything settled down. And Guseva and Bezrukov were named the best serial couple of 2002.
HISTORY OF RELATIONS:
Naturally, the audience, not without press coverage, immediately married the actors. Guseva and Bezrukov avoided working together in cinema and theater and even just casual meetings for two whole years. But in 2005, the actors decided to break the ban they themselves had established. Sergei invited Ekaterina to play the role of Augustina Miklashevskaya in the film “Yesenin”. True, this time they didn’t have an on-screen love affair. And to the question: “Has Sergei changed much after the Brigade,” Catherine invariably answered: “No. Only the head turned white.”
JULIA ROBERTS AND RICHARD GERE
FIRST DATE:
“Pretty” Vivian was supposed to be Meg Ryan - it was this actress that the producers really wanted to see in the leading role. And the businessman who fell in love with her was Al Pacino. When Pacino refused, and the film’s director was able to persuade the studio to take Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, they both had no time for romance: the actors had too many problems to get roles. Julia and Richard didn't even become friends, they just did their job conscientiously. Although rumors that Roberts and Gere did have an affair during filming constantly haunted the actors. But they themselves deny it to this day.
HISTORY OF RELATIONS:
When, nine years after Pretty Woman, Roberts and Gere agreed to star together in Runaway Bride, the actors were again bombarded with provocative questions about the nature of their relationship. Julia and Richard, already taught by bitter experience, did not foam at the mouth to prove that there was nothing between them. “Yes, we are getting married! This is the only rumor that is completely true,” repeated the stars, who were free people at that moment. And soon after the premiere, all the gossip stopped by itself: Roberts and Gere were never seen in a vicious relationship with each other. And they don’t even plan to act together anymore.
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IRINA MURAVYEVA AND ALEXANDER ABDULOV
FIRST DATE:
For the first time, Muravyova and Abdulov were together on the set in 1980 while working on the film “Carnival”. The actors already knew each other before. According to the plot, their heroes - a young girl from the provinces and a handsome Muscovite - begin an affair, but the cruel Nikita leaves Nina. Perhaps, because of their unhappy love of cinema, viewers never attributed a romantic relationship to Muravyova and Abdulov in life. Or maybe because Alexander was married to Irina Alferova and they were called the most beautiful couple in the Soviet Union. Nevertheless, they constantly sent letters to Irina and sympathized with her on the street that nothing worked out for her with Nikita.
HISTORY OF RELATIONS:
“Carnival” was a resounding success, and Muravyova was recognized as the best actress of 1982. And it was hard not to notice the successful film union. Therefore, two years later, the actors were invited to shoot in the film “The Most Charming and Attractive.” True, it took the director 6 months to persuade the actress to work. Abdulov agreed almost immediately, but periodically tried to sort things out on the site. Muravyova and Abdulov were never friends; they only communicated while working.
MEG RYAN AND TOM HANKS
FIRST DATE:
Many people think that Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks first met on the set of Sleepless in Seattle in 1992. In fact, they met three years before this film on the set of the rather peculiar comedy “Joe Versus the Volcano” (1990). The film about a poor and sick official Joe, who is offered by a millionaire to jump into a volcano crater in exchange for a month of luxury, failed at the box office. But it gave birth to a new creative and romantic union between Hanks and Ryan: in the film Meg played Joe’s beloved.
HISTORY OF RELATIONS:
The second meeting of Meg and Tom, which took place in the film Sleepless in Seattle, brought them fame as one of the most beautiful couples in cinema. Moreover, Ryan and Hanks spend a little more than two minutes on screen together. “You’ve Got Mail” (1998) is the third and so far the last joint film between the movie stars. But they say Meg has already found a script that will allow her to team up with Tom again. The film, tentatively titled “Somewhere in Time,” tells the story of the unexpected forbidden love of two mature married people. Gossipers are already excited that the plot of the film will turn into reality. Although this is hardly possible: Ryan has known Hanks’ wife Rita Wilson for a long time, and they maintain friendly relations. In 2001, Rita even helped Meg get through her divorce from actor Dennis Quaid.
IRINA KUPCHENKO AND OLEG YANKOVSKY
FIRST DATE:
Kupchenko and Yankovsky can be called the most famous film couple in the country. They played spouses three times: in 1978 in the films “An Ordinary Miracle” and “The Turning,” and in 1981 in the film “The Hound of the Baskervilles.” They once had an affair in the film “Come See Me.” Irina and Oleg met in 1975 during the filming of the film “Other People's Letters”. Yankovsky recalled about his partner: “Irina and I performed very successfully in “Miracle”, then the success was reinforced by our joint work in the film “The Turn” and in the series “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.” It is not surprising that the actors were considered (and what is most surprising, they are still considered) spouses. Although Yankovsky has been married to Lyudmila Zorina for more than thirty years, and Kupchenko is married to Vasily Lanov.
HISTORY OF RELATIONS:
In the late 90s, 20 years after working together in The Hound of the Baskervilles, the actors found themselves on the set again. Oleg Yankovsky, as the director of the film “Come See Me,” did not suffer from searching for an actress. He invited Irina Kupchenko to play one of the main roles, explaining his choice by the fact that Kupchenko is a wonderful partner and comrade. But in life, the actors practically do not communicate, meeting only at creative evenings or official celebrations.
Julia Roberts and niece Emma Roberts
Roberts is not only a loving mother of three children, but also a caring aunt. It was Julia who played a big role in the fate of her niece, the daughter of Eric's brother, Emma Roberts, who also became an actress. After her parents' scandalous divorce, Emma was left homeless with her mother, and it was her aunt who helped the woman and her child. In the future, she always took care of her niece and even dissuaded her from marrying actor Evan Peters, citing the fact that she should not take such a serious step in her life at such a young age. It is known that the couple eventually got engaged, but at the beginning of 2016 they finally broke up.
Julia Roberts and niece Emma Roberts
Marriage to Moder changed the actress’s life forever
Speaking with fellow actor Gwyneth Paltrow, Roberts shared: “I think the first real seismic shift in my life was meeting Danny. When I married him, I knew that my life would never be the same.” And that was high praise indeed for the man she married back in 2002.
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Roberts explained in detail why Moder had such an impact on her life. “He is still, to this minute, my favorite person. I'm more interested in his point of view than anyone else's. We just really, really love each other and enjoy each other's company,” the actress said to her friend Paltrow.
When asked by Gwyneth whether her relationship with her husband has gotten better over the years, Roberts replied: “I think that over the years the relationship becomes deeper, more complex. We are so lucky that there is some inexplicable harmony in our behavior. Because we do everything differently. I mean, we are different people, but there is something that unites us and makes sense.”
Filmography:
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