50 Plus Hub
Engraved portrait of Julia Roberts
Film & Screen · 1990s

Julia Roberts

Still with us 1967–present
One Best Actress win from four nominationsOscars
First actress to command $20 million per filmSalary
Famous grin made her America's sweetheartSmile
Named People's 'Most Beautiful' a record number of timesPeople
Among the highest-grossing actresses of the 1990sBox Office
The Turning Point

Julia Roberts became a global superstar overnight when Pretty Woman (1990) turned her megawatt smile into one of cinema's most bankable assets. The 1990 romantic comedy made her America's sweetheart and set up the decade-long reign that culminated in her Erin Brockovich Oscar.

Georgia Roots

Julia Fiona Roberts was born in Smyrna, Georgia, into a family steeped in theater. Early roles in Mystic Pizza and Steel Magnolias quickly marked her as a talent to watch.

America's Sweetheart

Pretty Woman made Roberts a phenomenon, and her radiant screen presence anchored a string of romantic-comedy blockbusters. By the late 1990s she was the highest-paid actress in Hollywood.

Oscar and Beyond

Her fierce performance in Erin Brockovich won the 2001 Best Actress Oscar and proved her dramatic range. She has since balanced family life with selective, well-received film work.

Career Timeline

  1. 1988Breakout role in Mystic Pizza
  2. 1989First Oscar nomination for Steel Magnolias
  3. 1990Pretty Woman makes her a global star
  4. 1991Thriller Sleeping with the Enemy is a hit
  5. 1997Comeback smash My Best Friend's Wedding
  6. 1999Stars in Notting Hill and Runaway Bride
  7. 2000First actress paid $20 million for Erin Brockovich
  8. 2001Wins Best Actress Oscar for Erin Brockovich
  9. 2001Headlines the ensemble heist Ocean's Eleven
  10. 2010Stars in travel drama Eat Pray Love
  11. 2022Reunites with George Clooney in Ticket to Paradise

Biggest Hits

1990
Pretty WomanStar-making role as a charming Hollywood escort
2000
Erin BrockovichBest Actress Oscar as a crusading legal clerk
1989
Steel MagnoliasEarly dramatic turn earned her first Oscar nod
1997
My Best Friend's WeddingRomantic-comedy hit that revived her box-office reign
1999
Notting HillPlays a movie star opposite Hugh Grant
Did You Know
  • With Erin Brockovich she became the first actress ever paid $20 million for a single film role.
  • Her older brother Eric Roberts is also an Oscar-nominated actor, making them a notable acting family.

Portrait: KazLovesPinoe · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

← All star bios