Julia Roberts biography

Synopsis

Early Life and Career

Born on October 28, 1967, in Smyrna, Georgia, the youngest of three children, Julia Fiona Roberts grew up surrounded by creative individuals. Her parents were both actors who ran a workshop for aspiring writers and performers until their divorce in 1971. Initially Roberts wanted to become a veterinarian, but she abandoned this dream when she realized that she had "an inability to deal with science on a brainiac kind of level." After graduating from high school in 1985, Roberts moved to New York City to live with her sister, Lisa, who, along with Roberts's brother, Eric, was pursuing an acting career.

In New York, Roberts also joined the family business, landing a guest appearance on the television series Crime Story. She really caught the public's eye, however, as the wild but vulnerable Daisy in Mystic Pizza (1988). The following year, Roberts cemented her status as a rising star in Steel Magnolias (1989), appearing alongside such acting legends as Shirley MacLaine and Sally Field, and earning an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress for her work on the film. She was also in the spotlight for her relationships with actors Liam Neeson and Dylan McDermott.

After that, Roberts's career really took off. She played a hooker who falls in love with a client (Richard Gere) in the box-office hit Pretty Woman (1990). For her convincing performance, Roberts received an Academy Award nomination for best actress. She followed up that role with a few career missteps: Dying Young (1991) received mixed reviews, as did Hook (1991), which revisited the story of Peter Pan. Both films also proved to be disappointments at the box office. Around this same time, Roberts called off her wedding to actor Kiefer Sutherland, her co-star in 1990's Flatliners, just days before the ceremony was scheduled to take place.

Mature Roles

After taking a break from film, Julia Roberts landed another big hit with the thriller The Pelican Brief (1993) with Denzel Washington. She then surprised fans with a quickie marriage to country singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett that same year. The union proved to be short-lived, however, with the pair divorcing after only 21 months of marriage.

Mary Reilly (1996) starred Roberts in a decidedly unglamorous role, playing a maid who works for Dr. Jekyll. Audiences were less than enthusiastic about the film.