Julia Roberts biography

Synopsis

Early Career

Actress, producer. Born on October 28, 1967, in Smyrna, Georgia. The youngest of three children, she 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 high school in 1985, Roberts moved to New York City to live with her sister Lisa. Both Lisa and brother Eric were pursuing careers as actors.

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 next year, she cemented her status as a rising star in Steel Magnolias (1989), appearing alongside such acting legends as Shirley MacLaine and Sally Field. Roberts earned 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' career really took off. She played a hooker who falls in love with a client (played by 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 the role with a few career missteps i. 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 time, Roberts called off her wedding to actor Kiefer Sutherland, her co-star in 1990's Flatliners, just days before the ceremony was set to occur.

Mature Roles

After taking a break from film, 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. Returning to her image as America's sweetheart, Roberts dominated the box office with such romantic comedies as My Best Friend's Wedding (1997) with Dermot Mulroney and Notting Hill (1999) with Hugh Grant.