Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28, 1967) is an American actress. She became well known during the early 1990s after starring in the romantic comedy Pretty Woman opposite Richard Gere, which grossed $463 million worldwide. After receiving Academy Award nominations for Steel Magnolias in 1990 and Pretty Woman in 1991, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2001 for her performance in Erin Brockovich. Her films, which also include romantic comedies such as My Best Friend’s Wedding, Mystic Pizza, Notting Hill, Runaway Bride, and crime films such as The Pelican Brief and Ocean’s Eleven and Twelve have collectively brought box office receipts of over $2 billion, making her the most successful actress in terms of box office receipts.
Roberts had become one of the highest-paid actresses in the world, topping the Hollywood Reporter’s annual “power list” of top-earning female stars from 2002 to 2005, until 2006, when Nicole Kidman won the top spot. Her fee for 1990′s Pretty Woman was $300,000; in 2003, she was paid an unprecedented $25 million for her role in Mona Lisa Smile. As of 2007, Roberts’s net worth was estimated to be $140 million.
Roberts was the first actress to appear on the cover of Vogue. GQ once erroneously claimed she was the first woman to appear on their cover, but later retracted the statement (Carol Channing appeared on a GQ cover in 1964). She has been named one of People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People in the World” eleven times, tied with Halle Berry. In 2001 Ladies Home Journal ranked her as the 11th most powerful woman in America. Roberts has a production company called Red Om Films, formerly Shoelace Productions (“Moder” spelled backwards, after her husband’s last name).
Trivia:
Lent her celebrity name to help raise money for research to develop a cure for Rett Syndrome (a disease which is potentially fatal and randomly strikes girls between the ages of 2 to 6 years).
Chosen of the “50 Most Beautiful People in the World” by People magazine in 2000.
Ranked #66 in Empire (UK) magazine’s “The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time” list (October 1997).
Was engaged to Kiefer Sutherland for a short period.
Sister of Lisa Roberts Gillan and Eric Roberts.
Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World in 1990 and 1991.
Has “movie within a movie” scenes in The Player (1992), Notting Hill (1999), America’s Sweethearts (2001) and Full Frontal (2002).
Was considered for the role of Poison Ivy in Batman & Robin (1997).
She once tried out for a part on “All My Children” (1970), but was turned down.
Born to Walter Grady Roberts, a vacuum cleaner salesman, and his wife Betty Lou Bredemus, a one-time church secretary and real estate agent.
Ranked #1 (in Hollywood Power) and #12 (in $$) on Forbes magazine ‘Power 100′.
Tops the list of the 200 “hottest” actors and actresses in the business in “James Ulmer’s Hollywood Hot List: The Complete Guide to Star Power – 2000″ book which is published in October 2000 (June 2000).
Turned down the Sharon Stone role in Basic Instinct (1992).
Frequently works with Steven Soderbergh
After George Clooney and Brad Pitt found out that she was going to be joining them in Ocean’s Eleven (2001), they sent her a card that read “We heard that you get 20 per film” and in it was a $20 bill; the joke was that she reportedly gets $20 million per film.
Named one of People Magazine’s ’25 Most Intriguing People of 2001′.
Named one of E!’s “top 20 entertainers of 2001″.
At the 2002 Peoples Choice Awards she admitted to being a huge fan of “Days of Our Lives” (1965) and asked to be seated near the cast.
Splits her down time between her ranch in Taos, New Mexico and a home in New York City.
Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2002.
Was ranked 6th of the 100 Sexiest Women by FHM Taiwan (2001).
Married boyfriend, cameraman Daniel Moder, at their ranch home in Taos, New Mexico in a midnight ceremony. Bruce Willis was the only celebrity that attended her wedding to Daniel Moder. Julia wore a simple pink cotton halter dress by pal Judith Beylerian (4 July 2002).
She never acted in a sequel until Ocean’s Twelve (2004).
She has Irish ancestry.
Moved from rank # 18 in 2002 to rank #16 in 2003 on Premiere’s Annual Hollywood Power List. Also in 2003 Julia ranked #10 in Star TV’s Top 10 Box Office Stars of the 1990s. In 2005, Premiere Magazine Stars in Our Constellation feature ranked Julia as the #7 Greatest Movie Star of All Time. in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005).
Ranked #10 in Star TV’s Top 10 Box Office Stars of the 1990s (2003)
Measurements: 34B-23-34 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)
She is a huge fan of actress Aishwarya Rai, whom she once commented on being “The most beautiful woman in the world, more beautiful than any Hollywood actress.”
Pakistani film director Rauf Khalid wanted her to work in his film, and even invited her to Pakistan to discuss the project, but she refused because of prior commitments.
Observed art history classes at New York University in order to prepare for her role in Mona Lisa Smile (2003).
Her Oscar-winning performance as Erin Brockovich-Ellis was ranked #31 on the American Film Institute’s Heroes list of the 100 years of The Greatest Screen Heroes and Villains.
Announced that she and husband Daniel Moder are expecting twins. Twins run in her family. She is due in early 2005. [June 2004].
Shares a birthday with actor Joaquin Phoenix.
A 9000 year old female skeleton excavated in Bulgaria in November 2004, was called by the archaeologists “Julia Roberts” because of the perfect teeth it had. They said that woman would have had a perfect smile – just like the actress.
Has worked with both Hector Elizondo and Richard Gere in two different movies, first in Pretty Woman (1990), and then again in Runaway Bride (1999).
Because Erin Brockovich-Ellis is right handed and Roberts is not, she had to learn to use her right hand for Erin Brockovich (2000).
Premiere Magazine ranked her as the #7 Greatest Movie Star of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005).
Has played an art historian twice, once in Everyone Says I Love You (1996) and also in Mona Lisa Smile (2003).
First actress to reach 20 million dollar mark salary (for Erin Brockovich (2000))
She and her Ocean’s Eleven (2001) / Ocean’s Twelve (2004) co-stars, George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Elliott Gould, all have guest-starred on the TV show “Friends” (1994), though not in the same episodes
Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2005 and appeared on the cover of the May 9, 2005 issue.
“The Alchemist” is one of her favorite books.
Roberts’ production company “Red Om” films is her husband Danny’s second name reversed
As a gesture of thanks for giving her children music lessons, Coretta Scott King paid the hospital bills when the pregnant Mrs. Roberts’ delivered her next child. That child ended up being Julia.
Early in her career, she auditioned unsuccessfully for two soap opera roles. She lost the part of “Linda Warner” to Melissa Leo on “All My Children” (1970); and the part of “Hayley Benson” to Stacy Edwards on “Santa Barbara” (1984).
Was named of the 100 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2006.
Her great-grandmother Elin (Eleanor) was Swedish, born 1884 in Värmland, Sweden. She died in Minneapolis 1960, seven years before Julia was born.
Chosen “Sexiest Bespectacled Star” by the readers of “In Touch” magazine ahead of Felicity Huffman and Alicia Keys (November 2006).
Her Broadway debut in the play “Three Days of Rain” received terrible reviews for her performance and ran only 70 performances.
Cited as America’s Favorite Movie Star in a Harris Poll conducted in 2001.
Ranked #8 in Forbes the 20 Richest Women In Entertainment.
She won an Oscar for playing Erin Brockovich-Ellis in Erin Brockovich (2000), making her one of eleven actors to win the Award for playing a real person who was still alive at the evening of the Award ceremony (as of 2007). The other ten actors and their respective performances are: Spencer Tracy for playing Father Edward Flanagan in Boys Town (1938), Gary Cooper for playing Alvin C. York in Sergeant York (1941), Patty Duke for playing Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker (1962), Jason Robards for playing Benjamin C. Bradlee in All the President’s Men (1976), Robert De Niro for playing Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull (1980), Sissy Spacek for playing Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980), Susan Sarandon for playing Helen Prejean in Dead Man Walking (1995), Geoffrey Rush for playing David Helfgott in Shine (1996), Jim Broadbent for playing John Bayley in Iris (2001/I) and, most recently, Helen Mirren for playing Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen (2006).
An accomplished equestrienne, Julia did her own riding in Runaway Bride (1999).
Turned down leading role in Sleepless in Seattle (1993) which went to Meg Ryan.
Received the American Cinematheque Award (10 October 2007).
Is an alumni of the Lee Strasberg Institute such as actors Angelina Jolie, Frank Miranda, Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson, Rosario Dawson, Dennis Hopper.
Five directors that cast Julia at least twice are: Mike Nichols, Steven Soderbergh, Garry Marshall, Robert Altman and Joel Schumacher.
Good friends with Bruce Willis.
After divorcing Walter Roberts in January 1972, her mother Betty Lou married theater critic Michael Motes (11 September 1972).
Her films have grossed more than $ 2 billion at the US box office, making her the biggest female movie star of all time (February 2007).
Has supported UNICEF enthusiastically.
Buys her own organic greens at the market near her apartment in New York.
In 2006, she earned $5 million for endorsing Gianfranco Ferre. She posed for eight print ads, which was equivalent for one day of work.
Named #57 on Empire Magazine’s 100 Sexiest Movie Stars. (2007).
By 2004, she had a fortune estimated to be worth $212 million.
In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated her earnings for the year at $9 million.
Made just one movie – Blood Red (1989) – with brother Eric Roberts.
Ranked #1 on Forbes magazine ‘Celebrity 100′ (2000).
Is one of six actresses that have won an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award and SAG Award for the same performance. The others in chronological order are Renée Zellweger for Cold Mountain (2003), Reese Witherspoon for Walk the Line (2005), Helen Mirren for The Queen (2006), Jennifer Hudson for Dreamgirls (2006) and Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008).
Eden made featured appearances on television shows such as The Johnny Carson Show (as “Barbara Morehead” and “Barbara Huffman”), The West Point Story, Highway Patrol, Private Secretary, I Love Lucy, The Millionaire, Target: The Corruptors!, Crossroads, Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, December Bride, Bachelor Father, San Francisco Beat, Father Knows Best, Adventures in Paradise, The Andy Griffith Show, Cain’s Hundred, Saints and Sinners, The Virginian, Slattery’s People, The Rogues, and the series finale of Route 66 playing the role of Margo. She guest starred in four episodes of Burke’s Law playing different roles each time. She was an uncredited extra in the movie The Tarnished Angels with Rock Hudson.
Discovery in the Hollywood sense came when she starred in a play with James Drury. Film director Mark Robson, who later directed her in the movie From The Terrace, had come to the play and wanted her for 20th Century Fox studios. Her screen test was the Joanne Woodward role in No Down Payment. Though she did not get the role, the studio gave her a contract. Eden did a screen test for the role of Betty Anderson in 1956 for the movie Peyton Place, though Terry Moore got the role. She had minor roles in Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? and The Wayward Girl and then became a leading lady in films and starred opposite Gary Crosby in A Private’s Affair and had a notable part in Flaming Star (1960), with Elvis Presley.
Eden starred in I Dream of Jeannie as Jeannie, a genie set free from her bottle by astronaut Captain (later Major) Anthony Nelson, played by Larry Hagman. Barbara was initially passed over for the role as she was blonde and of small stature, but Sidney Sheldon called on her when he was unable to find a suitable brunette to play the part. I Dream of Jeannie was a mild success in the ratings, and it ran from 1965 until 1970, and during this time Eden was nominated twice for Golden Globe Awards. She later reprised her Jeannie role in two made-for-TV reunion movies (I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years Later in 1985 and I Still Dream of Jeannie in 1991), and in the last scene of the theatrical movie A Very Brady Sequel. She also has played Jeannie in many TV commercials (AT&T, Lexus, Old Navy). I Dream of Jeannie has gone on to become one of the most successful series in international syndication earning Barbara Eden many fans over the world.
