Julia Roberts is an American actress and producer who made her debut in the 1987 direct-to-video feature Firehouse. She had her breakthrough the following year by starring in the coming-of-age film Mystic Pizza (1988). For her supporting role in the comedy-drama Steel Magnolias (1989), she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. Roberts' next role was opposite Richard Gere in the highly successful romantic comedy Pretty Woman (1990), for which she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Musical or Comedy. In 1991, she appeared in the psychological thriller Sleeping with the Enemy, and played Tinker Bell in the Steven Spielberg-directed fantasy adventure Hook. Two years later, Roberts starred in the legal thriller The Pelican Brief, an adaptation of the John Grisham novel of the same name. During the late 1990s, she played the lead in the romantic comedies My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), Notting Hill (1999), and Runaway Bride (1999).
In 2000, Roberts became the first actress to earn $20 million, for playing the eponymous environmental activist in the Steven Soderbergh-directed biographical film Erin Brockovich. Her performance won her the Academy Award for Best Actress, the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Drama. The following year, she starred in the romantic comedy America's Sweethearts (2001), and reteamed with Soderbergh on the comedy heist remake Ocean's Eleven (2001). Roberts appeared in the 2003 drama, Mona Lisa Smile, which earned her a then record $25 million salary. The following year, she starred in the romantic drama Closer (2004), and also reprised her role in the sequel, Ocean's Twelve (2004). In 2006, she lent her voice to two animated films: The Ant Bully, and Charlotte's Web. Roberts went on to appear in the comedy-dramas Charlie Wilson's War (2007) and Eat Pray Love (2010), following which she starred in August: Osage County (2013), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2016, Roberts played a television producer in the thriller Money Monster and the following year, she played a mother coping with her son's Treacher Collins syndrome in the comedy-drama Wonder.
Roberts made her television debut in the drama series Crime Story in 1987. She appeared in the crime drama series Miami Vice, and the television film Baja Oklahoma (both in 1988). In 1996, Roberts guest starred on the television sitcom Friends. Roberts's guest star appearance on the police procedural/legal drama Law & Order in 1999 earned her a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. She has, as of 2014, served as an executive producer on four films in the American Girl film series. The first three were television films while the fourth, Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, had a theatrical release in 2008. In 2014, Roberts provided narration for an episode of the documentary series Makers: Women Who Make America, and appeared in the film The Normal Heart. Her role in the latter earned Roberts a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie.
Film
+ Year Title Role Notes 1987 Firehouse Babs Uncredited; direct-to-video release 1988 Satisfaction Mystic Pizza 1989 Blood Red Filmed in 1986 Steel Magnolias 1990 Pretty Woman Flatliners 1991Sleeping with the Enemy / Sara Waters Dying Young Hook Tinker Bell 1992 Herself Cameo 1993 1994 I Love Trouble Prêt-à-Porter 1995 Something to Talk About 1996 Mary Reilly Michael Collins Everyone Says I Love You 1997 My Best Friend's Wedding Conspiracy Theory 1998 Stepmom Also executive producer 1999 Notting Hill Runaway Bride 2000 Erin Brockovich 2001 America's Sweethearts Ocean's Eleven 2002 Grand Champion Jolene Full Frontal Francesca / Catherine Confessions of a Dangerous Mind 2003 Mona Lisa Smile 2004 Tell Them Who You Are Herself Closer Ocean's Twelve 2006 Hova Voice Charlotte's Web Charlotte 2007 Charlie Wilson's War 2008Fireflies in the Garden Kit Kittredge: An American Girl Executive producer 2009 Duplicity 2010 Valentine's Day Eat Pray Love 2011 Jesus Henry Christ Executive producer Love, Wedding, Marriage Ava's Therapist Voice Larry Crowne 2012 Mirror, Mirror Queen Clementianna 2013 August: Osage County 2015 2016 Mother's Day Miranda Collins Money Monster 2017 Smurfs: The Lost Village Voice Wonder 2018 Ben Is Back 2022 Ticket to Paradise Also executive producer 2023 Leave the World Behind Amanda Sandford Also producer 2025 After the Hunt Alma Imhoff 2027 Post-production; also producer +Key Denotes films that have not yet been released
Television + Year Title Role Notes 1987 Crime Story Tracy Altman Episode: "The Survivor"{cite news|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/crime_story_1986/s01/e18 |title=Crime Story – Season 1, Episode 18, The Survivor, Aired Feb 13, 1987, Crime/Drama/Mystery & Thriller |access-date=April 11, 2026 |url-status=live} 1988 Miami Vice Episode: "Mirror Image" Baja Oklahoma Television film 1995 Before Your Eyes: Angelie's Secret Narrator 1996 Friends Episode: "The One After the Superbowl" 1998 Murphy Brown Herself Episode: "Never Can Say Goodbye" 1999 Law & Order Episode: "Empire" 2000 Silent Angels: The Rett Syndrome Story Narrator Television film Nature Herself Episode: "Wild Horses of Mongolia with Julia Roberts" 2003 Queens Supreme Executive producer Freedom: A History of US Virginia Eyewitness / Appleton's Journal 2 episodes 2004 Samantha: An American Girl Holiday Executive producer; television film 2005 Felicity: An American Girl Adventure 2006 Beslan: Three Days In September Narrator Documentary Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front Executive producer; television film 2011Extraordinary Moms Presenter Documentary; also executive producer 2014 Television film Makers: Women Who Make America Narrator Episode: "Women in Hollywood" 2017 Running Wild with Bear Grylls Herself Episode: "Julia Roberts" 2018 Homecoming 10 episodes; also executive producer 2022 Gaslit 8 episodes; also executive producer 2024 Knuckles Episode: "The Shabbat Dinner"; archive footage from Pretty Woman 2025 Leonard and Hungry Paul Narrator Series based on Rónán Hession's novel
Theater +YearTitleRolePlaywright Notes2006 Three Days of Rain Nan / Lina Richard Greenberg Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, Broadway
See also List of awards and nominations received by Julia Roberts
References
External links