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How Julia Roberts became one of Hollywood’s most beloved stars
On February 28, 2025, the iconic Julia Roberts received an honorary award for her lifetime achievements at the 50th César Awards. As Ocean’s Eleven airs on TF1 Séries Films this Wednesday, April 9, 2025, we take a look back at the life of this radiant, widely adored star—revered since her early days with an unusual intensity.
by Violaine Schütz,
Julia Roberts: “a pop culture icon” celebrated at the 2025 César Awards
On February 28, 2025, Julia Roberts was selected for a lifetime achievement award during the 50th César Awards ceremony. In a press release, the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma stated, “Julia Roberts is not only a movie star; she is also an icon of pop culture, and her influence extends far beyond her performances.”
At 57, the actress remains “America’s Sweetheart”—a superstar whose megawatt smile can lift the spirits of audiences and make them forgive even her less compelling films (Eat Pray Love, Full Frontal). Her upcoming projects may well win over even her most reluctant critics.
Set to star in films by Luca Guadagnino and James Gray
Following in the footsteps of Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Daniel Craig, Roberts is taking the lead in an upcoming film by Luca Guadagnino. Titled After The Hunt and expected to premiere at the Venice Film Festival, the drama casts her as a university professor under pressure, alongside Andrew Garfield, Chloë Sevigny, and Ayo Edebiri.
She’s also teaming up again with director Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot) after Leave the World Behind (2023), this time for a thriller titled Panic Carefully, co-starring Elizabeth Olsen. And she’s slated to appear in another thriller: James Gray’s (Armageddon Time) new film Kill Your Darlings, an adaptation of a Peter Swanson bestseller featuring Anne Hathaway, Jeremy Strong, and Adam Driver. All the more reason to revisit the lesser-known aspects of the life and career of this radiant star, adored since Pretty Woman (1990), and recently seen in Ticket to Paradise alongside her friend George Clooney.
Pretty Woman: a cult classic filmed on a chaotic set
Before Pretty Woman (1990) turned her into a household name, Roberts had only a few credits to her name (Steel Magnolias, Mystic Pizza). The shoot, however, was far from smooth. Struggling with intense anxiety, she required frequent support from the film crew. Director Garry Marshall tickled her feet off-camera to make her laugh during a scene, and Richard Gere ad-libbed the famous moment where he snaps the jewelry box shut on her fingers.
During a love scene, Julia Roberts was so tense that a vein visibly bulged on her forehead—prompting Gere to massage it away. These moments predate the advent of intimacy coordinators, now standard on film sets to help actors through emotionally charged scenes. The film’s gender dynamics, in which a wealthy man “rescues” a sex worker, would likely face more scrutiny today in the post-#Metoo era.
Julia Roberts Embraces Her Age
Her $30 million-insured smile is as iconic as the Mona Lisa’s. Voted “World’s Most Beautiful Woman” multiple times, she was for years Hollywood’s highest-paid actress, earning $20 million for Erin Brockovich (2000) by Steven Soderbergh, which also won her an Oscar.
Yet, Roberts has publicly eschewed cosmetic interventions. In a 2010 interview with Elle US, she said, “I want my kids to know when I’m angry, when I’m happy, and when I’m confused. Your face tells a story—and it shouldn’t be the story of your trip to the doctor.”
“It’s sad that we live in such a panicked, dysmorphic society. Women don’t even give themselves a chance to see what they’ll look like as older individuals.” Julia Roberts
In the same interview, she lamented, “It’s sad that we live in such a panicked, dysmorphic society. Women don’t even give themselves a chance to see what they’ll look like as older individuals.” Four years later, in You Magazine, she admitted, “By Hollywood standards, I think I took a big risk by not getting a facelift.”
Still, her refusal to comply with industry norms hasn’t slowed her career. She continues to land major roles in high-profile films like Ticket to Paradise (2022) with George Clooney and Leave the World Behind, produced by Barack Obama and released on Netflix in December 2023. She remains a favorite amongst American and French fans alike.
Difficult to work with or just a powerful woman?
She played the clarinet as a child, once aspired to be a vet or a journalist, and now practices yoga to stay grounded. She’s also a passionate knitter on set. But despite her sunny image, some colleagues claim she wasn’t always easy to work with. On the set of Steven Spielberg’s Hook (1991), she reportedly caused the director and fellow actors (Dustin Hoffman and the Robin Williams) to deal with immense tension on set for 116 days of shooting.
She reportedly earned the nickname “Tinker Hell”, a play on the name of her character Tinker Bell, during a tough period following a breakup with actor Kiefer Sutherland.
She was said to be often late, emotionally volatile, and clashed with Spielberg—allegedly calling him a “grim jerk.” But it’s worth questioning how much of this was exaggerated. Women in Hollywood are frequently labeled “difficult” simply for asserting themselves in a still male-dominated industry.
Unwavering and Unfiltered
Roberts’ feminist stance extends beyond her roles. In 2017, she brought her daughter Hazel to the first Women’s March in protest of Donald Trump’s inauguration. A year earlier, she made waves at Cannes by walking the red carpet barefoot, rejecting the festival’s high-heel dress code.
Appointed UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1994, she was honored in 2014 by GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) for her support of LGBTQ+ students. A committed environmentalist, she champions renewable energy causes. In 2019, Michelle Obama invited her on a humanitarian mission to Vietnam promoting girls’ education.
In her rom-coms, Roberts often played women waiting for Prince Charming—but in real life, she’s proven to be a modern, bold heroine.
A seeker of wisdom turned practicing hindu
Born in 1967 in Smyrna, Georgia, to a Baptist father and a Catholic mother, Roberts was raised in the Catholic faith. But after filming Eat Pray Love (2010) and meeting a guru in India, she converted to Hinduism.
She now attends temple with her family and gave her children Hindu names—Laxmi (Hazel), Ganesh (Phinnaeus), and Krishna Balram (Henry). She fosters spiritual awareness in her home, raising her kids away from social media and disciplinary rigidity, focusing instead on dialogue, joy, and harmony.
Luca Guadagnino’s After The Hunt has no release date yet. Ocean’s Eleven (2001) airs on TF1 Séries Films on April 9, 2025.
