What Julia Roberts Has Been Up To
With her dazzling smile, effervescent charm, and serious talent, Julia Roberts burst on the Hollywood scene in the late '80s and hasn't left the public eye since. Scoring back-to-back Oscar nominations for her performances in career-defining movies "Steel Magnolias" and "Pretty Woman," she catapulted to the A-list in her early 20s. Not only did Roberts' acting wow audiences, but her love life made for headline-worthy tabloid fodder. Although her early filmography is dotted with some notable flops — the dramas "Dying Young" and "Sleeping With The Enemy" come to mind — Roberts' career rebounded in the late '90s with her triumphant return to romantic comedy. With movies like "My Best Friend's Wedding," "Runaway Bride," and "Notting Hill," Roberts was back in top form as Tinseltown's rom-com queen.
But by the '00s, shifts in Roberts' personal life meant changes to her career. She met cinematographer Danny Moder on the set of her 2001 film "The Mexican" and soon married. By 2007, she and Moder were parents to three children and she quickly prioritized her domestic life. She didn't abandon Hollywood altogether, but Roberts became extremely selective about her acting projects, often taking on meaty supporting roles. Although she's mostly stepped away from her leading-lady status, Roberts has kept plenty busy over the years producing, modeling, and even becoming a landlord. So let's take a look at what Julia Roberts has been up to lately and learn how she's maintained her celebrity on her own terms.
She started taking roles that would prioritize her home life
By the late '00s, Julia Roberts and her husband Danny Moder were parents to three children, welcoming twins Phinnaeus and Hazel in 2004 and adding son Henry to the family in 2007. For Roberts, the growth of her family slowed down her professional life. She told the Wall Street Journal about prioritizing her family, "By the time we had kids, I had accomplished things and felt secure about that part of my life," adding, "I was so joyful moving into the family phase of my life in a sincere way." She didn't turn her back on Hollywood, but getting Roberts' attention became a tall order. "I say you can call me, but I don't necessarily call everybody back now," said Roberts to the New York Times, "I'm not off the market, but my decision-making has more components than it used to."
While Roberts had always been selective in choosing her acting projects — she told Harper's Bazaar that she didn't work for several years in her 20s due to lack of good scripts — at this point in her life, it was more about making movies around her kids' schedules. Although devoted to her family, Roberts was willing to leave home for the right project, like she did to make 2010's "Eat, Pray, Love." She was away from her family for months, but she shared with The New York Times, "I was really exhausted when it was done, and I loved every second of it."
The emotional death of her half-sister
In 2014, Juila Roberts publicly dealt with a massive private loss. Her half-sister, actor Nancy Motes, died by suicide at age 37 and she left a note which, in part, accused Roberts of being a cause of her depression. The two siblings reportedly had a tumultuous relationship for years, with Motes herself speaking to Radar Online about alleged childhood bullying about her weight by Roberts. Shortly before her death, she took to social media to air her grievances. In since-deleted posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, Motes alluded to familial drama, with several vitriolic Tweets seemingly directed toward her half-sister (via Radar Online).
Roberts publicly stayed quiet immediately following Motes' death, but she eventually addressed the topic in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. She said, "You don't want anything bad to happen to anyone, but there are so many tragic, painful, inexplicable things in the world. But [as with] any situation of challenge and despair, we must find a way, as a family." Roberts reportedly gave a eulogy at Motes' memorial service that May. Sources told The National Enquirer (per Radar Online) that they were stunned by Roberts' harsh speech. However, insiders at Us Weekly shared that Roberts was "polite and kind" during the ceremony.
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She went into serious actor-mode
Juila Roberts became a household name by starring in romantic comedies like "Pretty Woman" and "Notting Hill," but she's also a seriously talented actor. Early in her career, she was nominated for an Oscar for her role in "Steel Magnolias" and won the coveted award for Best Actress in the title role of "Erin Brockovich" in 2000. Although she dabbled in rom-coms like "America's Sweethearts" and whimsical family films like "Mirror, Mirror" in the new millennium, by the early 2010s, Roberts' acting career was firmly rooted in dramatic roles.
In 2013, she co-starred in the film adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, "August: Osage County." She earned high praise for her performing skills from none other than acting legend and "August" co-star Meryl Streep, who told USA Today, "When the time comes to do her own work, she is as serious and committed as you can imagine. Deep, resonant emotion lies readily available to her when she calls upon it, and then she lets it go like a tissue in the wind when they call cut. She's pretty amazing." Roberts herself was proud of her work in "August" and it confirmed her love of acting. She said, "I really do love it. I love working hard at it. This is probably the hardest I've worked at accomplishing something." Her efforts paid off, as she received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her work.
She became a high fashion model
Julia Roberts rose to fame during the supermodel craze of the 1990s. However, by the end of the decade, movie stars and celebrities were bumping models off the cover of fashion magazines. Not only that, but actors were quickly replacing models as the faces of clothing brands, including high-end labels. Sure, Roberts was no stranger to designer fashion in the 90s, but it took her until the 2010s to finally embrace the trend of actor-turned-model.
Roberts finally landed her own high fashion campaig when designer Riccardo Tisci selected her to be the face of Givenchy's Spring 2015 campaign. "For me, Julia is many things. She has this strength as an actress, but she's also this beautiful American woman," Tisci told Yahoo!Life. "I wanted to represent the woman who is more mature, beautiful, talented, but also unpretentious." For the campaign, Tisci dressed Roberts in the brand's iconic tuxedo, seemingly a nod to Roberts' penchant for menswear-inspired fashion. Not only did Roberts appear in Givenchy ads, but she sported the brand on a number of red carpets, including the 2014 Academy Awards and the SAG Awards in 2015. Of the star's custom tuxedo jumpsuit for the SAGs, Roberts' stylist Elizabeth Stewart shared with The Hollywood Reporter, "It's perfect because this look is both classic Riccardo and classic Julia. It's a match made in heaven!"
Her wonderous return to box office glory
In the 2010s, Juila Roberts didn't dominate at the box office like she did in the '90s. While mostly stepping back from her leading lady-status in the 2010s — with a few exceptions like 2010's "Eat, Pray, Love" — Roberts surprisingly scored one of the biggest-grossing movies of her career with a supporting role in the family-friendly film adaptation of the 2012 children's novel "Wonder." In the movie, Roberts plays Isabel, the mother of 10-year-old Auggie, a child with Treacher Collins syndrome, a congenital condition that affects facial bone and tissue development. After being homeschooled for many years, Auggie's parents enroll him in school. Although bullied and ostracized for his looks, he eventually makes friends and confidently embraces his individuality.
After reading the book to her children, Roberts shared in Good Housekeeping that she told her agent she wanted to play Isabel. At the time, Roberts was focused on being a mom to her own brood, but her kids enthusiastically supported their mom going to work on the project. Roberts should be proud of her offspring for knowing a good story, because "Wonder" was a hit at the box office. The film grossed over $300 million at the global box office, making it one of Roberts' biggest commercial hits, even out-earning her signature movies like "My Best Friend's Wedding" and "Runaway Bride."
She was a late joiner to social media
By the late 2010s, social media was changing the media landscape and it was reshaping the concept of celebrity. While folks like The Kardashians were leveraging the burgeoning technology for global fame and wealth, many notable Hollywood A-listers were reluctant to embrace it. Julia Roberts was one of these notable actor holdouts until 2018, when she finally joined Instagram. Her first post was a simple image of her smiling, with the simple caption "Hello." Roberts' initial foray into the 'Gram made national headlines, but being on social media didn't come naturally for the star. In fact, Roberts only joined Instagram because her kids were asking her why she wasn't on it.
When talking to Harper's Bazaar about being on social media, Roberts said, "It's definitely a balancing act, and it's been tricky figuring out what to post because I am private, but I am also friendly." But even a star of Roberts' caliber wasn't immune to hurt feelings from commenting trolls. With lessons learned, she keeps her Instagram comments highly curated, only allowing those she follows to comment on her posts. Roberts chooses to use social media to celebrate happy moments in her life, including milestones like her kids' birthdays. In 2023 she told Extra on posting a throwback birthday tribute to her twins, Phinnaeus and Hazel, "I know Instagram is a place where people like to share happy things and I love them so much."
She embraced prestige TV
In the late 2010s, Julia Roberts became yet another A-list movie star to jump on the TV bandwagon. In the past, being a movie star and working in film was the pinnacle of Hollywood celebrity and artistry. Television, on the other hand, had a less respectable reputation and it wasn't taken very seriously as an art form. That all changed in the era of prestige TV, when cable networks and streaming services, unencumbered by F.C.C. regulations, embraced edgy and innovative storytelling. A-list actors embraced the chance to flex their craft and creativity, and Roberts was no exception.
The iconic movie star wasn't a complete stranger to television — she appeared on an episode of "Law & Order," played herself on "Murphy Brown," and acted in the HBO movie "The Normal Heart" — but she didn't headline her own TV series until 2018. Roberts starred in and produced the Amazon Prime series "Homecoming," based on the dramatic podcast of the same name. During the Television Critics Association panel held about the show, Roberts saw no difference between working in TV and acting in movies. "I didn't think of it as small screen-big screen. My TV is very big," she quipped (via Los Angeles Times). Roberts didn't return for "Homecoming" Season 2, but remained an executive producer on the series. She returned to TV in 2022, co-starring with longtime friend Sean Penn in the Watergate-era limited drama series, "Gaslit."
Roberts made her triumphant rom-com comeback in 'Ticket to Paradise'
After nearly two decades away from the genre that made her a star, Julia Roberts returned to romantic comedy in the 2022 film "Ticket to Paradise." It wasn't that Roberts had been avoiding starring in rom-coms, rather she couldn't find a project worth her time. She told the New York Times about her absence, "People sometimes misconstrue the amount of time that's gone by that I haven't done a romantic comedy as my not wanting to do one." She added, "If I had read something that I thought was that "Notting Hill" level of writing or "My Best Friend's Wedding" level of madcap fun, I would do it." Roberts finally found a worthy project in writer and director Ol Parker's "Ticket to Paradise," a light yarn about a divorced couple who travel to Bali in hopes of sabotaging their daughter's wedding.
Teaming up with her friend and former co-star, Roberts and George Clooney felt the project would only work if they both starred opposite each other. Luckily, they could both make it work. Upon its release, "Ticket to Paradise" was heralded as a return to form for romantic comedies and was an unexpected hit at the box office. The film eventually grossed over $150 million globally. Hopefully, it won't be another twenty years before Roberts makes another rom-com. That would be a big mistake. Big. Huge!
She continued to be a Hollywood producing power player
Juila Roberts' production company, Red Om Films, has been churning out both film and TV projects since the early '00s. Working alongside her sister Lisa Roberts Gillan, Red Om Films produced everything from TV movies based on the American Girl dolls to the 2002 Jennifer Lopez rom-com "Maid In Manhattan." Like many Hollywood actors, as Roberts' career progressed, she began producing her own star-vehicles, like "Mona Lisa Smile" and "Eat, Pray, Love." Both films grossed over $100 million each, proving Roberts had both acting chops and keen producing skills.
Roberts' producing resume continued to grow throughout the 2010s and 2020s. Red Om Films is credited as producer on many of her high-profile projects from the time, including "Homecoming," "Gaslit," "Ticket to Paradise," and "Leave The World Behind." While firmly in the Julia Roberts business, Red Om Films still produces projects for other stars, too. Roberts was set to star in the limited series "The Last Thing He Told Me," a co-production between Red Om Films and fellow actor-producer Reese Witherspoon's media company, Hello Sunshine, but Jennifer Garner replaced Roberts in the lead role.
She's kept up her quirky red carpet fashion statements
Juila Roberts has never shied away from displaying her ever-idiosyncratic sense of style publicly — remember when she rocked a hairy armpit at the premiere of "Notting Hill" in 1999? In 2007, Roberts elevated her fashion status when she started working with stylist Elizabeth Stewart. She praised Stewart in The Hollywood Reporter saying, "This woman is tireless in her efforts to make me look like I am effortless." While Stewart works hard to make Roberts look good, the star returned the favor in 2018 when she styled both Stewart and herself in one of her favorite looks — menswear-inspired suiting — at the InStyle Awards in 2018. Stewart told Yahoo Entertainment their matching Givenchy suits was Roberts' idea. She said, "Julia thought of the idea ... she knew I was nervous about being in the spotlight and intuited a great way to make the night fun for me."
Some of Roberts' quirkier red carpet looks as of late are perhaps more thoughtful than uncomplicated. In 2022, she wore an Alexander McQueen dress to the premiere of "Ticket to Paradise" adorned with crystal embellishments honoring her family. That same year, Roberts attended the Kennedy Center Honors in a gown paying homage to her friend and honoree, George Clooney. Roberts' custom Moschino dress, plastered with images of Clooney throughout his career, was the perfect blend of kitsch and class.
Roberts stayed active in the real estate game
With a reported net worth of $250 million, it's no wonder that Julia Roberts' expansive real estate game has remained on point. Owning properties in New York City and Taos, New Mexico among other locations, Roberts has spent plenty of time and money on houses throughout the years. One location she seems to have a fondness for is Malibu, California. Many celebrities have called Malibu home throughout the years, and Roberts joined that rarified club in 2003 when she reportedly spent $9.5 million on her first home in the area. She bought her second Malibu home in 2016 for $6.84 million, which she eventually sold for $8 million, and she purchased yet another Malibu dwelling in 2017. Roberts spruced up her $3.9 million fixer-upper and placed it on the market to rent for $10,000 per month.
Although Roberts amassed quite the Malibu property collection, it wasn't the only coastal location in her real estate portfolio. She bought a Hawaiian home in 2011 for $13.375 million and she and her family were occasionally photographed enjoying the natural splendor of their Aloha state abode. However, Roberts sold the property in 2016 for $16.2 million, a price much lower than its initial $30 million asking price. Roberts fared better in the real estate game when she bought then sold a San Francisco home in the 2020s. For her efforts, Roberts banked a tidy multi-million dollar profit from the sale.
Roberts remained an in-demand brand ambassador
Julia Roberts continued to leverage her star power, albeit selectively, as a spokesperson for some very notable brands. Roberts first became a brand ambassador for Lancôme in 2009 and she continued working with the beauty company throughout the 2010s and 2020s. She appeared in Lancôme makeup and fragrance ads, becoming a featured face for the company's La Vie est Belle perfume, and, like any good brand ambassador, Roberts sported plenty of Lancôme beauty looks on the red carpet. She added another brand ambassadorship to her resume when she started her partnership with Italian hosiery brand Calzedonia in 2015. She starred in several campaigns for the brand, modeling patterned tights in fun patterns like houndstooth and polka dot.
Roberts pivoted into repping luxury goods with her first campaign for Chopard's Happy Sport watch collection. First appearing in the luxury jewelry brand's ads in 2021, Roberts sang the praises of the brand to The Hollywood Reporter. She said, "Chopard is such an iconic brand and all of the watches are gorgeous," adding, "The Happy Sport is no exception and what a nice thing to be aligned with happiness." Her Happy Sport watch campaign led to a larger collaboration with Chopard in 2023. That year, she was named global ambassador for all the company's collections. Chopard's artistic director and co-president Caroline Scheufele told The Hollywood Reporter, "[Julia's] smile is from inside out and this works well with our vision for our collections."
She became a 'college mom' and is looking forward to her empty nester years
It's no secret that for years, Julia Roberts has structured her Hollywood career around her family life. But just because her children are growing up and moving out of the house doesn't mean Roberts has lost enthusiasm for being a mom. "I'm completely excited for them. It's really thrilling and I wasn't lucky enough to have a college experience," she told Extra in 2022 about her twins Phinnaeus and Hazel's academic journey. "And so to see how it's happening for them is really fascinating." And on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," Roberts exclaimed her love for being a supportive college mom, even wearing her childrens' college colors.
Her youngest son Henry still lives at home, but soon the time will come when he leaves to start his own adulthood. For Roberts, becoming an empty-nester is reportedly an exciting reset for her life. Sources told Us Weekly that with more time on her hands, she looks to reinvigorate her career by taking on more acting work and to spend more time with her husband, Danny Moder. When Gayle King jokingly asked Roberts on "CBS Mornings" how awful her life would be living with only Moder, she flashed her signature grin and gushed in part, "He's just my favorite human. He's so smart and kind, and dynamic in the way that he looks at the world." Even without kids in the house, it looks like these two will be alright.