Roberts, Julia (1967– )

US actor. Her unconventional beauty and ‘girl-next-door’ charm contribute to her wide appeal. Her first major Hollywood role was in Mystic Pizza (1989), but it was her starring role in the romantic comedy Pretty Woman (1990) that led to her international fame. Her performance in Steven Soderbergh's Erin Brockovich (2000), based on the true story of a woman who led a suit against a power company, won her the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2001.

She has frequently collaborated with Soderbergh, for example in the thrillers Ocean's 11 (2001) and its sequel Ocean's 12 (2004). Her other films include Steel Magnolias (1989), Flatliners (1990), Sleeping with the Enemy (1991), The Pelican Brief (1993), Michael Collins (1996), My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), Conspiracy Theory (1997), Runaway Bride (1999), Notting Hill (1999), Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), Mona Lisa Smile (2003), Closer (2004), and Charlie Wilson's War (2007). In 2006 she made her theatrical debut in a revival of Richard Greenberg's Three Days of Rain (2006).

She was born and grew up in Smyrna, Georgia, and moved to New York, New York, after graduating from high school. She made her film debut in Blood Red with her brother, Eric, which was filmed in 1986 but not released until 1989. She also appeared in the made-for-TV movie Satisfaction (1988).