Julia Roberts was born in Smyrna, Georgia on October 28th, 1967, to Walter and Betty Roberts. Her father worked as a vacuum cleaner salesman and her mother was a church secretary.
Julia originally wanted to be a veterinarian, but her brother, Eric Roberts, had already attained a certain level of success in Hollywood, and Julia was determined to find similar success.
She made her film debut playing a supporting role opposite her brother in Blood Red, (1986). She appeared in a couple of made-for-TV movies and one low-budget feature, Firehouse (1987) before getting her first real break in the made-for-cable drama Satisfaction (1988). This led to a large supporting role in Mystic Pizza (1989). Her portrayal of a strong-headed pizza parlor co-owner who seduces a wealthy preppie earned Roberts acclaim and led to her playing the doomed Shelby opposite Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine and Dolly Parton in the melodramatic comedy Steel Magnolias (1989). Her portrayal earned Roberts an Oscar nomination and made her a star. For her next film, Roberts attempted to branch off into more serious waters playing a medical student who starts tinkering with life-after-death experiences with four other medical students in the uneven Flatliners (1990).
Pretty Woman soon followed, and Roberts' hooker with a heart of gold who tames the corporate beast of Richard Gere assured her continued fame. The film was a runaway international hit and Roberts became a household name. But despite her sudden rise to superstardom, her career faltered as her subsequent films, particularly Dying Young (1991), have been of uneven quality.
The much-heralded Mary Reilly (1996) was a box-office fizzle, but Roberts career began picking up again with Michael Collins and Conspiracy Theory with Mel Gibson (both 1996). In 1997, Roberts made a triumphant return to romantic comedy in the darkly funny My Best Friend's Wedding, and continued her romantic comedy upswing in 1999 with Notting Hill and Runaway Bride.
This status was further demonstrated with the $20 million--the highest salary ever paid to a screen actress to date-- she received to star as the eponymous heroine of Steven Soderbergh's Erin Brockovich in 2000.
Roberts now owns her own production company, Shoelace Productions, which she runs out of New York City (she also owns a residence in Los Angeles). Industry experts have approximated that the actress has grossed over 1.6 billion worldwide in her career. Obviously an asset to any film, she is one of the most sought after talents in Hollywood. She has also followed Audrey Hepburn in becoming involved with UNICEF charities and has made visits to many different countries, including Haiti and India, in order to promote goodwill.