15 Images of a Young Julia Roberts

Julia Fiona Roberts is one of the most famous actresses in the world. A regular on the big screen for over three decades whose movies have raked in over $3.9 billion globally, Roberts is loved by both critics and moviegoers alike. As an up-and-coming actress, a young Julia Roberts got her start in the 80s dramas Mystic Pizza and Steel Magnolias, leading to her starring in some of the most successful movies of all time.

Roberts’ career really took off in the 90s when she played a lady of the night who falls for her client (Richard Gere) in the romantic comedy Pretty Woman. She quickly became the go-to actress for rom-coms in the 90s, appearing in My Best Friend’s Wedding, Notting Hill, and Runaway Bride.

Her career trajectory changed when she won an Oscar for her performance in Erin Brockovich, a biographical drama about a woman who took on an energy corporation responsible for the Hinkley groundwater contamination incident. That wasn’t the only award she has won, with Roberts also taking home a British Academy Film Award, a Critic’s Choice Movie Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and three Golden Globe Awards during her long and successful career. 

Named the most “Beautiful Woman in the World” by People magazine a record five times, Roberts’ last 20 years in the business have seen her involved in a variety of different projects. She has acted in heist flicks Ocean’s Eleven and Ocean’s Twelve, the rom-com Valentine’s Day, dramas Eat Pray Love, August: Osage County, and Wonder, and recently taken a stab at television, becoming a regular on the first season of psychological thriller Homecoming and starring in the political limited series Gaslit. She has also starred alongside some of the greats, including Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Bruce Willis. 

Like many high-profile actors and actresses, Roberts has her own production company, Red Om Films. She has produced several of her own movies along with the first four films in the successful American Girl franchise. When she’s not acting, Roberts spends time with her husband, cameraman Daniel Moder, and the couple’s three children. 

In recognition of Roberts’ incredible career, we thought we would look back at her early years with these images of a young Julia Roberts taken during the 80s and 90s that show just how far she has come. 

1. Early Childhood

Even though she appears happy in this photo, Julia Roberts did it tough as a child. Her parents divorced in 1972 when she was just five and her mother would go on to remarry that same year. Unfortunately, that man, Michael Motes, turned out to be an unemployed bum who was abusive toward her mother.

In her biography, Julia, Roberts wrote that she “feared and despised” him. Although her mother and Motes remained married for 11 years, they eventually divorced, which was a great relief to Roberts and her siblings. 

2. Love Your Mom

Although her step-father was a menace, Julia Roberts loved her mom and stood by her during the rough times. This old photo was posted by Roberts on her Instagram account and accompanied by the comment; “💜 Me and my sweet Mama #callyourmama☎️♥️”

3. Growing Up in Atlanta

Julia Roberts was born in Smyrna, Georgia, and spent her youth there. She has an older brother, Eric Roberts, who is also a successful actor, and an older sister, Lisa Roberts Gillan. She also had a younger half-sister named Nancy Motes who tragically died of a drug overdose in 2014. 

She attended Fitzhugh Lee Elementary School, Griffin Middle School, and Campbell High School. Roberts dreamed of being a veterinarian and went to Georgia State University but failed to graduate. Instead, she dropped out and headed to New York City to pursue a career in acting. 

4. Modelling Life

Julia Roberts was only in New York for a minute when she was snapped up by Click Modeling Agency. She signed up with the agency while also enrolling in acting classes. According to Britannica, Roberts didn’t actually book any modeling gigs. It wasn’t until her brother cast her as his sister in the 1986 movie Blood Red that Roberts had her first official movie credit. 

5. Headshots

This image shows a couple of headshots Roberts posed for while trying to kick-start her career. Taken sometime in the mid-80s, it’s clear to see Roberts’ beauty even at such a young age. She certainly has an infectious smile that is familiar to anyone who has watched her movies. 

6. Mystic Pizza

After appearing in an episode of the TV series Crime Story, the fourth season finale of Miami Vice, and landing a small role in the movie Satisfaction, Julia Roberts finally broke through with her performance in Mystic Pizza.

In the romantic comedy, Roberts plays one of three young Portuguese-American friends working a the pizza parlor Mystic Pizza. Although not a big hit, the movie was well-received, with most critics pointing out Roberts as a star of the future. 

Fun fact: Mystic Pizza is also Matt Damon’s first movie role. 

7. Steel Magnolias

While filming Mystic Pizza, Julia Roberts was asked to read for a part in the drama Steel Magnolias. Although she was up against the likes of Laura Dern and Winona Ryder, Roberts snared the role, playing a young bride with diabetes. She joined a stacked cast of established female actresses, including Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, and Daryl Hannah.

Steel Magnolias was a massive hit and earned Roberts her first award nominations. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards and went on to win Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Globe Awards.

8. Golden Globe Winner

As previously mentioned, Julia Roberts won her first Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture after her star turn in Steel Magnolias. Although she didn’t look overly excited in this photo, we have no doubt she was screaming with joy on the inside. The win firmly established Roberts as one of the new generation of Hollywood stars to come out of the 80s. 

9. Pretty Woman

Pretty Woman is the movie that cemented Julia Roberts as a bonafide Hollywood star. The fish out of water story is about a prostitute (Roberts) who is hired to be the partner of a wealthy businessman (Richard Gere) for a week. Things get complicated when they begin to fall for each other in this romantic comedy classic. 

Going on to make a whopping $463.4 million at the box office worldwide, Pretty Woman also earned Roberts her second Golden Globe Award, this time for Best Actress. 

10. Early 90s Slump

After the success of Pretty Woman, everyone thought Julia Roberts was going to dominate Hollywood, but things didn’t exactly turn out that way to start with. Roberts starred in Flatliners, Sleeping With the Enemy, Hook, and Dying Young. All four films were box office smashes but critically panned, with many wondering if they had put their stock in the wrong actress.

Roberts herself was unsure of where her career was at and took a two-year hiatus, making just one small cameo in Robert Altman’s The Player.

11. Off-Screen Romances

It wasn’t just her career that was causing Julia Roberts problems – her love life was a mess. After meeting Kiefer Sutherland on the set of Flatliners, she called off her engagement to actor Dylan McDermott so she could shack up with her co-star. But things took another twist when the day before they were set to walk down the aisle, Roberts left Sutherland for his best friend, Jason Patric.

Their relationship quickly fizzled out but the media had a field day with Roberts’ love life. She was constantly hounded by the paparazzi and couldn’t go anywhere without being asked about who her current lover was. 

This period of time also saw Roberts turn down some major roles, including Annie Reed in Sleepless in Seattle and Lucy Eleanor Moderatz in While You Were Sleeping.

12. Notting Hill

While Julia Roberts returned in 1993 with the thriller The Pelican Brief, it took several years and a few more duds before she was back on top. Her slow climb up the Hollywood hill started with My Best Friend’s Wedding, a hit romantic comedy that also starred Dermot Mulroney, Cameron Diaz, and Rupert Everett. She followed this by teaming up with Mel Gibson in the political thriller Conspiracy Theory before reasserting her position as one of the best actresses in the game with the rom-com Notting Hill. 

The film’s simple premises, about a famous celebrity (Roberts) who falls for a bookstore owner (Hugh Grant), redefined the modern romantic comedy and made a staggering $363 million at the worldwide box office. That same year in 1999, Roberts also reteamed with Richard Gere for another rom-com, Runaway Bride, which earned $309.4 million at the box office, with Roberts well and truly back on top. 

13. Erin Brockovich 

Fresh from her rom-com success of the late 90s, Roberts wanted to put her acting to the test. So she took on the role of real-life environmental activist Erin Brockovich in the movie of the same name. Earning a reported $20 million, making her the highest-paid actress in Hollywood, Roberts once again wowed critics with her performance, going on to win the Academy Award for Best Actress at the Oscars. 

Now one of the top movie stars, Roberts had her pick of projects and began to star in a wide range of films, ranging from comedies to dramas and even animated movies. 

14. Mom Life

Although Julia Roberts isn’t exactly young in this image, it’s still over 15 years old and shows Roberts with her twins Phinneas and Hazel. The twins are now both adults and this photo is a great reminder of how fast life goes.

15. Timeless Beauty

This image is a still from a recent video posted to Julia Roberts’ Instagram. As you can see, she is still as beautiful now as when she first burst onto the acting scene in the late 80s. Her smile is absolutely radiating. Not only is she aging gracefully, but Roberts is transformed into one of the most respected actresses with a career full of incredible movies who is also known as a good person, which is what makes her so likable.