Hollywood gets Spiritual

Whether rocking an ‘80s shortie-tee and walking the street as a female escort in Pretty Woman, or meditating quietly in one of India’s most sacred houses of prayer as author Elizabeth Gilbert, Julia Roberts radiates that larger-than-life charm she is recognized for worldwide.  

Recently voted “World’s Most Beautiful” by People magazine for the fourth time, Roberts reveals the source of her appeal by laughingly dismissing the title — flashing a perfect smile in the process. Though most of the world was in agreement, none said it better than heartthrob, co-star and former Sexiest Man Alive George Clooney.

“There’s a reason why Julia is a timeless beauty,” said Clooney in an interview with People, “and it has nothing to do with the way she looks. It has everything to do with who she is.”

Who is Julia Roberts? Her acting resumé reveals her to be as diverse as her roles — characters that she adopts so seamlessly you would swear they were her own. In reality, however, Roberts is a self-declared family woman, with roots deeply imbedded in a loving family of actors.

Her father, Walter Roberts, was a sensitive man who leaned toward the artistic in both fashion and interest. Wearing decidedly European duds, he went against the grain of his farming-stock family by pursuing a career as a drama student. After joining the air force (if only to take advantage of the educational benefits it provided), he auditioned for a stage production of George Washington Slept Here in Mississippi. In a charming plot twist worthy of the father of one of the world’s favourite actresses, he won both a leading role in the play as well as the heart of the beautiful female lead, Betty Lou Bredemus.

The two married and went on to have three children: Eric, Lisa and their youngest, Julia, born on October 28, 1967 in Smyrna, Georgia. While they raised their children, the Roberts established a children’s theatre in their home that taught the likes of the children of Martin Luther King, Jr. Though surrounded by actors — her home being something of a theatre itself — young Roberts was not interested in pursuing a dramatic career. In fact, the future star’s first ambitions were to care for animals as a veterinarian. It wasn’t until her brother, Eric, began to break into the acting world that Roberts followed suit, landing her first roles in 1988 in both Mystic Pizza and Girls of Summer.

LIFESTYLE’S FAVOURITE MOVIE MOMENTS

She charmed us in Pretty Woman and made us laugh in My Best Friend’s Wedding; here are Lifestyle’s favourite J.R.-onscreen moments:

Eat Pray Love (2010)
Charlie Wilson’s War (2007) 
Ocean’s Twelve (2004)
Closer (2004)
Runaway Bride (1999)
Notting Hill (1999)
Stepmom (1998)
My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
The Pelican Brief (1993)
Hook (1991)
Sleeping with the Enemy (1991)
Pretty Woman (1990)

Her big break, however, came later, with the 1990 chick-flick classic Pretty Woman, the film about a down-on-her-luck prostitute who charms her way into the heart of austere businessman-turned-prince-charming Richard Gere. Pretty Woman raked in a cool $460 million and launched Roberts on her path to stardom with an Oscar nomination and the coveted title of Favourite Actress at the People’s Choice Awards. When asked about the movie, she deflected talk of the windfall in favour of a more amusing behind-the-scenes story, a typical move for the impressively modest superstar.

“Ten hours in a bathtub dries out the skin,” she remembered in an interview with Scotland on Sunday. “At one point, when I was lathering up Richard’s chest, he goes, ‘My skin is cracking open — you’ve got to stop putting soap on me.’”

Seven years later Roberts stepped out of the bathtub and into the spotlight with yet another box office darling, My Best Friend’s Wedding.

Her success catapulted her into the ranks of the male actor A-listers, and continued to grow when she portrayed a tough-talking activist in Erin Brockovich, a movie that earned her an impressive $20 million — a salary previously reserved for her male co-stars — as well as a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Academy Award for Best Actress.

Again, Roberts shrugged off the impressive figure, as easily as she did the list of awards, in an interview with Vanity Fair when she explained how it felt to be making so much as a female actor: “Just as good as it would if you were a man, I bet. I mean, I guess I shouldn’t belittle it like that. I should take pride in being a forerunner, even if it’s something that seems kind of stupid, like being overpaid for a great job.”

Most recently, Roberts took over the silver screen in her portrayal of author Elizabeth Gilbert, writer of the critically acclaimed Eat Pray Love. Gilbert’s novel, a description of her journey to self-discovery after a bitter divorce, takes readers through Italy, India and finally, to Indonesia. The book itself journeyed to the top of the New York Times bestseller list, where it reigned supreme for more than 155 weeks. It also made its way onto the list of Most Influential Book Titles.

When it came to selecting the actress to represent the woman who touched the hearts and lives of millions of readers, Roberts was Gilbert’s obvious choice. Gilbert admitted to being a fan herself in an interview with Babble magazine, where she described Roberts as being the most beautiful object she had seen in her entire life.

“I’ve never seen fearful beauty — she is frighteningly beautiful. And radiant, and luminous.” — Elizabeth Gilbert

“I’ve never seen fearful beauty — she is frighteningly beautiful. And radiant, and luminous. I said to her, ‘The only other job you could ever have besides movie star is fairy. You know — something that isn’t quite human.’”

The long-legged, wild-maned, mega-watt-smile star is more than just a pretty face, as she has proven time and time again with her variety of roles ranging from escort, to spy, to potty-mouthed activist. Roberts is the darling of her female audience, the actress whom women worldwide recognize, relate to and, most of all: adore.

“She’s Our Julia,” explained Gilbert to the Nashville Scene newsweekly in 2007. “You know, part of our cultural heritage and — like many women aged 37 — I grew up laughing and crying with her. I’ve missed her on the screen. (I know — she’s been busy with other things.) If only as a fan, I’m happy she’s doing this.”

To prepare for her role, Roberts dedicated herself entirely to the cultures featured in the novel. While this included things as simple as sampling delicious pizzas in Italy, Roberts also went so far as to adopt some of the Indian culture as her own.

Swami Dharam Dev, president of the Ashram Hari Mandir Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya in Pataudi, one of the film’s many locations, spoke to The Times of India about the actress’s obvious passion for their traditions: “Julia came for my blessings [this morning] along with her children. She told me that she has named her five-year-old twins — Hazel and Phinnaeus — as Mahalaxmi and Ganesh. Her two-year-old son Henry will now be known as Krishna Balram.”

Julia Roberts Eats, Prays and Loves

In an interview with talk-show icon Oprah, Roberts shared her thoughts on each of Gilbert’s chapters.

Eat: “I love a great big meal,” said Roberts, who likes to unleash her inner carnivore with one of hubby Daniel Moder’s grilled steaks. “I like garlic, anything with a lot of garlic on it... a nice ragu.”

Pray:“[When] you can hear all the kids sleeping, breathing. [I’m] holding my husband’s hand,” she says. “Just knowing that tomorrow we get to do it all again.”

Love: “I have a great family, the family I’m a part of as a sister and a daughter and just really close friends,” she says. “Then, to get to translate that into being with Danny and our three children, that’s the biggest love you can have. One you can’t contain.”

Mahalaxmi, Ganesh and Krishna, as they were known on set, are familiar faces to all of Robert’s co-stars. A committed wife and mother, Roberts draws upon her children and husband, Daniel Moder, as sources of spirituality, making her decision to recognize the Indian culture with their “new” names that much more significant.

“My favourite thing is just watching them wake up and watching them realize the day come upon them,” she said in an interview with Oprah, flashing that trademark grin as she spoke about her children. “It’s fascinating to me. Henry woke up the other morning and said, ‘It’s a beautiful day, mama.’ Which makes 5:30 a.m. a whole lot prettier!”

The life of America’s favourite actress has been nothing short of spectacular, but perhaps even more so is her quirky charm and ability to relate to her adoring public. Real to the core, Roberts is not shy to break the Hollywood mould. Now 43, the highest-grossing actress revealed her ultimate goal in an interview with Vanity Fair: “My dream is to be a highly fulfilled and productive stay-at-home mom and wife. The highest high would be growing our food that I then make, and then composting and growing more — that kind of circle.”

Photos courtesy of Sony pictures