Editing Julia Roberts (section)

=== Acting style and reception ===
Throughout her career, Roberts has frequently been referred to as "[[America's Sweetheart|America's sweetheart]]" by the media,<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=November 30, 2005 |title=Julia Roberts: America's sweetheart |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4484644.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250125082756/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4484644.stm |archive-date=January 25, 2025 |access-date=March 18, 2025 |work=[[BBC News Online]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ng |first=Philiana |date=November 2, 2018 |title=The Inside Story Behind Julia Roberts' 'Homecoming,' Amazon's Latest Binge-Worthy Show (Exclusive) |url=https://www.etonline.com/the-inside-story-behind-julia-roberts-homecoming-amazons-latest-binge-worthy-show-exclusive-112885 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240908090353/https://www.etonline.com/the-inside-story-behind-julia-roberts-homecoming-amazons-latest-binge-worthy-show-exclusive-112885 |archive-date=September 8, 2024 |access-date=March 18, 2025 |work=[[Entertainment Tonight]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Tingley |first=Anna |date=June 4, 2019 |title=Why Julia Roberts Never Thought of Herself as 'America's Sweetheart' |url=https://variety.com/video/julia-roberts-americas-sweetheart-actors-on-actors/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240823181257/https://variety.com/video/julia-roberts-americas-sweetheart-actors-on-actors/ |archive-date=August 23, 2024 |access-date=March 21, 2025 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> a label that ''[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]'' writer Noor Brara linked to her portrayals of characters that embody elements of the trope.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Brara |first=Noor |date=April 22, 2017 |title=5 Things You Didn't Know About Julia Roberts |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/julia-roberts-5-things-you-didnt-know |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231114174228/https://www.vogue.com/article/julia-roberts-5-things-you-didnt-know |archive-date=November 14, 2023 |access-date=March 18, 2025 |work=[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]}}</ref> [[BBC News Online]] attributed her early popularity to her roles as relatable, [[Girl next door|girl-next-door]] characters,<ref name=":0" /> often portraying vulnerable [[Working class|working-class]] women.<ref name=":5" /> Geoffrey Macnab of ''[[The Independent]]'' noted that during her peak, Roberts' appeal stemmed from her ability to blend the glamour of [[Classical Hollywood cinema#Major figures from classical Hollywood cinema|classic Hollywood stars]] with an approachable, down-to-earth quality.<ref name=":8">{{Cite news |last=Macnab |first=Geoffrey |date=March 13, 2009 |title=Julia Roberts - Has cinema's queen lost her crown? |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/julia-roberts-has-cinema-s-queen-lost-her-crown-1643714.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250220051721/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/julia-roberts-has-cinema-s-queen-lost-her-crown-1643714.html |archive-date=February 20, 2025 |access-date=March 19, 2025 |work=[[The Independent]]}}</ref> While romantic comedies cemented her status as an international star, ''Erin Brockovich'' is often cited as the film that earned her broader critical recognition as an actress.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Shark |first=Taya |date=October 31, 2024 |title=Julia Roberts – Hollywood's Queen with a million-dollar smile |url=https://elleuzbekistan.com/en/julia-roberts-hollywood-s-queen-with-a-million-dollar-smile/ |access-date=March 21, 2025 |work=[[Elle (magazine)|ELLE Uzbekistan]]}}</ref><ref name=":12" /> Film critic [[David Edelstein]] observed that while Roberts is widely acknowledged as a movie star, critics and [[Cinephilia|cinephiles]] have debated the extent of her acting abilities, sometimes discussing her work with a degree of skepticism.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Edelstein |first=David |author-link=David Edelstein |date=April 13, 2006 |title=The Close-Up Is Her Voodoo |url=https://nymag.com/news/profiles/16712/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240225130131/https://nymag.com/news/profiles/16712/ |archive-date=February 25, 2024 |access-date=March 18, 2025 |work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]]}}</ref><ref name=":12" /> In 2012, ''[[HuffPost]]'' writer Mike Ryan suggested that her career has relied more on her star power than on widespread acclaim for her acting, noting that she is not often included in discussions of the industry's most celebrated actresses.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ryan |first=Mike |date=March 30, 2012 |title=Julia Roberts Is Mean |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/julia-roberts-is-mean_b_1389713 |access-date=March 18, 2025 |work=[[HuffPost]]}}</ref>

Some critics have pointed out that Roberts has frequently played characters with traits similar to her own,<ref name=":12">{{Cite news |last=Singer |first=Matt |date=September 15, 2014 |title=How Julia Roberts became an icon playing the Girl Next Door |url=https://thedissolve.com/features/career-view/752-julia-roberts-weepy-sexless-sweetheart-vs-julie-ro/ |access-date=March 20, 2025 |work=[[The Dissolve]] |quote=no matter who she plays, she's often also playing “Julia Roberts,”}}</ref><ref name=":13" /> contributing to a screen presence that journalist and filmmaker [[Bilge Ebiri]] described as difficult to separate from her public persona.<ref name=":9">{{Cite news |last=Ebiri |first=Bilge |author-link=Bilge Ebiri |date=November 21, 2017 |title=Every Julia Roberts Performance, Ranked |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/best-julia-roberts-movie-ranked.html |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240421214347/https://www.vulture.com/article/best-julia-roberts-movie-ranked.html |archive-date=April 21, 2024 |access-date=March 19, 2025 |work=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]}}</ref> John Anderson of ''[[The Seattle Times]]'' described her as "an actress who has never really been required to act".<ref name=":13">{{Cite news |last=Anderson |first=John |date=March 22, 2009 |title=Julia Roberts returns to the limelight |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/movies/julia-roberts-returns-to-the-limelight/ |access-date=March 20, 2025 |work=[[The Seattle Times]]}}</ref> Matt Singer of ''[[The Dissolve]]'' said "Roberts has rarely strayed far from the onscreen persona that made her one of the biggest movie stars in history—that of a simple girl of limited means and unlimited heart, pulling herself up by her bootstraps".<ref name=":12" /> Attempts to divert from this image in the 1990s met with mixed responses,<ref name=":9" /> though Macnab noted her versatility in transitioning between romantic comedies, thrillers, period dramas, and independent films.<ref name=":8" /> Jihane Bousfiha of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' said that while her grace, warmth, and charisma "permeates all of her roles", no genre has highlighted these qualities as effectively as romantic comedies, describing her its "undisputed queen".<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Bousfiha |first=Jihane |date=October 19, 2022 |title=Every Julia Roberts Romantic Comedy, Ranked |url=https://time.com/6223174/julia-roberts-rom-coms-ranked/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240430073600/https://time.com/6223174/julia-roberts-rom-coms-ranked/ |archive-date=April 30, 2024 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref> Film critic and historian [[David Thomson (film critic)|David Thomson]] wrote in ''[[Salon magazine|Salon]]'' that he once received letters from upset fans over suggesting that Roberts' talent was being misused in some of her then-recent film roles.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Thomson |first=David |author-link=David Thomson (film critic) |date=December 13, 2001 |title=Hold your fire |url=https://www.salon.com/2001/12/13/julia_2/ |access-date=March 21, 2025 |work=[[Salon.com|Salon]]}}</ref> Director [[Mike Nichols]], who worked with her on ''Charlie Wilson's War'', argued that her beauty sometimes overshadowed her acting skills, praising her intelligence, preparation, and ability to fully embody her characters.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Rozen |first=Leah |date=April 29, 2010 |title=Mother and Mega-Star, Happily Balanced |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/movies/02roberts.html |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240715132530/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/movies/02roberts.html |archive-date=July 15, 2024 |access-date=March 18, 2025 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> The actress said she does not have any acting techniques, commenting, "there's nothing more boring than actors sitting around talking about acting".<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 4, 2010 |title=Julia Roberts |url=https://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/a11346/julia-roberts-462418/ |access-date=January 21, 2025 |work=[[Elle (magazine)|Elle]]}}</ref>

Since ''Eat Pray Love'', Roberts has largely moved away from the romantic comedy roles that defined much of her early career, instead gravitating toward more dramatic, character-driven projects, including supporting roles in ensemble films.<ref name=":11">{{Cite news |last=Kaufman |first=Amy |date=December 26, 2013 |title=Julia Roberts: From America's Sweetheart to neighborhood mom |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2013-dec-26-la-et-mn-julia-roberts-osage-county-20131227-story.html |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240412080304/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2013-dec-26-la-et-mn-julia-roberts-osage-county-20131227-story.html |archive-date=April 12, 2024 |access-date=March 19, 2025 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref><ref name=":6" /> She has attributed this shift to evolving opportunities, personal growth, and the increasing complexity of roles available to her with age.<ref name=":6" /> Roberts has cited [[Frances McDormand]], [[Annette Bening]], and [[Meryl Streep]] as actresses she admires for balancing successful careers with family life.<ref name=":3" />