Editing Julia Roberts (section)

=== Public image ===
Roberts has been recognized as one of the defining actors of her generation,<ref name=":10" /><ref name=":7">{{Cite news |last=Davis |first=Clayton |date=October 28, 2022 |title=Julia Roberts' 10 Best Film Performances: From 'Pretty Woman' to 'Erin Brockovich' |url=https://variety.com/lists/julia-roberts-best-movies-performances-ranked/the-pelican-brief-1993/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230109141353/https://variety.com/lists/julia-roberts-best-movies-performances-ranked/the-pelican-brief-1993/ |archive-date=January 9, 2023 |access-date=March 19, 2025 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> and among the most influential actresses of the 1990s and early 2000s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 15, 2025 |title=Julia Roberts – American actress |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Julia-Roberts |access-date=March 19, 2025 |website=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]}}</ref> During her peak, several publications described her as the world's biggest movie star.<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |last=Kaufman |first=Amy |date=December 5, 2018 |title=Julia Roberts knows what she wants, and being a 'movie star' isn't high on the list |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-julia-roberts-ben-is-back-homecoming-20181205-story.html |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240613120337/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-julia-roberts-ben-is-back-homecoming-20181205-story.html |archive-date=June 13, 2024 |access-date=March 18, 2025 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |quote=one of the biggest movie stars in the world.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Gilchrist |first=Ava |title=This Is The One Piece Of Beauty Advice Julia Roberts Wishes Her Younger Self Knew |url=https://graziamagazine.com/us/articles/julia-roberts-beauty-advice/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250318162829/https://graziamagazine.com/us/articles/julia-roberts-beauty-advice/ |archive-date=March 18, 2025 |access-date=March 18, 2025 |work=[[Grazia]]}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=November 17, 2017 |title=Julia Roberts' rise to $190M stardom |url=https://www.pressreader.com/usa/life-style-weekly/20171117/284339724908616?srsltid=AfmBOoomBxBnn1xB6aaM4GY6DniKn3EWt-oJs1deCAL9vbRk28BlXKLc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250318162829/https://www.pressreader.com/usa/life-style-weekly/20171117/284339724908616?srsltid=AfmBOoomBxBnn1xB6aaM4GY6DniKn3EWt-oJs1deCAL9vbRk28BlXKLc |archive-date=March 18, 2025 |access-date=March 18, 2025 |work=[[Life & Style (magazine)|Life & Style]] |via=[[PressReader]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Knegt |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Knegt |date=January 8, 2021 |title=The 21 greatest movie award speeches of all time |url=https://www.cbc.ca/arts/the-21-greatest-movie-award-speeches-of-all-time-1.5579183 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230922030704/https://www.cbc.ca/arts/the-21-greatest-movie-award-speeches-of-all-time-1.5579183 |archive-date=September 22, 2023 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |work=[[CBC.ca]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Dams |first=Tim |date=August 9, 2024 |title='Erin Brockovich' producer Stacey Sher: 'This is a job of psychotic optimism' |url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/erin-brockovich-producer-stacey-sher-this-is-a-job-of-psychotic-optimism/5196121.article |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241126224832/https://www.screendaily.com/news/erin-brockovich-producer-stacey-sher-this-is-a-job-of-psychotic-optimism/5196121.article |archive-date=November 26, 2024 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |work=[[Screen Daily]]}}</ref> Ebiri called her "more than a movie star ... she was an existential fact" and "a dominant cultural force".<ref name=":9" /> Reporting on her star power in 1995, ''[[The New York Times]]''’ Josh Young described her as a "rainmaker for women's films", with the ability to guarantee a film's opening weekend audience and even [[greenlight]] a project simply by agreeing to star in it.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Young |first=Josh |date=October 1, 1995 |title=When Julia Roberts Says No, Other Actresses Cry, Thanks! |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/10/01/arts/when-julia-roberts-says-no-other-actresses-cry-thanks.html |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622141401/https://www.nytimes.com/1995/10/01/arts/when-julia-roberts-says-no-other-actresses-cry-thanks.html |archive-date=June 22, 2022 |access-date=March 18, 2025 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> He also noted that her peers had benefited by accepting roles she had turned down.<ref name=":4" /> Roberts’ agent at the time, Elaine Goldsmith, credited her as one of the actresses in the 1990s who helped convince studios that women could lead films as successfully as men.<ref name=":4" /> According to Leah Rozen of ''The New York Times'', she remained "the biggest female box office draw for 20 years".<ref name=":3" /> Roberts has also been recognized as a pioneer in pushing for [[Inequality in Hollywood#Actors vs. Actresses|gender pay equity in Hollywood]], negotiating salaries on par with her male counterparts.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Utley |first=Riley |date=August 27, 2023 |title=What Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lawrence And 5 Other Actresses Have Said About The Pay Gap |url=https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/what-julia-roberts-jennifer-lawrence-and-other-actresses-said-about-pay-gap |access-date=March 18, 2025 |work=[[CinemaBlend]]}}</ref> The then-unprecedented $20 million salary she commanded set a new standard for actresses' compensation, according to BBC News Online.<ref name=":0" /> She was the highest-paid actress in Hollywood for much of the 1990s and early 2000s.<ref name=":7" /> In 2000, Roberts became the first actress to be included on ''The Hollywood Reporter''<nowiki/>'s list of the 50 most influential women in show business, on which she was ranked the third most powerful woman in entertainment.<ref name="RfaoHRpl" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Davies |first=Hugh |date=December 5, 2001 |title=Julia Roberts crowned queen of Hollywood |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1364433/Julia-Roberts-crowned-queen-of-Hollywood.html |access-date=March 19, 2025 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]}}</ref> In 2002, she became the first woman to be ranked the most bankable star in Hollywood based on an industry poll by the same publication, tying her with male actors [[Tom Cruise]] and Tom Hanks.<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 4, 2002 |title=Julia Roberts Puts Women on Top in Hollywood for the First Time |url=https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/20020205928446/bigstars/ |access-date=March 19, 2025 |work=[[Hello! (magazine)|Hello]]}}</ref> As her career progressed, journalists began speculating whether her name alone could still guarantee box office success, particularly as some of her later films saw mixed commercial results.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McClintock |first=Pamela |date=May 6, 2016 |title=Julia Roberts' Box-Office Power in Question |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/julia-roberts-box-office-power-890862/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102015115/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/julia-roberts-box-office-power-890862/ |archive-date=January 2, 2024 |access-date=March 19, 2025 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref><ref name=":8" /><ref name=":11" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Barnard |first=Linda |date=May 8, 2016 |title=Is Julia Roberts off Hollywood's A list? |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/is-julia-roberts-off-hollywood-s-a-list/article_efde1138-2c49-50bd-a624-2c724873f90c.html |access-date=March 20, 2025 |work=[[Toronto Star]]}}</ref> By 2017, Roberts stated that she no longer actively pursued roles but instead waited to see what opportunities arose.<ref name=":6" /> She has maintained that she is selective about her projects and that her agents never try to persuade her to take on a role.<ref name=":11" /><ref name=":6" />

Roberts has stated that she has successfully maintained a clear separation between her personal life and her acting career.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Delcroix |first=Olivier |date=March 24, 2009 |title=A role that is the opposite of my personality |url=https://www-lefigaro-fr.translate.goog/cinema/2009/03/24/03002-20090324ARTFIG00524-un-role-aux-antipodes-de-ma-personnalite-.php?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp |access-date=March 18, 2025 |work=[[Le Figaro]] |language=French}}</ref> Kaufman likened her public image to that of leading a [[double life]], balancing her role as both a mother and one of the most recognizable faces globally.<ref name=":11" /> In 2009, a critic for ''The New Yorker'' suggested that while Roberts is a skilled actress, her technical abilities might not always match the emotional depth required for audiences to fully connect with her performances, partly due to the distance she maintains in her public persona.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=March 27, 2009 |title=Duplicity |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/duplicity |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323000836/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/duplicity |archive-date=March 23, 2023 |access-date=March 18, 2025 |magazine=[[The New Yorker]]}}</ref> For ''Vulture'', [[Go Fug Yourself|The Fug Girls]] described Roberts' public persona, which they dubbed "Julianess", as an overwhelming display of confidence and charm that at times borders on arrogance.<ref>{{Cite news |last=The Fug Girls |author-link=Go Fug Yourself |date=June 29, 2011 |title=The Fug Girls Rate Julia Roberts's Movies on their Grinning, Brassy Julia-ness |url=https://www.vulture.com/2011/06/fug_girls_on_julia_roberts.html |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231121064915/https://www.vulture.com/2011/06/fug_girls_on_julia_roberts.html |archive-date=November 21, 2023 |access-date=March 19, 2025 |work=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]}}</ref> Natalie Finn of [[E!]] observed that the media constantly compares younger, up-and-coming actresses to Roberts in an attempt to crown a spiritual successor, which Finn declared an unfair comparison.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Finn |first=Natalie |date=October 26, 2017 |title=There Will Never Be a "Next Julia Roberts": Debunking Hollywood's Favorite Fruitless Comparison |url=https://www.eonline.com/ca/news/889729/there-will-never-be-a-next-julia-roberts-debunking-hollywood-s-favorite-fruitless-comparison |access-date=March 26, 2025 |work=[[E!]]}}</ref> Some journalists have noted reports of Roberts being challenging to work with, citing alleged conflicts with certain directors and co-stars.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Burtt |first=Kristyn |date=January 12, 2024 |title=Julia Roberts Addresses the Long-Held Rumor That She's Difficult To Work With |url=https://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/2934103/julia-roberts-difficult-reputation-hollywood/ |access-date=March 21, 2025 |work=[[SheKnows]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Soteriou |first=Stephanie |date=January 27, 2024 |title=Julia Roberts Alluded To Her Difficult Reputation And Admitted She Holds Back From Being 'Too Friendly' On Movie Sets |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/julia-roberts-difficult-reputation_n_65b402ace4b014b873b10c3c |access-date=March 18, 2025 |work=[[HuffPost]]}}</ref> In a 2024 interview with filmmaker [[Richard Curtis]], she finally addressed these rumors, which she attributed to conscious efforts she has made not appear overly friendly on film sets to avoid being taken advantage of and forthright personality, but maintains that she never intends to hurt others.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Curtis |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Curtis |date=January 11, 2024 |title=The Meet Cute: Julia Roberts Opens Up To Richard Curtis About Her Rom-Com-Perfect Marriage, The Secret To Ageing Gracefully & Why She Almost Turned Down Notting Hill |url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/julia-roberts-british-vogue-cover-interview |access-date=March 20, 2025 |work=[[British Vogue]]}}</ref> Edelstein observed that early in her career, Roberts was known for being edgy, hypersensitive, and difficult on set, though later profiles have emphasized her efforts to be seen as more down-to-earth.<ref name=":5" />

Journalists and critics have frequently commented on Roberts' physical appearance and sex appeal.<ref name=":14">{{Cite news |last=Goldstein |first=Patrick |author-link=Patrick Goldstein |date=March 23, 1990 |title=Julia Roberts--Living Life in the Fast Lane : Film: In just three years, the Oscar nominee has gone from star-struck newcomer to a formidable member of the elite $1 million-a-movie club. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-03-23-ca-796-story.html |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231210073253/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-03-23-ca-796-story.html |archive-date=December 10, 2023 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |quote=Enamored by her spunky personality and full-lipped sex appeal, smitten critics have tossed bouquets at her feet.}}</ref> However, film critic [[Patrick Goldstein]] and celebrity stylist [[Phillip Bloch|Philip Bloch]] stated that Roberts never fully embodied the [[sex symbol]] role, despite her attractiveness.<ref name=":14" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Stewart |first=Anna |date=October 11, 2007 |title=Movie icon Julia Roberts sets style |url=https://variety.com/2007/film/awards/movie-icon-julia-roberts-sets-style-1117973885/ |access-date=March 20, 2025 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> Singer observed that "For a woman who became famous playing a prostitute, Roberts has maintained a surprisingly [[Asexuality|asexual]] onscreen persona", rarely performing [[sex scenes]].<ref name=":12" /> ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'' magazine has named Roberts the "[[People (magazine)#100 Most Beautiful People|World's Most Beautiful Woman]]" a record-breaking five times, most recently in 2017.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 19, 2017 |title=People magazine names Julia Roberts 'World's Most Beautiful Woman' |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/people-julia-roberts-beautiful-1.4075318 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |agency=[[Associated Press]] |via=[[CBC News]]}}</ref>