Name: Julia Fiona Roberts Age: 37 Nationality: American Claim to fame: From superstar to super mom
Julia Roberts has more than one reason to flash her luminous smile these days. For last Sunday, the pretty woman became the proud mother of twins.
The superstar and her cinematographer husband of two years, Danny Moder have named the boy Phinnaeus Walter Moder and the girl Hazel Patricia Moder. Julia, who had spent the last six weeks of her much-publicized pregnancy in enforced bed rest, had the twins a month early in LA. Roberts had married Moder at a surprise ceremony at her home in Taos, New Mexico, in July 2002.
Even during her bed rest, the highest paid Hollywood actress was busy over the telephone promoting her two movies that are going to be released during the next few weeks. Ocean’s 12, the sequel to the hit Ocean 11. And Closer, a tale about love and infidelity from Oscar-winning director Mike Nichols.
With such charisma that the mere presence of her name in the cast is enough to guarantee a great opening weekend for a movie, Julia is in no rush to get in front of the camera as she plans to settle down in her new role for a while. At 37, Julia finally seems to have gained control and security in her life. She was once portrayed as a runaway bride in the tabloids due to her much-publicized affairs and break ups, most of them with fellow actors. Roberts was previously married to singer Lyle Lovett, in 1993, but the union lasted only 21 months. As he was so different from the handsome men she dated, the couple was nicknamed ‘the beauty and the beast’. Earlier, she had a high-profile romance with Kiefer Sutherland and the wedding was cancelled just days before the set date. And only a few days later she was linked romantically to actor Jason Patric. Before marrying Moder, Roberts had dated Benjamin Bratt for three years and among the other famous actors linked to her have been Liam Neeson, Daniel Day-Lewis and Matthew Perry.
Julia grew up in Georgia, and after high school she moved to New York to pursue an acting career. She changed her name to from Julie to Julia to distinguish herself from another actress. Julia made her film debut as a supporting actress in Blood Red (1989). Her breakthrough came with Mystic Pizza, and her performance won her a supporting role in Steel Magnolias that resulted in her first Oscar nomination.
Hereafter followed her greatest hit, Pretty Woman, opposite Richard Gere, where her portrayal of a prostitute-turned-princess garnered her a second Oscar nomination, this time for Best Actress. Julia is clearly at her best, and commercially successful, in romantic comedies or light drama such as My Best Friend’s Wedding, The Runaway Bride and Notting Hill. Nevertheless, she won her first Oscar in 2000 for Erin Brockovich where she played a secretary who exposes a major environmental scandal and critics and audiences alike enthusiastically embraced it.
There is much speculation that one of her forthcoming movies is sure to earn her another Oscar, giving the lady another reason to celebrate.
Julia Roberts has more than one reason to flash her luminous smile these days. For last Sunday, the pretty woman became the proud mother of twins.
