Why You Don't See Julia Roberts In Movies That Much Anymore

Julia Roberts has been captivating audiences for decades ever since she walked onto the big screen, serving up pizza and romantic drama as Daisy in the 1988 film "Mystic Pizza." Her stamp on romantic comedies only grew from there with roles in iconic films like "Pretty Woman," "My Best Friend's Wedding," and "Notting Hill." All of these films premiered in the 1990s, helping to make Roberts a staple of the rom-com genre in a decade where it dominated the movie landscape.

The highest-grossing rom-com actress of all time saw even more success at the start of the 21st century, taking home the Academy Award for best actress in 2001 for her work in "Erin Brockovich," which tells the true story of a woman advocating for a town whose water supply has been contaminated. Despite the critical praise, her film credits have started to slow down over the years. Roberts has continued to pop up here and there, even reuniting with George Clooney for the 2022 rom-com "Ticket to Paradise," but she is no longer a continuous presence on the big screen. Here is why you don't see Roberts releasing as many films as she used to.

Working on a movie usually means a long shooting schedule, which often requires time away from family. A source told US Weekly that is why Julia Roberts has rejected some projects. "She was turning down films so that she wasn't away from her family for huge periods of time," they said. She and husband Danny Moder have three children. According to People, Roberts gave birth to twins, Hazel and Phinnaeus, in November 2004, while their son Henry was born in June 2007.

She told British Vogue that her career success happened before she started her family, meaning that she didn't have to choose between work and spending time at home. "By the time I had the success of my family life and had a husband and children who wanted to stay home, I had been working for 18 years ... So it was easy to pause work life to nurture my home life ... To be allowed the luxury of staying home and being with my family, I had a deep gratitude for that time," she said. Roberts' family life has been well documented over the years, including when the Daily Mail spotted her attending her children's soccer game in Los Angeles in 2016. Her kids are now all grown up, and Roberts told Today she checks in on them regularly to make sure they're okay, adding that the whole family communicates regularly even when they're in different time zones.

Not all movies are winners, and there was a time where a few films starring Julia Roberts didn't receive the positive buzz that may have been expected. This lull began with "Duplicity" in 2009. Roberts played Claire Stenwick, a corporate spy who is hunting for a formula that is also wanted by Ray Koval (Clive Owen), another corporate spy who she has a long history with. The film has a 37% score amongst moviegoers on Rotten Tomatoes, and it received a mixed bag of reviews from critics.

In 2012, Roberts played the evil queen alongside Lily Collins' Snow White in "Mirror Mirror." However, this take on the fairy tale was not the fairest of them all. It received a 45% rating from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes and very few positive reviews from critics. Looper called it lukewarm when ranking every Julia Roberts movie worst to best. 

Roberts shifted into the world of drama and suspense in 2016 with "Money Monster," which follows Wall Street expert and TV host Lee Gates (George Clooney) as he is held hostage during a live broadcast. Roberts plays producer Patty Fenn. Reuniting Clooney and Roberts seemed like a sure win, but it received lackluster reviews with The New Yorker pointing out that the story has "no clear point of view."

The 21st century has led to a TV era for Julia Roberts. She had a few roles on the small screen in her early career and even appeared on "Friends," thanks to an unexpected stunt pulled by Matthew Perry. But after a long stint in films, she has since worked to grow her small screen presence. In 2014, she played Dr. Emma Brookner in the HBO film "The Normal Heart," which focuses on the HIV-AIDS crisis during the early 1980s. She received a Primetime Emmy nomination for her work.

In 2018, she appeared as caseworker Heidi Bergman in Amazon Prime's adaptation of the podcast, "Homecoming." Roberts was only in Season 1 of the anthology series, where her character is suddenly questioned about a secret government facility known as the Homecoming Transitional Support Center, but she received a Golden Globe nomination for the role.

She also stepped into the shoes of Watergate whistleblower Martha Mitchell in "Gaslit," a miniseries on Starz. Roberts told SiriusXM, "Well, I love a good juicy ensemble, and I felt like there's so many great stories inside this particular show. So I really loved that idea of it, and I loved the idea of the Mitchells and that I didn't know about Martha Mitchell. And to kind of bring her incredible story to life was really appealing to me."

Many will recall Julia Roberts as Liz Gilbert in the 2010 rom-com "Eat Pray Love," which is based on a true story about Gilbert's globe-trotting journey. As it turns out, Roberts also likes to travel, according to a source who spoke to US Weekly. Of course, her work has taken her across the globe. According to Oprah, Roberts brought her husband Danny Moder and their three kids along for the filming that took place in Italy, India, and Bali. She also traveled to Mongolia with PBS for "Nature Horses" Season 19, Episode 1, "Wild Horses of Mongolia with Julia Roberts," which aired in 2000.

The source told US Weekly that now that her children are all grown up, Roberts wants to spend more time traveling with her husband and friends. Another source told the publication, "Julia and Danny like to move around. They're happier enjoying simple pleasures, and Danny's love of culture and the outdoors has been a big positive influence on their relationship." According to House Digest, Roberts once owned a mansion in Kauai's Hanalei Bay. She currently owns a 32-acre ranch in Taos, New Mexico, according to Architectural Digest.

Lancôme products have an air of luxury. So it makes sense that a company promoting high-end products would team up with one of the biggest stars of the silver screen. Julia Roberts became the spokeswoman for the company in 2009, according to Women's Wear Daily. President of Lancôme International, Youcef Nabi, said, "By her remarkable personality and career, Julia Roberts is an emblematic woman of her time ... We are convinced she will embody the brand in the most sublime way possible."

The advertisements have since become well-known, with Roberts usually decked out in a gorgeous gown and plenty of diamonds while exploring big parties and breathtaking locations. In August 2024, People reported the details surrounding the campaign for the company's new fragrance commercial, which includes Roberts wearing a glamorous pink ball gown before swapping it out for a suit. The Lancôme advertisement entitled "Happiness Starts with You," plays like a scene taken straight from one of her rom-coms as she awkwardly gathers her big gown while hopping into an elevator before suddenly handing it off to a hotel employee while avoiding a big party she is supposed to attend. She spoke to Women's Wear Daily when she made her debut as the company's spokeswoman in 2010. "To be 42 and have three kids and be a working mom, it's a great moment to be asked to do this and be able to do it," she said.

When Julia Roberts is not filming a big movie, she is finding ways to promote sustainability and give back to the planet. According to CNN, she is the global ambassador for Chopard, a jewelry company that works to use recycled steel for its luxury watches and only uses gold that is responsibly produced or comes from verified mines, amongst other environment-friendly initiatives. "Right now, it really, in a lot of ways, is the only issue because if we don't find ways to sustain ourselves, disaster. So I think it's really commendable and impressive and innovative for a brand, particularly like Chopard, to really pioneer this idea of sustainability in a really clever way," she said.

Roberts has also lent her voice to the "Nature is Speaking" film series from Conservation International. She plays Mother Nature in the piece that highlights the importance of conservation. When Roberts is not promoting the planet on camera, she is practicing sustainability at home, including composting. She and author Sophie Uliano talked about composting with Oprah, with Uliano noting that various food scraps can be turned into some of the best nutrients for a garden. Roberts said on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "The garbage has to go somewhere. It all has to go somewhere, and just because you don't know where it goes doesn't mean it's going to the right place."

When Julia Roberts is not promoting sustainability, she is advocating for human rights. In 2002, she testified before the House Appropriations subcommittee tasked with public health spending, talking about a rare neurological disorder called Rett syndrome, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. Roberts made this appeal in memory of a 10-year-old girl she knew who died from the syndrome. According to Mayo Clinic, the syndrome can affect motor skills, among other symptoms. The Los Angeles Times stated that Roberts was pushing for research and asked Congress for $15.5 million to go towards that work.

In 2024, Roberts appeared in Georgia to speak at a reproductive freedom rally which supported the presidential campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. During her speech taped by Fox 5 Atlanta, she noted that her parents were activists themselves, and they were connected to one the most well-known civil rights leaders. According to a report from CNN, her parents operated a writing and acting workshop in Atlanta that was attended by Martin Luther King Jr.'s children. CNN reported that he and his wife Coretta Scott King covered the hospital bills for Roberts' birth. 

Julia Roberts has been working behind the camera since at least the late 1990s, beginning with "Stepmom." Roberts plays Isabel Kelly in the film that follows Isabel and her partner's ex-wife Jackie Harrison (Susan Sarandon) as they learn how to coexist while taking care of Jackie and Luke's (Ed Harris) children. This as Jackie is diagnosed with terminal lymphoma. Since then, Roberts has gone into business with Lisa Gillan and Marisa Yeres Gill to create the production company Red Om Films.

Through the company, Roberts executive produced movie adaptations of the "American Girl" book series. This began with the 2004 release of "Samantha: An American Girl Holiday." Four other movies about other popular "American Girl" characters followed, including "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl," starring Abigail Breslin. According to People and Entertainment Tonight, Roberts said her family influenced her decision to executive produce the film. "With my kids, the kind of stuff that's thrown at them to buy and be influenced by, this is something we feel influences and teaches in a really positive, interesting way," she said.

More recent projects have included "Leave the World Behind," written and directed by Sam Esmail, "Gaslit," and "Ticket to Paradise," which is filled with familiar faces. According to Variety, her production company is also overseeing the adaptation of the book "Little Bee," which focuses on the relationship between a Nigerian asylum-seeker and a British magazine editor. She is also producing and starring in the thriller "Panic Carefully," which features Elizabeth Olsen, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Julia Roberts has collected a few voiceover credits during her career, between playing Charlotte in 2006's live action "Charlotte's Web" to Smurfwillow in 2017's "Smurfs: The Lost Village," and in 2024, she added audiobook narrator to her voiceover credits.

She and Riley Keough narrated the audiobook version of Lisa Marie Presley's memoir, "From Here to the Great Unknown," which was released in October 2024. According to People, Roberts narrates the passages written by Elvis Presley's daughter. Lisa Marie died in January 2023 following a small bowel obstruction, according to NPR. Keough narrates the passages that she wrote in the book, which she finished for her mother. "I was so moved by Lisa Marie's incredible memoir. It was a real privilege to give voice to her wild and beautiful life and I deeply appreciate Riley entrusting me with her mother's story," Roberts told People. Keough said she was thrilled that Roberts joined the project. "I couldn't think of anyone more perfect to help share her story with the world," she said.

Getting an A-list star to sign onto a film is a big win for any filmmaker or studio, but Roberts is especially selective. She told Harper's Bazaar that her decision-making skills play a big part in choosing which scripts she agrees to, adding that there was a point in her mid-twenties where she paused her work because she didn't like any of the scripts that she was seeing. "Remember why you're doing what you're doing. That's your anchor," she said, noting that she doesn't usually seek out projects. "I just wait to see what comes along, as opposed to looking for it. It makes it fun and organic ... there's an almost unfair bar that a script has to attain for me to say, 'I'm going to drop everything for this.'"

While projects like "Pretty Woman" include scenes that show Roberts' bare shoulders in a bathtub, audiences will never see her participate in any nude scenes. In a conversation with Richard Curtis for British Vogue, she said that she will not do nudity and the things that she chooses not to do are also representative of her and her career, which she called G-rated. "You know, not to be criticizing others' choices, but for me to not take off my clothes in a movie or be vulnerable in physical ways is a choice that I guess I make for myself," she said.

In 1999, Julia Roberts was just a girl standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her in the hit Richard Curtis rom-com "Notting Hill." The film boasts an amazing cast and gave Julia Roberts a big payday. However, exploring more of Anna Scott and William Thacker's (Hugh Grant) love story is not in the cards for Roberts. Curtis told IndieWire that he had an idea for a mini-sequel where the couple were in the midst of a divorce. The storyline was meant to be a part of Red Nose Day, which is a star-studded event focused on raising money to end childhood poverty. Curtis gained plenty of attention when the stars of "Love Actually" reunited for the mini-sequel "Rose Day Actually" in 2017. However, Curtis said that Roberts did not want to go down a similar route because she thought he had a poor idea for the script.

However, one rom-com hit that she wants to revisit is "My Best Friend's Wedding," which follows Julianne Porter as she tries to sabotage the wedding of her best friend, Michael O-Neal (Dermot Mulroney), in the hopes that he will choose her instead of his fiancée Kimberly Wallace (Cameron Diaz). She told Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live, "Because there's so many people in it and to see what they're doing and how Kimmy and Michael's marriage is going." So only time will tell if Julianne's antics will grace the big screen once again.