Emma Roberts's Real Name: Emma Rose Roberts

Quick answer: Emma Roberts's full name is Emma Rose Roberts. She was born on February 10, 1991, in Rhinebeck, New York, to actor Eric Roberts and producer Kelly Cunningham, and she is the niece of Julia Roberts. She acts under her real name. She starred in Nickelodeon's Unfabulous and Nancy Drew, then in Scream Queens and several seasons of American Horror Story (Encyclopedia.com; Library of Congress).

Real name and early life

The entry on Encyclopedia.com, from Gale's Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television series, opens: "Full name, Emma Rose Roberts; born February 10, 1991, in Rhinebeck, NY; daughter of Eric Roberts (an actor) and Kelly Cunningham (a producer); niece of Julia Roberts (an actress)." TV Insider lists the same birth name, date, and birthplace. The Library of Congress name authority files her as "Roberts, Emma, 1991-," with the citation "Emma Roberts; b. 10 Feb. 1991."

Acting runs in her family. Her father, Eric Roberts, is a film and TV actor, and her aunt is Julia Roberts. TV Insider describes Emma as an actress and singer.

Career highlights

TV Insider says Roberts made her film debut in 2001, playing young Kristina Jung in Blow with Johnny Depp and Penélope Cruz. In 2004 she was cast as the lead in Nickelodeon's Unfabulous (2004–07). Encyclopedia.com records Young Artist and Teen Choice nominations and a 2007 Kids' Choice Awards Blimp nomination for that role. In 2007 she also won the ShoWest female star of tomorrow award.

Film leads followed in Aquamarine (2006), Nancy Drew (2007), in which she played the teenage sleuth, and Wild Child (2008). She then appeared in Hotel for Dogs (2009), Valentine's Day (2010), It's Kind of a Funny Story (2010), Scream 4 (2011), and We're the Millers (2013).

On television she became a horror-comedy fixture. TV Insider's credits list her as Madison Montgomery on American Horror Story and as Chanel Oberlin on Scream Queens (2015). She played Brooke Thompson in American Horror Story: 1984 (2019) and Anna Victoria Alcott in American Horror Story: Delicate (2023), and she is credited as Madison Montgomery again in the series' 2026 season. Recent films include Nerve (2016), Holidate (2020), Space Cadet (2024), and Madame Web (2024), in which she played Mary Parker. She has also produced projects and served as a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars.

Name notes for searchers

Emma is her first name, Rose her middle name, and Roberts her father's surname, the family name she shares with Julia Roberts. Roberts is not a stage name. She is Julia Roberts's niece, not her daughter.