Julia Roberts's Real Name: Julia Fiona Roberts

Quick answer: Julia Roberts's real name is Julia Fiona Roberts. She was born on October 28, 1967, in Smyrna, Georgia.

Real name and early life

Britannica lists her in full as Julia Fiona Roberts, born October 28, 1967, in Smyrna, Georgia. The Library of Congress name authority records Roberts, Julia, 1967-. She moved to New York City after high school without formal training, signed with a modeling agency, and entered film after her brother, actor Eric Roberts, recommended her for a bit part in Blood Red (filmed 1986; released 1989). Her first leading role was in Mystic Pizza (1988).

Quick facts

• Real name: Julia Fiona Roberts
• Known as: Julia Roberts
• Born: October 28, 1967, in Smyrna, Georgia
• Known for: Actor
• Notable work: Pretty Woman, Erin Brockovich, Steel Magnolias, Notting Hill
• Sources checked: Britannica, Library of Congress Name Authority, New Georgia Encyclopedia

Career highlights

Steel Magnolias (1989) brought an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress. Pretty Woman (1990) made her a global star and earned a second nomination. Through the 1990s she headlined hits including The Pelican Brief (1993), My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997), Notting Hill (1999), and Runaway Bride (1999).

She won the Academy Award for best actress for Erin Brockovich (2000). Later credits include Ocean’s Eleven (2001) and Ocean’s Twelve (2004), Eat Pray Love (2010), August: Osage County (2013; another supporting Oscar nomination), the series Homecoming (2018), the miniseries Gaslit (2022), and Ticket to Paradise (2022). She has supported charities including UNICEF and the American Red Cross. She has remained one of Hollywood's most bankable stars into the 2020s, balancing studio comedies with limited-series drama.

Name notes

Julia Fiona Roberts is her birth name. Searchers sometimes ask whether she changed her name for fame; major sources treat Julia Fiona Roberts as her full legal birth name. Fan sites often copy names from one another, so we checked this page against Britannica and the Library of Congress.