Key Takeaways
- Julia Roberts revealed Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King paid her hospital bill at birth.
- Roberts discussed her early life, including selling running shoes in New York City and not pursuing college.
- She shared insights into her Broadway experience, including an unplanned prop mishap during a show.
- Roberts detailed her career start on 'Crime Story' and subsequent rise, with 'Pretty Woman' impacting her career from afar.
- Roberts described her 25-year marriage to Danny Moder, emphasizing communication and 'finding your person'.
- She is starring in a new film, 'After the Hunt,' directed by Luca Guadagnino, which received a six-minute standing ovation at Venice.
- Roberts expressed a preference for focusing on the acting craft over industry news and hopes her children watch her projects.
Deep Dive
- Will Arnett revealed he has moved to a new place in New York City.
- The hosts confirmed they had not seen each other in two weeks prior to the recording.
- Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes recently played golf and attended a charity event together.
- Will Arnett emceed an event for The Young Eisner Scholars, a charity aiding underserved students in higher education.
- The discussion included humorous banter about the 'talented and gifted' (TAG) program and a movie-related creature shop.
- Roberts recounted a Broadway play with Bradley Cooper and Paul Rudd where rain effects affected the front row audience.
- She described the extensive rehearsal process and the anticipation leading up to opening night.
- Roberts detailed an opening scene where Paul Rudd's character discovers his father's diary.
- A live theater mishap occurred when a prop book fell into the audience, requiring a stagehand to retrieve it.
- The actors seamlessly incorporated the book's retrieval into the performance through improvisation.
- Julia Roberts moved to New York City in 1985 primarily to be closer to her sister, not initially for acting.
- She clarified that she did not pursue college due to financial constraints and a lack of academic focus.
- Roberts worked at The Athlete's Foot and briefly explored modeling opportunities, including visiting agencies like Click Models.
- She mentioned her older brother already had a career, and she preferred not to rely on her parents financially.
- The discussion included a humorous anecdote about learning to knit from a standby painter on the set of 'The Pelican Brief'.
- Julia Roberts' first professional acting role was on 'Crime Story,' a 1950s-set precursor to 'Law & Order.'
- She played a 15-year-old girl facing a challenging family situation, filmed in Las Vegas.
- Roberts experienced an early career period with excitement and momentum, preceding significant financial pressures.
- Her introduction to agent Bob McGowan came through her brother's girlfriend.
- McGowan, described as energetic and helpful, also managed the career of actor Dylan Walsh.
- Roberts expressed a preference for focusing on the craft of acting rather than the business side of the industry, having stopped reading industry news.
- She described her profession as a "goofy little job," finding joy in the work itself.
- The chronological order of her early major films was clarified: 'Mystic Pizza,' 'Steel Magnolias,' 'Pretty Woman,' 'Flatliners,' and 'Sleeping with the Enemy.'
- Roberts received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for 'Mystic Pizza,' where she lost to Jodie Foster.
- She discussed the intense realism of a diabetic shock scene in 'Steel Magnolias,' noting its real-life parallel and audience reactions.
- Julia Roberts confirmed her 25-year marriage to Danny Moder, whom she met on the set of 'The Mexican' in 2000.
- Moder was a focus puller on the film while Roberts was an actress.
- She emphasized the importance of finding "your person" to navigate life's challenges in a successful long-term relationship.
- The couple managed their relationship while working on separate projects, including a seven-week period when Roberts filmed 'Eat, Pray, Love' in India and Moder was in Detroit.
- Roberts expressed concern about adjusting to an empty nest as her children are now in college.
- Roberts discussed a seven-page love letter from Danny Moder, which she preserves in decorative pots, highlighting the couple's practice of keeping letters.
- She shared an anecdote about finding an apology post-it note from her son, reflecting on the passage of time.
- In a hypothetical scenario, Roberts expressed a desire to relive a year with her late father, who passed away when she was young.
- Her father's involvement in a theater school with her mother was mentioned.
- One host recalled his father leaving when he was young, leading to a discussion about humor as a coping mechanism for loss.
- Julia Roberts' new project, 'After the Hunt,' is directed by Luca Guadagnino.
- She praised Guadagnino's meticulous attention to detail and curiosity about human behavior, highlighting the collaborative process.
- The film reportedly received a six-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival.
- The hosts described Roberts' character in the film as complex and dark, commending the film's brilliant execution.
- Roberts shared a specific scene featuring co-star IO Deborah.
- Roberts revealed that Meryl Streep gifted her a drawing of her character from 'August Osage County,' which she considers a treasured piece of memorabilia.
- She joked about her wedding dresses from 'Runaway Bride' potentially being repurposed by mice in her garage.
- Her new film, 'After the Hunt,' is scheduled for release in select theaters on October 10th and wider on October 17th.
- Roberts and her husband, Danny, are fans of 'Arrested Development,' and her son has recently started watching the show.
- Roberts expressed her hope that her children will eventually watch her own film projects.