Julia Roberts, the Pretty Woman herself, has disclosed how she has retained her evergreen beauty and youthful appearance even at age 56. For British Vogue’s February issue, of which the Ticket to Paradise alum is the cover star, her Notting Hill collaborator and long-time friend, renowned screenwriter Richard Curtis, interviewed Roberts on the various aspects of her life—professional and personal.
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One of the first queries was centered around the Hollywood superstar’s seemingly ever-lasting beauty, which hasn’t diminished even decades after her triumphant breakthrough. In answering the question everyone has pondered at least once—how has Julia Roberts not aged after all this while—the Oscar-winning talent revealed her secrets: good genes, a fruitful life, and a happy marriage with her cinematographer husband, Daniel Moder.
One Of The Reasons For Julia Roberts’ Timeless Beauty Is Her Husband
Love Actually alum Richard Curtis has asked Julia Roberts the one question we’ve wondered for a while—which secrets have the actress withheld from the rest of the world that keeps her eternally youthful? It turns out that the actress’s breathtaking beauty is not the result of any clandestine, mysterious, ancient secret.
Instead, three factors are to be credited for her youthful appearance: blessed-to-be-born-with genes, a gratifying life she has worked hard for, and her marriage to cinematographer Daniel Moder.
Although, this wasn’t exactly her initial answer. When queried about having stayed the same visually for years, the actress quipped (via British Vogue):
“…My parents? Both very good genes. Not to say I’m unchanged, because I did see a picture earlier of Tom Hanks and me from a movie, and we looked like we had been ironed.”
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Regarding her spouse’s impact, whom she had tied the knot with in 2002, on her enduring beauty and contentment, Julia Roberts asserted the following:
“Good genes, leading a life that is fulfilling, and I have said this—and I say it usually as kind of a joke—but I do believe in the love of a good man. I believe that my husband loves me and cares for me in a way that makes me feel deeply, deeply happy. And anytime you see someone who’s happy, it doesn’t matter how old they are.”
In an industry where ever-changing and rampant beauty standards have brought forth artificial trends to enhance one’s appearance, a sentiment that may cross people’s minds about most Hollywood stars is whether they’ve had procedures done to preserve their youth. When Curtis brought up the possibility of readers wanting to know if such was the case for Roberts, too, the Erin Brockovich star wisecracked:
“Pickling. I put my head in the jar every other Saturday for 18 hours. It does wonders. The smell is awful.”
Jokes aside, given her blessed genes and flawless appearance, the 56-year-old actress is evidently among the fortunate ones who do not require cosmetic treatments or enhancements. A picture-perfect marriage and a caring spouse may also work wonders, as it has for Roberts.
Why Julia Roberts Nearly Turned Down Notting Hill (1999)
Roberts discussed in the same interview why she nearly passed up the opportunity to feature in Notting Hill, one of the numerous movies that established her reputation as a promising actress and a household name.
The Roger Michell-helmed endeavor, written by Richard Curtis, starred Hugh Grant opposite Julia Roberts. The plot centers on the relationship developed between a well-known American actress and a British bookseller when the former stumbles upon his bookstore in London’s Notting Hill district. It’s one of the must-watch rom-coms in cinema history.
Learning that the production may have nearly moved without the lead actress is mind-boggling. There’s no one besides Roberts fans of the film could imagine saying the iconic “I’m just a girl” line.
One may wonder why the Hollywood actress hesitated to sign up for the movie. Turns out, she wasn’t a big fan of the role she was required to play. Telling Curtis about her initial thoughts on her character, Anna Scott, Julia Roberts stated:
“… One of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do was your movie [Notting Hill], playing a movie actress. I was so uncomfortable! I mean, we’ve talked about this so many times, but I almost didn’t take the part because it just seemed—oh, it just seemed so awkward. I didn’t even know how to play that person.”
Only uber-skilled talents like the award-winning actress could go from not knowing how to tackle a part to embodying it in a manner that touches millions of heartstrings. Her performance in the Hugh Grant film ultimately paid off because it was well-received by reviewers and became a box-office triumph.
Notting Hill (1999) is available for viewing on Amazon Prime Video.
