"At the risk of exhibiting hubris, I think I have evolved beyond the sense that one's worth is based on a stranger's evaluation." ~ Julia Roberts
A woman with a strong sense of her worth, popular leading lady Julia Fiona Roberts (1967-) was born on this day in Smyrna, Georgia. "I'm really sure of who I am and why I do the things that I do," she said.
Known for her dazzling smile and leggy beauty, Roberts headed straight to New York City after high school and grabbed attention with Mystic Pizza (1988).
She catapulted to international stardom with Pretty Woman (1990), the classic love story with Richard Gere which collected over $460 million.
"I've sort of grown into my cuteness," she explained to Bravo interviewer James Lipton in 1998. An understatement for a woman who exudes charm, charisma, and intelligence.
"The success you achieve on a professional level can have nothing and everything to do with your personal life," she once said.
Reporter Diane Sawyer explained that Roberts "has always been the most exotic combination of incandescence star and down home girl, happiest with her knitting and her books."
Roberts agreed: "It's kinda great being me."
As one of the world's highest paid actresses, Roberts won her Best Actress Oscar and Golden Globe as the gutsy, spirited Erin Brockovich (2000).
About her success, she said, "I feel liberated and inspired and empowered by my life and the choices that I make."
Know your power.