Julia Roberts has lit up the screen in some of the biggest movies around, but there’s one particular film that her brother isn’t too fond of.
The 56-year-old stole the show in Pretty Woman, Notting Hill, Erin Brockovich and many, many more over the years, becoming one of the biggest names in Hollywood.
Giving his honest thoughts about some stand-outs from her back catalog, Eric Roberts – an industry icon in his own right – admitted that he’s not a fan of her efforts in Steel Magnolias.
In his new memoir, Runaway Train: Or The Story Of My Life So Far, the 68-year-old wrote, via Entertainment Weekly: ‘Julia was good in Mystic Pizza, great in Pretty Woman, but not so much in Steel Magnolias, in my opinion, even though it brought Julia her first Academy Award nomination.
‘I don’t want to sound like an actor talking, or a jealous sibling, but I don’t think her performance held up in that movie. When I saw her in Steel Magnolias, I thought, “Okay. Good. She’s almost a good actor, and one day she’s gonna be one.”’
The 1989 flick follows the close bond shared by a group of women living in a small town in Louisiana, and is based on the stage play of the same name.
Julia earned a nomination for supporting actress thanks to her role as Shelby at the Oscars, and also took home the Golden Globe for the same category.
It wasn’t just his sister that the Dark Knight Rises actor had an issue with, as he claimed that Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Dolly Parton and so ‘overacted their asses off’.
‘Nobody’s great in that movie,’ he continued. ‘They all chewed a lot of scenery, and we know that if an actor cries on film, they go to the top of the class. They get the Oscar nod because crying gets a lot of credit.’
Despite his criticisms, Eric also took a moment to issue an apology to his younger sibling after famously claiming that he made her famous, and taking credit for her success in the spotlight.
The Dancing With The Stars contestant – and father to Scream 4 star Emma Roberts – vowed: ‘Now one of the things I’d like to apologize for in this book is for publicly saying on more than one occasion, “If it wasn’t for me, there would be no Julia Roberts”.
‘That’s not only unfortunate, but it’s also untrue. And I hope Julie will accept this more public apology. It was an asinine thing to have said. I was proud of her, but it was pride turned on its head, to my own advantage.’
‘I never paid enough homage to her. I still saw her as my baby sister, and I knew that she – like me – came from white trash, yet she became one of the biggest stars that ever breathed. And she knew it, bless her heart. What a trajectory!’
The siblings come from a very famous family and began their own careers in Hollywood after catching the acting bug from their parents, Walter Grady Roberts and Betty Lou Bredemus.
Eric then went on to welcome Emma with ex Kelly Cunningham, and she followed suit, popping up in Scream Queens, American Horror Story, Space Cadet and many more.
In July, he appeared on the Still Here Hollywood podcast when host Steve Kmetko took a moment to delve into his notable family life – but was quickly stopped in his tracks.
‘May I ask about Julia at all?,’ the presenter questioned, to which Runaway Train legend responded: ‘What do you want to know?’
When asked how she is, he quickly continued: ‘You’ll have to ask her. I love my sister, but I can’t talk about her. She doesn’t want to talk about it. My daughter told me also not to talk about her, but I stumble and do.
‘I’m not supposed to talk about either of them. But I do.’
However, Eric appeared to break his own rule when discussing his favorite performers in Hollywood, as he namedropped his daughter almost immediately.
‘I am in love with my daughter’s work these days. I can’t believe how great she’s become,’ Eric enthused. ‘I’m so proud of her, I can’t see straight. Since her performance in Maybe I Do until right now, she overwhelms me with pride and just, “Oh my God. Here she goes again.”
‘I’m just so happy to be her dad because she’s kicking ass, and I’m so proud.’
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