Julia Roberts and her niece Emma Roberts, two of the best actresses in Hollywood, have never starred together in a movie yet. First, however, let’s examine their top three individual movie performances.
One family connection most movie fans might not have made is that of actress Julia Roberts and her niece Emma Roberts. Yes! In case you didn’t know, the two are related. If you didn’t make the connection through the name, you should’ve at least spotted the similarities in looks.
A significant reason why their relationship hasn’t been in the news like one might’ve expected is partly due to Julia’s once strained relationship with Emma’s father, Eric, who is also an actor.
Eric, who was previously married to Emma’s mother, Kelly Cunningham, struggled with drugs and alcohol early in his career. His struggles with those elements eventually led to his split from Kelly while Emma was still a toddler.
Surprisingly during the divorce proceedings, Julia supported Kelly over her brother Eric. The famous actress reportedly funded Kelly’s legal case because she believed her brother couldn’t care for Emma.
Eric’s relationship with his sister Julia and ex-wife Kelly throughout the divorce hearings deteriorated. Thankfully, the actor has since repaired his relationship with the two. However, the only relationship that has remained unchanged is that of Julia and her niece Emma. The latter spent some parts of her childhood following Julia to her movie sets.
Those experiences inspired her and ignited her passion and love for acting. It also strengthened the bond between Emma and the recognized “Pretty Woman” actress, who happens to be her aunt.
Emma has worked her way into becoming one of the best actresses in the present Hollywood roster. Although she is still far from reaching her aunt’s heights, Emma has done well in her career.
Despite their closeness, one surprising thing is Emma and Julia haven’t starred in a film together yet. Of course, we expect that collaboration to happen very soon but for now, let’s look at their top three individual performances.
EMMA ROBERTS
Scream Queens (2015)
“Scream Queens” is a 2015 horror-comedy series about a serial killer stalking college girls in a sorority. The series produced by Ryan Murphy starred Emma Roberts as Chanel Oberlin, a selfish, wealthy sorority leader.
Emma played the leader pf the Chanel cliques, which included Chanel 2 (Ariana Grande) and Chanel 3 (Billie Lourd) etc. Although the series received good reviews, it only lasted for two seasons.
Emma’s performance was impressive. She displayed all the skills needed to make her character perfect. The actress was petty, bratty, feisty, and everything she needed. Her role in the series is arguably her most famous to date.
American Horror Story (2011)
Before starring in “Scream Queens,” Emma displayed her acting skills in the famous series “American Horror Story.” the series, which debuted in 2011, rose to become one of the most-watched shows on FX.
The horror anthology series set in a haunted house, mental asylum, and so on starred Emma in season three. The actress portrayed Madison Montgomery, a movie star who discovered she was a witch when she accidentally killed a director who annoyed her with her powers.
Emma received praise for her performance, especially for how she carried the character. Although her character got killed off, she was revived in season eight.
Unfabulous (2004)
Emma’s performance as a 13-year-old in the series made her a Hollywood household name. Just in her first teenage year, the young actress played the lead role of a school teenager who wrote songs in the form of a diary.
During its three-year run, “Unfabulous” rose to become the most popular among kids. It even had a crossover with another hit series in “Drake and Josh.” Emma’s role in the series proved pivotal for her career.
JULIA ROBERTS
The Normal Heart (2014)
“The Normal Heart,” a movie directed by Ryan Murphy, is a powerful movie about the early days of the AIDs crisis. It tells the story of Ned Weeks, who tries his utmost to bring awareness to the A.I.D.S. /H.I.V epidemic of the 1980s.
The movie focuses on how both the Reagan and Koch administrations neglected warnings. The film features an ensemble cast of Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bomer, Alfred Molina, and Julia Roberts.
In the movie, Julia portrays Dr. Emma Brookner, one of Ned’s primary care physicians, to first notice the common symptoms of the disease. Her character is based on real-life Dr. Linda Laubenstein.
Wonder (2017)
“Wonder” is an emotional movie that tells the story of Auggie Pullman, a brainy ten-year-old boy. Although he has a high sweet voice, the boy also suffers a congenital facial deformity due to several corrective surgeries after a car accident.
Auggie struggles to deal with his looks and how people treat him because of his face. So he walks around in a toy astronaut helmet that hides his face and feeds his dream of going to space.
Although he has been homeschooled all his life by his mother, Isabel (Julia Roberts), he now has to attend middle school. Owen Wilson plays Auggie’s dad opposite Julia, and the two display an excellent performance as loving and sensitive parents. “Wonder” has a rating of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Erin Brockovich (2000)
Julia’s performance as the titular character in the movie Erin Brockovich won her a Best Leading Actress Oscar Award. In the film, she plays a single mother and legal assistant who discovers a vast conspiracy involving corporate pollution.
Against all odds, she unmasks a California electric company dumping toxic heavy metal into the local water supply. The movie, directed by Steven Soderbergh, has a rating of 84% on Rotten Tomatoes.