Julia Roberts

Born: 28th October 1967
Where: Georgia, USA

The Oscar-winning star occupies the highest firmament of Hollywood celebrity with earnings power to match (Rumour has it she gets $25m per film).

She landed an Academy Award and Golden Globe for best actress for Erin Brockovich and was also nominated for Steel Magnolias and Pretty Woman.

Roberts, who originally wanted to be a vet, was introduced to the theatre by her parents, who ran the Atlanta-based Actors and Writers Workshop out of their home.

However, she went on to study journalism, and it was only when her brother Eric achieved some success in Hollywood, that she decided to give acting a go.

She made her screen debut opposite her brother in Blood Red, although it went unreleased for three years.

Her first break came in 1988 when she appeared in Mystic Pizza, and won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination as the doomed diabetic heroine of Steel Magnolias.

But it was Julia's portrayal of a Hollywood hooker in Pretty Woman, opposite Richard Gere, which brought her huge success, an Oscar nomination and a win at the Golden Globes.

She took some time off to get her highly publicised personal life in order: romances with co-stars Liam Neeson, Dylan McDermott and Kiefer Sutherland all petered out, though her romance with co-star Lyle Lovett resulted in a brief marriage.

She continued to appear in many big blockbusters like Sleeping With The Enemy, The Player and The Pelican Brief, before starring with Hugh Grant in Notting Hill.

She teamed up again with Richard Gere for Runaway Bride, before earning huge success as the sassy Erin Brockovich, winning an Oscar and Golden Globe for her role.

Following this she co-starred with Brad Pitt in The Mexican, appeared in Ocean's Eleven with George Clooney and reunited with him for his directorial debut, Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind.

Recent work has included Closer with Natalie Portman and Jude Law, Mona Lisa Smile alongside flavour-of-the-year Kirsten Dunst, and Steven Soderbergh's heist follow-up Ocean's 12.

Roberts' role in the star-studded comedy was somewhat reduced as she was pregnant with twins during filming.

In December 2004 her babies - Phinnaeus Walter and Hazel Patricia - were born five weeks early.

In 2006, she provided voice work for the children's animation Charlotte's Web as well as The Ant Bully.

Recent work includes the role of feisty Texan socialite Joanne Herring in the political satire Charlie Wilson's War opposite Tom Hanks.