03/25/2001
By David Germain / Associated Press
LOS ANGELES – Julia Roberts finally has it all.
Hollywood's box-office queen won the Oscar for best actress for Erin Brockovich on Sunday, adding the industry's top acting honor to the three Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild prize and the long list of hits already behind her.
"I love the world. I'm so happy,'' said the ecstatic Roberts.
Roberts, who had not been an Oscar contender since back-to-back nominations for Steel Magnolias and Pretty Woman a decade ago, had been considered a shoo-in all through awards season for her trash-talking, short-skirted title character in the legal drama.
The actress made no attempt to keep her acceptance speech short, and reveled in the moment, alternately breaking into laughter and pausing in apparent emotion.
"I may never be here again,'' she said.
While thanking Erin Brockovich director Steven Soderbergh, Roberts stopped and said, "I love it up here ... yeah!''
Roberts' previous acting honors this year included a Golden Globe and the Screen Actors Guild honor for Erin Brockovich. Her other Golden Globe wins came in 1989 and 1990, with a supporting-actress honor for Steel Magnolias and a lead-actress prize for Pretty Woman.
Her films have grossed $1.5 billion domestically, and no other contemporary actress has delivered hits as consistently as Roberts. She has joined a handful of male actors such as Tom Cruise and Mel Gibson who can command paychecks of $20 million a film.
Pretty Woman, released in 1990, remains her biggest hit, with $178.4 million. But the last four years – starting with My Best Friend's Wedding – have resulted in Roberts' steadiest string of successes.
Her current film, The Mexican, climbed near $60 million this weekend. Before that, she had three $100 million hits – Notting Hill, Runaway Bride and Erin Brockovich – released during a 10-month span from 1999 through early last year.
Roberts, 33, returns with two more movies this year: the romantic comedy America's Sweethearts and the casino-heist flick Ocean's Eleven, which reunites her with Soderbergh.
Erin Brockovich caught fire with audiences even though Soderbergh had qualms about its commercial appeal.
In the mid-1990s, Roberts had stumbled with box-office flops including Mary Reilly, Ready to Wear and Michael Collins.
Those disappointments closely followed her much-publicized breakup with husband Lyle Lovett. Five years earlier, Roberts and Kiefer Sutherland called off their wedding at the last minute.
Roberts' box-office rebound has coincided with a seemingly blissful romance with actor Benjamin Bratt, who accompanied her to the awards.
Asked while arriving if Roberts had prepared an acceptance speech, Bratt said she never does.
"It's amazing the things that come out of her mouth sometimes,'' he said.
