Julia Roberts was nominated for an Oscar four different times throughout her decades-long career. Below, we’ve compiled a list of each time Roberts was nominated — as well as when she won!
Every Julia Roberts Oscar Nomination and Win
Nomination: Steel Magnolias (1989)
Genre: Romance / Drama / Comedy
Starring: Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton
Directed by: Herbert Ross
Julia Roberts was first nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her excellent performance in 1989’s Steel Magnolias. In this drama, Roberts plays Shelby, a young woman with Type 1 diabetes who has a close relationship with her mother (Field), as well as other women in her southern town.
The movie opens up with Shelby’s wedding. As the story progresses and Shelby faces a health scare, the women lean on each other through their hardships.
Roberts didn’t end up winning the Oscar this year. The Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role went to Brenda Fricker (My Left Foot).
Nomination: Pretty Woman (1990)
Genre: Romance / Comedy
Starring: Richard Gere, Julia Roberts, Jason Alexander, Laura San Giacomo
Directed by: Garry Marshall
Julia Roberts’ second Oscar nomination — this time her first for Best Actress — came after her wonderful performance in 1990’s Pretty Woman.
Pretty Woman, a modern adaptation of Cinderella, follows a businessman (Gere) who hires an escort while on a business trip. He doesn’t think he’ll end up falling in love with her… but that’s exactly what he does!
Roberts, unfortunately, didn’t take home the Oscar for Best Actress this year. Instead, Kathy Bates won the Academy Award for her outstanding work in Misery.
Related — Julia Roberts: 10 Popular 1990s Movies
Win: Erin Brockovich (2000)
Genre: Biography / Drama
Starring: Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, David Brisbin, Dawn Didawick
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Julia Roberts was nominated for her third Oscar for her role in 2000’s Erin Brockovich. This role also gave Roberts her first (and, thus far, only) Oscar win!
Roberts plays Erin Brockovich, a woman who uncovers that water is contaminated in a community. Based on a true story and playing a real woman, Roberts successfully nabbed her first Oscar for Best Actress.
Erin Brockovich was a huge hit among critics and the movie ended up being nominated for five Oscars in total, including Best Picture. However, Roberts was the only one who won an Oscar for the film.
Also nominated this year? Ellen Burstyn (Requiem for a Dream), Joan Allen (The Contender), Juliette Binoche (Chocolat), and Laura Linney (You Can Count on Me).
Nomination: August: Osage County (2013)
Genre: Drama / Comedy
Starring: Meryl Streep, Dermot Mulroney, Julia Roberts, Juliette Lewis
Directed by: John Wells
Julia Roberts was nominated for an Oscar for the last time (at least, thus far) for her performance in August: Osage County. Her performance led to an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
August: Osage County follows a family that returns home upon their patriarch’s death. Upon their arrival, they deal with their mother (Streep) and the rest of their dysfunctional family.
Roberts didn’t win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress this year. Instead, Lupita Nyong’o won for her amazing performance in 12 Years a Slave. Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle), June Squibb (Nebraska), and Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine) were also nominated this year.
Comment below your own personal favorite Julia Roberts Oscar-nominated performance. Or, what Roberts role do you wish would have earned Roberts an Oscar nod, though it didn’t? Hit the comments below with all your thoughts! I’d love to hear what you think!
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