BioJulia Roberts Biography: Julia Roberts was born on the 28th of October, 1967 in Smyrna, Georgia. She has a sister named Lisa, a brother named Eric and her father died of cancer when she was 10. She changed her name from Julie to Julia because there was already an actress named Julie Roberts at the time. She set a world payment record at $10 million in 1996 for the film Mary Reilly. She turned down the lead in Shakespeare in Love and was once rejected for a part on All My Children.