Having already picked up an Academy Award for best actress, along with three Golden Globes and a whopping ten People's Choice awards, it seems there's not much left for a woman like Julia Roberts to achieve. Tinseltown's highest-paid actress, who earns over $20 million a movie, has just taken on the challenge of the stage by making her debut on Broadway, however.
Despite being a veteran of nearly 40 movies, the popular actress has never before appeared in a major stage production. In the multi-generational drama Three Days Of Rain, Julia plays two distinct characters - the first act sees her portraying the daughter of an eccentric southern belle, while in the second act, which is a flashback, she becomes the first character's mother.
Such a complex role no doubt represents a challenge, but critics say the Broadway newcomer has made a wise choice by not setting her sights too high. Other big names, like Denzel Washington and Kelsey Grammer, have received lukewarm reviews after taking to the stage in ambitious Shakespearean plays.
"Doing this role is a very smart and safe choice by Roberts," explained one theatre expert. "It's not as if she's attempting Shakespeare like Denzel and Kelsey did. She knows her fan base. She's doing what's appropriate. She's doing a wonderful little Richard Greenberg play, an ensemble that's actually dominated by the two male roles."
While lesser-known thesps Paul Rudd and Bradley Cooper share the work of performing the play, there was little doubt about who was the star on Tuesday night. A huge crowd of fans turned out to congratulate the actress outside the Bernard B Jacobs theatre in New York after the curtain came down.
The mum-of-two must have been pleased with the reception, as she confessed to being very nervous in the run-up to the show. "By the time I get there, I'll be totally apoplectic," said the 38-year-old. "But the terror is part of the excitement!"
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
