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SmartLess

"Julia Roberts"

with Julia Roberts

Published October 13, 2025
View Show Notes

About This Episode

The hosts catch up before welcoming Julia Roberts for a wide-ranging conversation about her early life, acting career, and personal life. Roberts shares stories about Martin Luther King Jr. paying her birth hospital bill, her parents' theater school, her path from would-be veterinarian and shoe-store worker to breakout film roles, and how she navigated sudden fame. She also discusses her long marriage to cinematographer Danny Moder, raising three children, becoming an empty nester, and her new film "After the Hunt" with director Luca Guadagnino.

Topics Covered

Acting craft Fame and celebrity culture Personal narrative Marriage Parenting and child development Grief and loss Alzheimer's Relationships Filmmaking

Disclaimer: We provide independent summaries of podcasts and are not affiliated with or endorsed in any way by any podcast or creator. All podcast names and content are the property of their respective owners. The views and opinions expressed within the podcasts belong solely to the original hosts and guests and do not reflect the views or positions of Summapod.

Quick Takeaways

  • Julia Roberts reveals that Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King paid the hospital bill for her birth because their children attended her parents' theater school and the families were friends.
  • She initially wanted to be a veterinarian and was active in 4-H before realizing she didn't have a mind for science, later moving to New York mainly to be with her sister and working at The Athlete's Foot while figuring out her path.
  • Her early acting break came with a role on the TV series "Crime Story," followed by "Mystic Pizza," which led to an Independent Spirit Award nomination and solidified acting as a viable career.
  • Roberts describes being somewhat insulated from the immediate impact of "Pretty Woman" because she was on location filming "Sleeping with the Enemy" and had little sense of box-office numbers at the time.
  • She credits her long, stable marriage to cinematographer Danny Moder to their deep friendship and mutual attraction, and says her life could have gone off the rails many times without having found her person.
  • The couple has maintained their relationship by largely avoiding long separations; the only seven-week stretch apart during "Eat Pray Love" and a Detroit shoot convinced them that kind of distance "will never work."
  • Now an empty nester with three kids in college, Roberts emphasizes that empty nesting is much easier when you still genuinely like your spouse and don't look at them wondering why they're still there.
  • She and Moder have saved years of handwritten love letters in special labeled jars, and she treasures paper mementos from her children, like an old Post-it note apology from her son.
  • Roberts speaks warmly about working with director Luca Guadagnino on "After the Hunt," praising his intense curiosity and meticulous attention to visual detail, and notes the film received a six-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival.
  • Among the few physical keepsakes she mentions, Roberts has multiple costumes from past projects, including wedding dresses from "Runaway Bride" and a character drawing Meryl Streep made for her on "August: Osage County."

Podcast Notes

Host catch-up and recent activities

Will's new place in New York and upcoming press

Will shares that he is in his new place in New York City[3:38]
• He confirms it is his "new place in New York" when asked by the other hosts
Will mentions upcoming press for his movie[3:46]
• He says he is not doing press yet but is "about to" and is getting sorted in his place

Hosts catching up after time apart

They note they have not seen each other in about two weeks[4:08]
• Sean says he doesn't like the long gap, while Will mentions he saw Jason recently
Will and Jason describe doing charity work together[4:17]
• They attended a charity event called the Yes Charity, connected to their friend Eric Eisner
Explanation of the Young Eisner Scholars charity[4:30]
• Will explains that the charity identifies smart kids from underserved communities who might not otherwise have access to funds for higher or secondary education

Light banter and theater-related jokes

Sean's TAG (Talented and Gifted) program anecdote

Sean says he was part of the TAG group as a kid, which stood for Talented and Gifted[4:54]
• He jokes that he couldn't do math or anything and wonders why he was in the program

Running joke about acronyms and Will's teasing

The hosts riff on alternative meanings for TAG, with Will teasing Sean with crude potential expansions[5:19]
• Sean anticipates cheap-shot jokes and refuses to "walk into" Will's setups

Visit to Star Wars set and shared fandom

Sean and Scott's visit to Sean Levy on a Star Wars set

Sean describes visiting their friend Sean Levy on the set of a Star Wars project[5:49]
• He jokes about whether they were able to sleep after the excitement, implying they were extremely thrilled
Interacting with the Admiral Ackbar puppet[6:31]
• Sean plays an audio clip: "It's a trap, homie. It's a trap," referencing Admiral Ackbar's famous line
• He shows a picture of Scott operating Admiral Ackbar, making the character move and laugh, which amazes the others
Hosts praise Sean Levy[6:47]
• They call Sean Levy "the greatest" and "the nicest guy" and suggest Jason would do well directing such movies

Introduction of Julia Roberts

Sean's researched introduction

Sean shares that when Julia Roberts was born, Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King paid the hospital bill[7:43]
• He says he did not know this until he looked it up, surprising the other hosts
Childhood details: clarinet and moving to New York[7:51]
• Sean notes that she grew up in Georgia playing clarinet in the school band and later moved to New York, selling running shoes while chasing an acting dream
Personal tidbits: knitting and kids' fame question[8:03]
• He mentions she picked up knitting on a film set 30 years ago and still knits, and that her kids once asked if she was more famous than Taylor Swift
Sean frames her as Oscar winner, "America's sweetheart," and "my sweetheart"[8:11]
• He introduces her as "the brilliant and always glowing Julia Roberts"

Julia's playful entrance

Julia appears wearing a Boy Scouts uniform[8:27]
• The hosts initially think it's a firefighter outfit before she corrects them that it's Boy Scouts and jokes she "did a little Boy Scout time"
Julia reacts to Sean's intro[8:38]
• She calls it like "a haiku about one's grandmother" because of the clarinet and knitting details
She admits to playing clarinet and oboe[8:49]
• Julia confirms she played both clarinet and oboe, which Sean notes are difficult instruments

Family background and Martin Luther King Jr. connection

Story of Martin Luther King Jr. paying her birth bill

Julia explains that her parents were friends with Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King[9:00]
• She says that, not knowing her family's financial situation as a newborn, she later learned they might have had to "smuggle" her out of the hospital without paying, but the Kings' help allowed them to leave through the front door

Her parents' theater school and the King children

Julia's parents ran a theater school[12:10]
• She says the King kids went to her parents' theater school, which is how the families became friends
Acting aspirations of the King children[12:37]
• Julia recalls that at least one of the King children may have had acting aspirations, but she believes the classes were mostly a hobbyist after-school or weekend activity

Childhood interests: veterinary dreams and practical skills

Initial dream of becoming a veterinarian

Julia says she wanted to be a vet as a kid[16:51]
• She was in the 4-H club and thought it was great, focusing on pets and animals
Realization that vet work required science and surgery[17:18]
• She realized she didn't have a mind for science and only wanted to do the petting and basic care, like using a toothbrush with mange medicine, not the surgeries

Experience with animals and terminology

Julia has milked a cow but has not changed a horseshoe herself[17:38]
• She says she has watched the farrier do the horseshoe work but hasn't done it; she introduces the term "farrier" to the hosts

Move to New York, work, and home economics interest

Moving to New York to live with her sister

Julia moved to New York after high school primarily to be with her sister, who was attending the Neighborhood Playhouse[18:27]
• She emphasizes she didn't have a clear "I'm going to be an actor" moment; she just didn't want to stay behind in Georgia while everyone else left for school

Working at The Athlete's Foot and financial limits on college

Julia worked at The Athlete's Foot on 72nd and Broadway in New York[18:38]
• She notes that college was not financially feasible and she didn't have the grades for a scholarship, so she didn't want her family to have to fully support her

Brief brush with modeling agencies

She met with a modeling agency called Click Models[19:26]
• Julia remembers being called in and meeting a nice woman there; she clarifies the name was "Click" like a camera, not "Flick and Click" as jokingly suggested

Interest in becoming a home economics teacher

If she'd gone to college in 1985, she likely would have wanted to be a home economics teacher[21:18]
• She describes home economics as covering sewing, mending, writing checks, sewing on buttons, and ironing shirts-practical life skills she values and would like to see back in schools

Learning to knit on a film set

Julia learned knitting from the standby painter on "The Pelican Brief"[21:54]
• She identifies him as Eric Bart and notes that painters keep a lot of supplies handy on set, which made it easy to learn

Parenting, chores, and practical skills

Jason's concern about not teaching his kids chores

Jason admits he feels like a poor parent because he hasn't taught his kids how to iron or clean windows without streaks[24:22]
• He contrasts this with his own upbringing, where he had about 20 chores every weekend until he moved out at 18

Julia's mixed approach to teaching life skills

Julia says there is a "yes and a no" to whether her kids have been taught such skills[24:39]
• She notes she learned many tasks from her mom due to long chore lists starting after school and pausing only to watch the Mike Douglas show before resuming chores

Early acting roles and representation

First professional acting job on "Crime Story"

Julia identifies "Crime Story" as her first professional acting gig[27:04]
• She describes it as a 1950s-set Michael Mann TV show in Las Vegas starring Dennis Farina, whom she calls the nicest man imaginable
Her role on "Crime Story"[27:04]
• She played a 15-year-old girl living with her mother (played by Herta Ware, though she says "Hannah Cox") and a not-so-good stepfather, implying inappropriate behavior

Being cast out of New York and early momentum

She was living in New York when cast in "Crime Story," and it felt huge to her at the time[28:03]
• Jason frames it as a chance to gain momentum before intense financial pressures, and Julia agrees his description sounds nice

Meeting early agent and manager Bob McGowan

Julia recounts meeting a talent agent through her brother and his girlfriend after dinner[29:07]
• The agent told her she couldn't help directly but referred her to Bob McGowan, who became Julia's manager
Bob McGowan's role in her career and others'[29:38]
• She describes Bob as energetic, kind, with time and money to spare, who loved helping young people and connecting them; she says he was dating Kim Delaney from "All My Children" at the time
• She once brought a waiter from the Empire Diner to meet Bob; he signed the waiter, who turned out to be actor Dylan Walsh

Breakthrough films and navigating sudden fame

Mystic Pizza as the turning point

Julia cites "Mystic Pizza" as the project that gave her momentum and made her feel acting could work for a few years[30:47]
• She notes she received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for the film, losing to Jodie Foster for "Five Corners"

"Pretty Woman" and how she experienced its success

Julia says people often ask if "Pretty Woman" instantly changed her life[31:52]
• She jokes that she was "out of town" when it came out, then explains she was on location in a tiny town filming "Sleeping with the Enemy"
Learning about box office through a USA Today article[32:20]
• A crew member reading USA Today pointed out a small box-office listing for "Pretty Woman"; she saw the number but had no sense of whether it was good or bad
• She feels the momentum of that moment "passed [her] by" somewhat, which she thinks spared her from some of the intensity

Filmography timeline around her breakout

Julia lists the sequence: "Mystic Pizza," then "Steel Magnolias," then "Pretty Woman," then "Flatliners," then "Sleeping with the Enemy"[34:18]

Steel Magnolias, health portrayals, and viewer reactions

Sean's personal connection to the diabetic seizure scene

Sean describes watching "Steel Magnolias" only relatively recently and being struck by the realism of Julia's diabetic episode scene[34:46]
• He relates it to his partner Scotty, who is diabetic and had a real-life incident resembling that kind of shaking episode

Physical reactions from audiences during "Steel Magnolias" screenings

Julia says there were many reports of viewers having physical reactions during screenings of "Steel Magnolias"[35:36]
• She characterizes it as people predisposed to outbursts reacting strongly to the film's emotional scenes

Marriage to Danny Moder and sustaining a long-term relationship

Danny Moder's love of the podcast and Julia's surprise plan

Julia says Danny loves the podcast and she had hoped to appear without telling him so he'd be surprised hearing her voice[38:08]
• She notes he discovered her appearance when he saw her agenda book with "SmartLess" written in it

Key ingredients in their marriage

Julia calls Danny her best friend and "the only person I want to make out with"[38:50]
• She suggests the combination of deep friendship and ongoing attraction is central to their relationship

How Danny influenced the course of her life

Julia says her life could have gone off the rails "a hundred different ways" in the past 25 years without finding her person[39:27]
• She jokingly wonders what small nation she must have saved in a former life to deserve finding him

Meeting on the set of "The Mexican"

She and Danny met while working on the movie "The Mexican" with Brad Pitt[39:46]
• Danny was the focus puller on the movie and spent a lot of time next to Brad Pitt, deeply engaged in conversations about things like music
Julia's first impressions and attempts to join their conversations[40:22]
• She recalls trying to join their discussions about a new record, chiming in that she loved the band and humming along, but notes they were so locked into each other she didn't foresee he would become her husband
Their ongoing conversation[40:59]
• She jokes that once they did finally connect, Danny has not been able to get her to stop talking for 25 years

Managing time apart during shoots

They have three children, and only once have they been apart for an extended period-seven weeks[41:33]
• This happened when Julia was making "Eat Pray Love" and Danny was shooting a film in Detroit, while their kids were all under five
Failed attempt to meet during that separation[41:11]
• Even with three days off and imagining flying "as the crow flies" from New Delhi to Detroit, they realized they'd barely have time to hug before one of them had to turn back
• After that experience, they decided such long separations "will never work" for them

Parenthood, empty nesting, and love letters

Becoming empty nesters

Julia says all three of their kids are now in college[42:32]
• She notes they have been empty nesters for about two and a half weeks at the time of the conversation
Her view on couples and empty nest stress[42:34]
• She suggests it's easier if you and your spouse still really like each other, implying trouble arises when someone looks at their partner thinking, "What are you still doing here?"

Seven-page love letter and storing correspondence

Julia confirms she saved a seven-page love letter Danny wrote her, along with all his letters[47:30]
• She describes a gift of two ceramic jars: one labeled inside the lid "Love letters to Julia from Danny" and the other "to Danny from Julia," where they have been stuffing letters for years
Valuing paper notes from her children[48:11]
• She recently opened a book and found an old Post-it from her eldest son, in childlike handwriting, saying, "Mom, I'm so, so, so, so, so, so sorry," and wished she'd written on the back what the incident was

Parents, loss, and humor around difficult experiences

Year she would relive and her father's early death

Asked what year she'd relive, Julia says any year before her father passed away[49:36]
• He died when she was a child, so she would want to go back with awareness that the time was special and finite
Her father's role in the family theater school[49:54]
• She says both parents ran the theater school, but she thinks her father was "the captain" of it

Sean's story about his father leaving and his mother's Alzheimer's

Sean shares that his father left when he was about five or six years old[50:27]
• He and the hosts joke darkly about the departure, using humor to cope with the abandonment topic
Sean describes his mother's Alzheimer's and his years of crying[51:27]
• He says his mother had Alzheimer's and he cried for about three years while he and the family tried to care for her, before realizing they needed levity to survive the grief
Story of his mother calling him a "pussy" at a memory-care dance[51:40]
• At a memory-care facility with a live band, Sean's partner's mother invited his mom Mary to dance; when Mary then urged Sean to dance and he refused out of embarrassment, she said, "Don't be such a pussy," which shocked and amused him because she never spoke that way
• He emphasizes how hard he laughed at that moment and how he now wishes he'd danced with her, underscoring the bittersweet nature of the memory

Hypothetical marriage choices and close friendships

Julia's choices if she had to marry a woman

Asked which woman she'd marry, Julia names Frances McDormand, Cate Blanchett, and Emma Thompson[54:01]
• She says there are more she could name but limits herself to three

Hosts' choices if they had to marry a man

Jason and Will say they would marry one of their co-hosts because of the importance of friendship in lasting relationships[53:41]
• Will jokes that he'd like marrying Jason in part because they could share golf clubs and because Jason is a "known bottom," playing into their comedic rapport

New film "After the Hunt" and working with Luca Guadagnino

Sean's reaction to "After the Hunt"

Sean says he watched "After the Hunt" the previous night and loved it[54:57]
• He describes her character as dark and complicated and compares the film's craft to other high-level dramas like "Doubt" and "Conclave"
Description of a stylistic scene with Ayo Edebiri[55:45]
• Sean highlights a scene near the end where Julia and co-star Ayo Edebiri argue; the coverage shifts from standard over-the-shoulder shots to each actor looking directly into the camera, which he found very effective
Reception at Venice Film Festival[57:14]
• He notes the film received a six-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival

Julia on why she wanted to do it and on Luca Guadagnino

Julia says she was drawn to the film because of director Luca Guadagnino[56:01]
• She calls him wonderful, innovative, and the most curious person she's ever met, fascinated by why people do or don't do things
Luca's attention to detail[56:23]
• Julia says nothing in the frame is accidental: every shade of color, statue, and slightly askew painting is specifically chosen by him

Experiencing film festivals

Julia notes she'd never been to the Venice Film Festival before this film[59:13]
• She says it's nice to do new things, mentioning she had only once previously gone to Cannes with George Clooney and had long thought such festivals looked terrifying on television
Red carpets and glamour vs. anxiety[58:26]
• She describes images of Cannes as people screaming and intimidating, but says once you commit, you need a "sporting event" mentality and can enjoy dressing up; she mentions Danny wearing a tuxedo at Venice as part of the fun

Memorabilia, costumes, and keepsakes from films

Costumes and wedding dresses from "Runaway Bride"

Julia says she has a lot of costumes saved from films[59:13]
• She believes she has some of the wedding dresses from "Runaway Bride" stored somewhere
Where she keeps those items[59:15]
• She thinks many of the costumes are just in the garage in New Mexico, joking that generations of mice might now be living in the boxes

Drawing from Meryl Streep

Julia treasures a drawing that Meryl Streep did of Julia's character in "August: Osage County" and gave her as a wrap gift[1:00:13]
• She mentions this among a few non-costume items she has kept that are especially meaningful

Release plans for "After the Hunt" and closing reflections

Release dates and Julia's birthday month

"After the Hunt" will premiere in select theaters on October 10 and go wider on October 17[1:00:34]
• Sean notes his birthday is October 28 and Julia says it's also her eldest child Franny's birthday, calling it a great day

Mutual admiration and invitation to return

The hosts repeatedly tell Julia how great she is and invite her back anytime[1:01:04]
• Julia modestly says she'd like another chance to be quicker and wittier, while they insist she was fantastic and "one of the dudes"

Julia's affection for "Arrested Development"

Julia says she and Danny "ate that show up like ice cream"[1:02:18]
• She happily reports that their youngest son, now 18 and just in college, started rewatching from the pilot with her, and they are loving it

Hosts' post-interview debrief on Julia

They talk about how long Julia has been on their list of dream guests and call her "iconic"[1:04:23]
• Jason notes that even when she takes pauses from work, the industry "keeps her place in line" and she returns to major directors and big films
Jason reflects on the weight of being called "America's sweetheart"[1:05:28]
• He wonders aloud what it must be like to carry that title for so long and suggests that even if she might resent it at times, it will probably feel meaningful when she looks back late in life

Lessons Learned

Actionable insights and wisdom you can apply to your business, career, and personal life.

1

Choosing where to place your attention in a chaotic industry or environment can protect your sanity; by deliberately ignoring unhelpful commentary and focusing on the work itself, you preserve both enjoyment and longevity.

Reflection Questions:

  • • What sources of information or feedback in my life consistently drain my energy without helping me improve?
  • • How could I redefine success in my current role so that it is based more on the quality of my work and less on external noise?
  • • What specific inputs (news, social media, gossip, metrics) could I reduce or eliminate this month to focus more deeply on what actually matters to me?
2

Building a partnership on deep friendship and mutual attraction creates a resilient foundation that can steady your life when external circumstances get volatile.

Reflection Questions:

  • • In my closest relationship, how much time do we spend nurturing simple friendship-shared interests, laughter, and curiosity about each other?
  • • Where have I been assuming a strong relationship will "manage itself" instead of treating it as a core stabilizing asset worth active investment?
  • • What is one concrete ritual or habit I could start this week to strengthen both the friendship and romance aspects of an important relationship?
3

Humor can be a powerful, healthy way to metabolize grief and painful experiences, allowing you to carry difficult memories without being crushed by them.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Which difficult experiences from my past still feel too heavy to think about without shutting down or avoiding them?
  • • How might reframing one painful memory with gentle humor or irony change the emotional charge it has over me?
  • • Who in my life helps me laugh about hard things in a respectful way, and how could I spend more intentional time with them when I'm going through something tough?
4

Seemingly small acts of advocacy and connection-like introducing someone to a mentor or saving a handwritten note-can have outsized, long-lasting impact on careers, relationships, and family culture.

Reflection Questions:

  • • When have I benefited from someone making a small introduction or gesture on my behalf that turned out to be pivotal?
  • • Who around me right now might need a connector, encourager, or archivist of their story, and what simple step could I take for them?
  • • What personal artifacts (letters, emails, notes) could I start preserving more intentionally to create a meaningful record for my future self or family?
5

Accepting that paths rarely follow a straight line-moving from unrealized plans (like a first dream career) into unexpected opportunities-frees you to treat early jobs and detours as preparation rather than failure.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Which of my earlier ambitions or identities did not work out, and how might they quietly be informing what I'm good at today?
  • • How could I reinterpret my current "day job" or side roles as training grounds for skills I might need later, rather than just placeholders?
  • • What is one pivot or experiment I've been resisting because it doesn't match my original plan, and what low-risk way could I try it in the next month?
6

Teaching and valuing practical life skills-like managing money, caring for a home, or writing on paper-builds independence and connection across generations in ways that purely digital or academic knowledge often does not.

Reflection Questions:

  • • What basic practical skills (financial, household, interpersonal) do I wish someone had taught me earlier in life?
  • • How could I intentionally pass along one of these skills to a younger person, teammate, or family member in a way that feels supportive rather than preachy?
  • • Which analog practices (handwritten notes, simple tools, non-digital routines) might I reintroduce into my life to create more groundedness and connection?

Episode Summary - Notes by Spencer

"Julia Roberts"
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