SmartLess: "Julia Roberts"

Hosts: Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett
Guest: Julia Roberts
Date: October 13, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively and heartfelt episode, the SmartLess trio welcomes America’s sweetheart, Julia Roberts. The conversation meanders through Julia’s Georgia roots, her quirky path to stardom, vivid theatre memories, her enduring marriage, parenthood, and her new film After the Hunt. The episode is packed with warmth, humor, personal anecdotes, and classic SmartLess banter—offering fresh insights even for longtime Julia Roberts fans.

Notable Segments & Key Insights

1. SmartLess Catch-Up & Introduction to Julia Roberts

Timestamps: 02:18—06:59

• The hosts tease Will’s new apartment in New York (02:20), reminisce about charity work, and joke about old acronyms (“TAG: talented and gifted… or tight ass gays?”—04:03).
• Sean’s Surprise Reveal: Sean introduces Julia, sharing fun facts from her upbringing to her musical skills and highlighting that Martin Luther King Jr. paid her hospital bill when she was born (06:24).
• Great Julia Moment:
  • Julia: “When I was born, Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife Coretta paid the hospital bill... so we could go out the front door.” (07:45)

2. Early Life & Family Stories

Timestamps: 07:05—12:02

• Martin Luther King Jr. Connection: Julia’s parents ran a theater school attended by the King children, establishing a friendship with the King family (10:52).
• Julia reminisces about meeting Jason’s mom on the set of Satisfaction, where she starred with Jason’s sister, Justine Bateman (09:09).
• The group jokes about clarinets, spit valves, and unlikely musical talents (“Just making sure the reed is nice and wet…”—10:19).

3. Theater Antics & Stage Mishaps

Timestamps: 12:07—15:17

• Julia’s Broadway Debut Story:
  • Julia tells a hilarious “opening night” story from her play Three Days of Rain with Bradley Cooper and Paul Rudd, involving a rogue prop and a perfectly timed audience assist (13:47–15:15).
  • Quote: “Someone working on the show... sort of commando-crawls down the aisle and says to the man in the front row, ‘Sir, pick that up and just put it on the stage.’” (14:06)
  • The hosts and Julia marvel at the “magic of theater” and going off-script live.

4. From Veterinary Aspirations to Hollywood

Timestamps: 15:17—20:32

• Julia once dreamed of being a vet, even joined the 4H Club, but realized science “wasn’t really my thing—I just wanted to do the petting” (16:05).
• She worked at Athlete’s Foot in NYC, followed her sister there, and almost got into modeling (“I did go meet a really nice woman… at Click Models”—18:02–18:30).

5. Breaking Into Acting

Timestamps: 20:32—28:47

• First Professional Gig:
  • Julia’s first TV role was on Crime Story (27:16). She describes the excitement and surreal feeling of starting out in New York.
• Early Mentorship:
  • Julia shares how a chance meeting with an agent, Bob McGowan, changed her career trajectory. He also helped launch Dylan Walsh’s career (29:59).

6. Meteoric Rise: From Mystic Pizza to Pretty Woman

Timestamps: 31:10—33:39

• Defining Moment:
  • Mystic Pizza gave her the confidence to focus on acting as a career (31:10).
  • She reflects on how Pretty Woman changed her life—albeit, she missed the instant fame at first:
    "When Pretty Woman came out, did it just completely change your life? I was out of town when it came out...so in a way, the momentum of that moment passed me by a little bit." (31:54–33:03)

7. Industry Wisdom & Staying Grounded

Timestamps: 33:39—34:26

• Julia on fame and choice:
  • “There’s so much more choice than we allow ourselves to believe… I have long given up reading anything.” (33:31–34:04)
  • She still finds acting “so fun”; calling it “such a goofy little job.” (34:11)

8. Family, Marriage & Balance

Timestamps: 37:30—43:12

• Marriage Insights:
  • Julia and Danny Moder (her husband) are best friends and “the only person I wanna make out with”—her secret: friendship plus attraction (39:00–39:12).
  • She recalls their atypical courtship on The Mexican, describing her failed attempts to join Danny’s film-geek conversations with Brad Pitt (40:04).
• Parenting & Empty-Nesting:
  • Julia’s kids just left for college—describing the new “empty nest” (42:47). Her advice: “It’s when the kids leave and you turn around and you’re like, ‘Who are you?’—that’s when you run into troubles.” (43:09–43:13)

9. Memorable Personal Stories & Humor Amid Hardship

Timestamps: 44:22—53:41

• Julia and the hosts swap stories about nostalgia, loss, and dealing with hardship through humor.
• Sean’s emotional story about his mother’s Alzheimer’s and the necessity of laughter (“If you didn’t laugh, you’d cry.”—50:59).
• Julia, on her late father: if she could relive one year, “any year before my father passed away... just to have any year with the knowledge that this is special because it’s not gonna last.” (49:23–49:47)

10. Julia’s New Film: After the Hunt

Timestamps: 54:55—58:17

• About the Film:
  • Julia stars in After the Hunt, directed by Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name) (55:56).
  • Sean praises the film—“Your performance was incredible...the reveal was so cool” (55:47).
  • Julia details Luca’s unique directorial style, and the Venice Film Festival’s “six-minute standing ovation” (57:09–57:21).
• Julia has never experienced a festival launch like Venice or Cannes before, and finds the glitz “terrifying,” but says: “Once you commit to it… you gotta have a sporting event mentality.” (58:06-58:55)
• After the Hunt runs in select theaters from October 10, wide October 17. (60:26)

Memorable Quotes

• “I just think, gosh, my life could have gone off the rails a hundred different ways in the last 25 years were it not for finding my person.”
  — Julia Roberts on her marriage to Danny Moder (39:54)

• “It’s such a goofy little job. I love it so much.”
  — Julia on what still draws her to acting (34:11)

• “The magic of theater...”
  — Jason Bateman, floored by Julia’s prop story (15:15)

• “If you didn’t laugh, you’d cry.”
  — Will Arnett, discussing how the group copes with family hardships (50:59)

Fun Facts & Nuggets

• Martin Luther King Jr. paid her hospital bill (07:45, 10:52).
• Julia’s parents ran an Atlanta children’s theater school frequented by the King family.
• She learned to knit from a painter on The Pelican Brief set (20:32).
• Julia keeps a stash of handwritten letters to and from Danny in special ceramic pots (47:34).
• She might casually store iconic film costumes—like Runaway Bride wedding dresses—in her garage (59:24).
• Meryl Streep once gave her a hand-drawn wrap gift from August: Osage County (60:13).

Closing Banter & Reflections

Timestamps: 60:26–64:00+

• Julia expresses genuine affection and fun having joined the podcast, and shares how her family binge-watches Arrested Development (62:11).
• The hosts reflect on Julia’s “iconic” resume and her ability to remain relevant, humble, and beloved (64:22).

Episode Highlights by Timestamp

• 06:24 — Sean’s grand intro for Julia, includes MLK hospital bill fact
• 13:47 — Julia’s Three Days of Rain prop story
• 27:16 — First acting job (“Crime Story”)
• 31:10 — “Mystic Pizza” and career momentum
• 31:54 — Pretty Woman and missing her own launch into fame
• 39:00 — Insights into her marriage with Danny Moder
• 47:34 — Julia’s collection of family letters
• 54:55 — After the Hunt discussion
• 57:09 — Venice festival standing ovation story
• 59:24 — On keeping costumes as memorabilia
• 62:11 — Family watches Arrested Development together

Summary

This heartwarming, hilarious episode offers rare glimpses into Julia Roberts’ personal life and creative journey. It covers everything from her unconventional start, famous family friendships, and love for craft, to her enduring marriage and approach to both family and fame. The SmartLess hosts’ signature rapport delivers plenty of laughs and affection, keeping the tone light—even while touching on deeper themes like loss, nostalgia and choosing joy. A must-listen (or read) for fans of Julia, the SmartLess trio, and candid, charismatic conversation.

Julia Roberts’ newest film, "After the Hunt," premieres in select theaters October 10 and wide on October 17, 2025.

End of summary.