Julia Roberts became a firm candidate to the title of America's sweetheart with her role as Vivian Ward, a humble hooker retired from the bitterness of street life by a handsome millionaire (Richard Gere) in the romantic comedy Pretty Woman (1990). Though Roberts would try serious dramatic roles in the early 1990s, her talents and audiences' attention peaked with her romantic comedies. By the end of the twentieth century she would become the highest paid female actress of her generation, earning $20 million dollars per picture.

Julia Roberts

The youngest sister of actor Eric Roberts, Julia began her career in 1986 with a minor role in a film starring her brother, soon followed by a leading role in Mystic Pizza (1988). A year later, Roberts received her first Oscar nomination at age 22 for her tragic role as a dying bride in Steel Magnolias (1989), the film she made just...