Julia Roberts reflects on early career insecurities and personal growth amid Hollywood pressures

Julia Roberts reveals how early criticism shaped her confidence and identity before finding lasting success

Julia Roberts is known for her dazzling on-screen presence and award-winning performances, but the actress recently opened up about the personal struggles she faced at the start of her career. In a new interview with PEOPLE, the After the Hunt star admitted she entered the industry without much confidence and had to overcome significant emotional hurdles along the way.

“I don't think I entered into my career with much confidence,” Roberts, 57, shared in a joint interview with her After the Hunt co-star Ayo Edebiri. She noted that early in her journey, she encountered “a few critical people who were really cruel,” which forced her to reflect deeply on the kind of person she wanted to become. “It was so much more about who I wanted to be as opposed to what kind of career I wanted to have,” she explained.

Rather than letting those early experiences define her, Roberts used them as opportunities for growth. Between the ages of 15 and 25, she described her path as “more bumps than smooth sailing,” adding that those challenging years ultimately shaped her resilience. “They proved my endurance to myself,” she said.

Roberts also reflected on how insecurity could be “crippling,” recounting how even witnessing a musician trip on The Tonight Show as a child left her feeling embarrassed on his behalf. “It might as well have happened to me,” she recalled.

Now a seasoned performer and mother of three, Roberts says her career choices have often centered on “personal evolution and discovery.” While discussing these reflections with Edebiri, she briefly paused to ask, “Did I bring the mood down?” To which Edebiri warmly replied, “No, it’s beautiful.”

After the Hunt opens in select theaters on October 10 and nationwide on October 17.