Julia Roberts is garnering acclaim for her conduct in a recently resurfaced 1991 interview. This has led to comparisons with a less favorably received interview involving Blake Lively.
Roberts, who has been a prominent figure in Hollywood with roles in iconic films such as Pretty Woman, Notting Hill, My Best Friend’s Wedding, and more recently Leave the World Behind, is now the subject of discussion due to her press tour for the 1991 film Sleeping with the Enemy.
In Sleeping with the Enemy, Roberts portrays Laura Burney, a young woman who stages her own death to escape an abusive marriage.
During the press tour for the film, Roberts was interviewed by the late veteran reporter and film critic Bobbie Wygant. Wygant asked Roberts how she might respond if she ever found herself in a similar situation to her character.
Despite being only 23 years old at the time, Roberts provided a notably mature response.
“That’s not for me to really say,” she replied. “I can’t even fathom being in a situation quite that horrible. It’s not in my realms of understanding.”
Interviewer Wygant then mentioned that she would ‘just fight back’ if she were in Roberts’ character’s shoes, noting she couldn’t endure such treatment for three and a half years.
“But I think it’s a process of manipulation that grows stronger than that,” Roberts interjected. “It’s not that cut and dry.”
She added: “I think it’s amazingly psychological and very destructive, so I don’t think it’s quite that simple.”
The decades-old interview has resurfaced online amid the backlash Blake Lively is facing for some of her responses to similar questions. Lively’s new movie It Ends With Us also touches on domestic abuse themes.
While Roberts approached such topics with seriousness, Lively has responded to similar questions in a notably lighter tone.
In light of the criticism towards Lively, many are urging the 36-year-old Gossip Girl star to ‘take notes’ from Roberts.
One person commented on a viral TikTok featuring Roberts’ interview: “Very well said. Blake should take notes.”
A second person added: “I was just talking about this movie and Julia’s responses unlike Blake’s response to the question today…how did she not understand the assignment????”
@dammitsarah79 Julia Roberts on her role in Sleeping with the Enemy. A movie about DV but used it as a vehicle to create a psychological thriller(it was the 90s). Julia’s interviews on this movie were so thoughtful & she consistently recognized that this isnt her reality in interviews. #itendswithus #blakelively #demure #dv
Another commenter noted Roberts’ young age when filming such an intense movie: “She was only 22 years old and already so wise and articulate.”
“Her tone is on point,” wrote another. “It’s a serious movie so she’s answering with sincerity aka not making jokes.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence 24 hours a day to the national domestic violence helpline at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233). You can find a list of local resources here.