Julia Roberts opened up about her latest role as the mother of a teenage drug addict in the movie “Ben Is Back,” saying it wasn’t only one of the most challenging roles but has also directly impacted her family life, according to a new report.
Roberts, who’s been married to cinematographer Danny Moder for 16 years, admitted in an interview with The Sun, that playing the role made her a stricter parent to their 14-year-old twins Hazel and Finn, as well as their 11-year-old Henry.
The Oscar winner said that since she has three young children, she’s “very careful about turning the TV on” so they are not exposed to the pressures of modern life.
“It’s interesting trying to raise kids in this day because it’s all so new—the pressures, the resources, having the world in your hand like that,” Roberts said. “I try to keep them off social media because I don’t really understand what they need that for right now.”
In the film, “Ben Is Back,” Roberts plays Holly Burns, whose 19-year-old son, Ben Burns, played by Lucas Hedges, returns unexpectedly on Christmas Eve. While Holly is relieved at her son’s return, she’s also wary of his drug addiction. Over the next 24 hours, she battles to save her son, desperately trying to pay back all the people he owes money too, all while Ben struggles with his addiction.
Roberts said the movie’s intense subject informed her about drugs and the pressures that teenagers face.
“If you apply all the many—nightmares that any parent could have in this world, you would lock the doors and never leave the house. You have to concentrate on the world’s positive, optimistic things,” she said.
Roberts said she’s figured out that putting on a stern face helps get the message across to her children.
“I’m a strict mom, I don’t really lose my temper, but I think it’s important that children know their boundaries,” she said. “If something happens I don’t really punish them, I prefer to have conversations with them. I think my serious face is punishment enough.”
She said the most important thing is spending quality time together as a family.
“It’s about allowing time to just exist. Conversations require a complete disregard for the clock, so that you can just—listen and really be present,” she said.
Roberts said she and her husband have strict home rules for their children, which include chores such as making their bed, doing laundry, and learning to cook meals, as those are all important life skills.
View this post on Instagram
“Wanting to keep our family intact is something my husband and I . . . it’s always been a priority. For two people in show-business, it’s amazing. We’ve only worked at the same time, separately, once,” she said.
She said she’s also very proud of their marriage, as they just celebrated being married for 16 years in July. “There’s so much happiness wrapped up in what we’ve found together,” she said.
Roberts credits her husband Moder for turning her life around.
“I give Danny a lot of credit. He really shined the light for me. He makes me feel my most comfortable self. I don’t alter myself in any way. And he points out aspects of myself—good and bad—that maybe I don’t pay attention to,” she said.
“Getting married to Danny is easily one of three turning points, because I found what for me is my perfect match,” she said. “There’s nothing general about finding that person in this big wide world. That person shapes you, crystallizes the definition of who you are.”
