Actor Eric Roberts recently revealed why he rarely makes public comments about his famous sister Julia Roberts and daughter Emma Roberts.
During an interview on the July 8 episode of the “Still Here Hollywood” podcast, Eric Roberts gave a short response when host Steve Kmetko brought up the actor’s younger sister.
“May I ask about Julia?” Kmetko inquired.
The 68-year-old actor replied, “What do you want to know?”
When the host said he wanted to know how the “Pretty Woman” star was doing, Eric Roberts said, “You’ll have to ask her.”
He then explained why he is pretty tight-lipped when it comes to discussing his relationship with Julia Roberts.
“I love my sister, but I can’t talk about her,” he shared. “She don’t want to talk about it.”
Eric Roberts said Emma Roberts feels the same way.
“And also my daughter told me not to talk about her, but I stumble and do. I’m not supposed to talk about either of them. But I do,” he added.
Later on in the interview, he did just that. Kmetko wondered if there was anyone in the industry that Eric Roberts admires. He said answering that question was tricky because he would inevitably leave someone out.
“But the way I can answer it and be honest about it is I am in love with my daughter’s work these days,” the “Runaway Train” star gushed. “Like, I can’t believe how great she’s become.”
He further praised her, continuing, “I’m so proud of her I can’t see straight. Since her performance in ‘Maybe I Do’ until right now, she overwhelms me with pride and just, ‘Oh my God, here she goes again. And I’m just so happy to be her dad because she’s kicking a--. And I’m so proud.”
Eric Roberts also shared that Emma Roberts — who has been busy this year starring in “American Horror Story: Delicate” and comedy “Space Cadet” — is solely responsible for landing roles in movies and shows.
He said he has contributed “absolutely nothing” to his daughter’s success in Hollywood.
“Except I gave her that name,” he added.
His comments come after Emma Roberts voiced her opinion on the “nepo baby” debate given that she has two famous relatives in the industry.
Emma Roberts discussed the trajectory of her career on the “Table for Two with Bruce Bozzi” iHeartPodcast episode released July 2.
“People definitely have preconceived notions of you,” she responded when Bozzi asked about navigating her family’s lineage. “I think there’s two sides of the coin. People like to say, ‘Oh, you have a leg up because you have family in the industry.’ But then the other side to that is you have to prove yourself more. Also, if people don’t have a good experience, maybe with other people in your family, then you’ll never get the chance.”
She pointed out that an underdog story is more likable.
“And also I think there’s something to be said where everybody loves the kind of overnight success story,” she noted. “And so if you’re kind of not the girl from the middle of nowhere that broke into Hollywood there’s kind of an eye roll of like, ‘Well, your dad was this.”
Emma Roberts then explained why she thinks there is a difference in how men with relatives in Hollywood are treated compared to women.
“I always joke, I’m like, ‘Why is no one calling out George Clooney for being a nepo baby?’ Rosemary Clooney was an icon,” she said, referencing his famous aunt. “I’m just kidding. But also I feel like young girls get it harder with the nepo baby thing. I don’t really see people calling out sons of famous actors. Not that they should be called that. I don’t think anyone should be called out for wanting to follow their dream.”
She also revealed that she has not booked jobs in some cases when she has asked someone to put in a good word for her.
The “Holidate” actor continued, “People kind of only see your wins because they only see when you’re on the poster of a movie. They don’t see all the, like, rejection along the way. That’s why I’m always very open about things I’ve auditioned for and haven’t gotten the part for. I think it’s important to talk about because otherwise people just think, ‘Oh, everything’s been so great and linear and easy, and it’s like, no. It’s been not at all. But of course it looks like that to the outside perspective or to the naked eye.”
After years in the industry, Emma Roberts said she now just tries to focus on being grateful.
“I feel so lucky that I get to be 33 and still get to be doing things that I love. Also now, I’m much more thoughtful about it,” she said.
