“ When you ’ve understand fame like that up tight , and you see what that really does to hoi polloi and to their family … it ’s scary sometimes . ”
Emma Robertshas no interest in reaching the same “scary” levels of fame as her Oscar-winning aunt.
If the last name wasn’t enough of a clue, Emma isJulia Roberts’s niece.
From playing dress-up on theErin Brockovichset to being cast as an extra inAmerica’s Sweethearts, Emma’s historically made no secret of the fact that shelearned a lot about the industryby tagging along with her aunt throughout her childhood.
By the age of 8, Emma was inspired to get into acting, too, and she soon landed a role in her first movie,Blow, alongsideJohnny Deppand Penélope Cruz, when she wasonly 9 years old.
As she got older, she moved on to teen movies likeAquamarine, Wild Child, andNancy Drew. Although she’s perhaps best known for her work with Ryan Murphy, having starred inScream Queensand numerous seasons ofAmerican Horror Story.
Emma has previously brushed off comparisons between herself and Julia, tellingTatlerthat she “never aspired” to replicate her aunt’s career path. “I love her so much, I love her work, but I’m just doing my own thing,” she said.
Now, the 33-year-old is doubling down on her stance, admitting that she does not envy her Aunt Julia’s fame after witnessing the scrutiny that comes with it.
“It’s obviously fun, and it’s great, but there is a part of it that’s really scary,” she said during the latest episode ofiHeartPodcasts’Table for Two with Bruce Bozzi, where she recalled seeing “very up close” what mega-fame “really looks like.”
“Fame at a certain level is kind of scary,” she reiterated. “And I remember [thinking] as a kid, even in my later teens, I never want my fame to outweigh my work because there’s nothing scarier to me than being so famous that you’re never left alone.”
At the start of this year, Julia appeared on the cover ofBritish Vogueand reflected on being perceived as “harsh” or“difficult” to work withearlier in her career.
“I think I speak very plainly,” she told the outlet. “That’s kind of how I see myself. I’m very forthright. There are a lot of personalities in the world that don’t accept that easily, and it can seem really harsh, even if I feel like I’m just being honest about something and just saying this is how I see it. I never am trying to be unkind.”
