- Title: JAPAN: Julia Roberts talks about fulfillment, beauty, books and hinduism in Tokyo
- Date: 18th August 2010
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) JULIA ROBERTS ACTOR SAYING: "And I will just say this about Hinduism, which I do practice: the conversation that I had with a very smart writer, we had a great conversation and of course when you are sharing things over a dinner table, and writing it down in a condensed way, it sort of changes form and unfortunately with the age of internet and twitter and chatter and everything else, things get distorted. So of all the things that I was inspired by this film, that I came away from this film I didn't suddenly make this movie and start practicing hinduism, it's just something that's been part of my life a very long time, and I realize that I should stick with what my mom told me 22 years ago which is 'you're an actor, act, and don't talk about politics or religion.'" MORE OF NEWS CONFERENCE PRESS TAKING NOTES ON JULIA ROBERTS' SPEECH JULIA ROBERTS AND D.D. GARDNER WALKING OFF THE STAGE PRESS CAMERA SHOOTING THE STAGE JULIA ROBERTS POSING FOR THE CAMERA MORE OF JULIA ROBERTS POSING FOR THE CAMERA JULIA ROBERTS AND D.D GARDNER POSING TOGETHER AND WALKING OFF THE STAGE
- Embargoed: 2nd September 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Japan
- Country: Japan
- Reuters ID: LVAD9D5IXZFPRSXPPY7LUJRFE3N9
- Story Text: Hundreds of Japanese media turned up on Wednesday (August 18) for Hollywood superstar Julia Roberts news conference in Tokyo ahead of the the Japanese premiere of her new film, 'Eat Pray Love'.
It is Roberts' first visit to Japan and local media were out in force, at first even overwhelming her.
" Hello press, all the flashes are intimidating, I guess when those stop, it starts, I think that's how it goes," Roberts' said at the start of the news conference. About 30 broadcast cameras, 50 still camera and 350 members of the press attended her news conference at Ritz Carlton in Tokyo.
Asked about the message in the film, Roberts explained it was about looking inside.
"It's not about surface, superficial, It's about excavating and nurturing what's inside you what fulfills you, what propels you so any changes come from there. It's not about a new lipstick or a face lift. I love my interpreter she laughs at everything I say, she enjoys it.. so I would just say it's about all of us men and women, it's really about looking inside of ourselves to see what needs work and where we can shape our lives," she said giggling along with her interpreter often during the news conference.
The film, based on the best-selling novel by Elizabeth Gilbert, tells the true story of Liz, a thirty-two-year-old who has everything a modern woman could desire but finds herself stuck in an unhappy marriage.
In order to turn her life around she decides to divorce her husband and travel the world for a year in search of happiness and true balance in her life.
Playing the role of Liz, Roberts traveled to Italy, India and Bali.
Roberts added that she had been an early reader of the book which has sold eight million copies since it was first published in 2006.
"Well, Its a great book, I read it years before it came to me as a possibility as a film I just enjoyed it as a book. So many people assume that as an actor you read a book and if you like it you immediately start pondering it as a film or put yourself into it as an actor and I'm such a book lover that i just enjoyed things in that form and that's the end of that. So it wasn't until years later that it came back to me in a phone call from my agent that D.D.Gardner and Ryan Murphy had hatched this plan and had a pass of the scrip that they wanted me to have a look at and meet them about and so...," she said.
But one of the questions was often repeated by Japanese press was the secret behind the 42-year actor's beauty.
"I think the secret for anyone looking beautiful however you interpret that word it's just being happy. I think that's the secret ingredient to beauty," Roberts replied philosophically.
Roberts made headlines earlier this month when she said she was now practicing Hinduism. In Tokyo, she said that while the timing of the news reports and the nature of information on the internet made it seem she turned hindu due to the film but that was not true.
"And I will just say this about Hinduism, which I do practice: the conversation that I had with a very smart writer, we had a great conversation and of course when you are sharing things over a dinner table, and writing it down in a condensed way, it sort of changes form and unfortunately with the age of internet and twitter and chatter and everything else, things get distorted. So of all the things that I was inspired by this film, that I came away from this film I didn't suddenly make this movie and start practicing hinduism, it's just something that's been part of my life a very long time, and I realize that I should stick with what my mom told me 22 years ago which is 'you're an actor, act, and don't talk about politics or religion.'"
Roberts will attend the Japan premier of the movie 'Eat Pray Love' on Thursday (August 19). The movie hits theaters in Japan on September 17th. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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