Julia Roberts, one of Hollywood’s most enduring and versatile stars, has long been celebrated for her ability to transform herself for roles. But during the filming of the drama August: Osage County in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, she looked completely different from the glamorous persona audiences remember from her 1990 breakout role as Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman.
At 44, Roberts was deeply immersed in her portrayal of Barbara Weston, a woman weighed down by family tensions, grief, and years of unresolved emotional conflict. To inhabit this role, she deliberately shed her typical Hollywood polish. Her long brunette hair, usually styled meticulously, hung loosely around her face, without any apparent effort. Her wardrobe—simple jeans, layered shirts, and cream-toned tops—was practical and unflattering, chosen to reflect the raw realism and emotional gravity of the story rather than style. Even her face, often highlighted by red carpet photographers, was left bare of makeup, serving as a blank canvas for the emotions her character carried.