Julia Roberts is trending in the United States today, and it is not for one reason alone. Three stories about her landed in the same week, and today, October 28, 2026, is also her birthday.
She is returning to Broadway after 20 years. She paid tribute to a much-loved co-star who died last week. And a warm, personal story about her life away from film sets has been shared widely online.
Here is what happened, in plain terms, and why so many people are searching her name right now.
Why Is Julia Roberts Trending Today?
The short answer is timing. On October 23, Roberts spoke publicly for the first time about her Broadway return. The day before, her friend Emmy Rossum shared a personal story about her on television. Around the same time, Roberts posted a tribute to actor Tom Skerritt, who died on October 21.
Then her birthday arrived. Roberts was born on October 28, 1967, in Smyrna, Georgia. She turns 59 today.
Each story on its own would have drawn attention. Together, they pushed her name to the top of trending searches in the US.
She Is Returning to Broadway After 20 Years
The biggest news is her return to the stage. Roberts will star in Small Mouth Sounds, a comedy by Bess Wohl, on Broadway next spring.
It will be her first Broadway role since Three Days of Rain in 2006. That play was directed by Joe Mantello and also starred Paul Rudd. Mantello is directing Small Mouth Sounds too, and Rudd is back in the cast with her.
The full cast is Julia Roberts, Paul Rudd, Sarah Paulson, Martin Freeman, Greta Lee, and Isaac Powell. Roberts will play Joan. Rudd will play Ned, Paulson will play Judy, Freeman will play Jan, Lee will play Alicia, and Powell will play Rodney.
For Freeman, this will be his Broadway debut. Paulson won a Tony Award for Appropriate. Lee is known for Past Lives and The Morning Show. Powell starred as Tony in the 2020 revival of West Side Story.
Roberts said she could not be more excited to work with Mantello again. In a statement released on October 23, she said: “I could not be any more excited to reunite with Joe Mantello on this beautiful piece by Bess Wohl. And my cast mates!! Total joy!”
People reported Roberts’ first comments on the return, along with reactions from the rest of the cast, as tickets were about to go on sale. You can read People’s report on Roberts’ Broadway return for her first comments and the reactions from the rest of the cast.
What Is Small Mouth Sounds About?
Small Mouth Sounds is about six strangers who go to a spiritual retreat in upstate New York. They want to leave their problems behind, look inward, and change their lives. It does not go as planned.
The play is unusual because almost all of it happens without dialogue. The story is told through movement, facial expressions, and how the characters react to each other. That is a very different kind of acting from film, where the camera can do much of the work.
The play first opened Off-Broadway at Ars Nova in 2015 and was well received. Wohl has since become one of the most talked-about playwrights in the US. Her play Liberation won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play.
When Does It Open, and How Can You Get Tickets?
Small Mouth Sounds will begin previews on February 10, 2027, at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in New York. Opening night is set for March 11, 2027.
Tickets went on sale to the general public on October 25 at 10 a.m. ET through Telecharge. The dates were moved forward from the first plan, which had previews starting on February 18 and opening night on March 18. Playbill reported the revised dates and ticket sale details.
If you plan to go, check the theatre listing before you book. Popular dates for a cast like this can sell fast, and prices vary by seat and performance.
Her 59th Birthday Is Today
Roberts turns 59 on October 28, 2026. Birthdays alone do not usually send a star to the top of Google Trends, but this one arrived in the middle of a busy news week for her.
Her career helps explain why people still search for her by name. She broke through in Mystic Pizza in 1988 and earned her first Academy Award nomination for Steel Magnolias in 1989. Pretty Woman in 1990 made her a global star. She later won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Erin Brockovich in 2000.
She has kept working steadily since then, in films and on television, including the series Homecoming in 2018. A birthday post, a look back at an old film, or a new project is often enough to bring her back into conversation. This week, all three happened at once.
She Paid Tribute to Tom Skerritt
Roberts also made news last week for a sad reason. Tom Skerritt, who played her father in Steel Magnolias, died on Wednesday, October 21, at the age of 93. His family said he died of natural causes.
Skerritt played Drum Eatenton, the father of Roberts’ character Shelby, in the 1989 film. The cast also included Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, and Olympia Dukakis. The role earned Roberts her first Oscar nomination.
After his death, Roberts posted a photo from the film on Instagram and wrote: “A shining light of a gentle man. RIP.”
Skerritt had a long career beyond that film, including Top Gun, Alien, MASH, and the television series Picket Fences, for which he won an Emmy in 1993. Roberts’ tribute was one of the first from the Steel Magnolias cast to spread widely, and it reminded many viewers of the film that started her rise.
The “Aunt Juju” Story People Keep Sharing
A lighter story has also been shared a lot this week. Actress Emmy Rossum spoke about Roberts on The Jennifer Hudson Show on October 22.
Rossum said Roberts is known as “Aunt Juju” to her children. She said Roberts has visited her home, sat on the floor with her children, and played with Legos. Rossum also said Roberts knitted blankets for both children, with a label sewn on that reads: “From the Knitting Needles of Auntie Juju.”
Rossum described Roberts as down to earth and said she does not have an assistant. Roberts is close to Rossum’s husband, filmmaker Sam Esmail. They have worked together on Homecoming, Gaslit, and the 2023 Netflix film Leave the World Behind.
The story has no big announcement in it. That is part of why people like it. It shows a famous actor in an ordinary, family setting, and it fits with the image Roberts has kept for years: private at home, warm in public, and careful about what she shares.
What Happens Next?
For now, the next big date is in February 2027, when Small Mouth Sounds starts previews in New York. Until then, expect more talk about rehearsals, ticket demand, and how a play with almost no dialogue works with a cast this well known.
Roberts has not announced another film to go with the stage return. The Broadway news, her birthday, and the tribute to Skerritt are enough to explain the searches this week. If you searched her name today, that is the full story: a stage comeback 20 years in the making, a birthday, and a goodbye to an old friend and co-star.
For more celebrity stories on Magazine Gallery, read our profile of Scarlet Rose Stallone, a promising Hollywood talent, and our profile of Melanie Stone, who made fantasy, horror, and romance her own.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Julia Roberts?
Julia Roberts is 59. She was born on October 28, 1967, in Smyrna, Georgia, in the United States.
When does Julia Roberts return to Broadway?
Small Mouth Sounds begins previews on February 10, 2027, at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in New York. Opening night is March 11, 2027.
Who is in the cast of Small Mouth Sounds?
The cast is Julia Roberts as Joan, Paul Rudd as Ned, Sarah Paulson as Judy, Martin Freeman as Jan, Greta Lee as Alicia, and Isaac Powell as Rodney. Joe Mantello directs.
Why did Julia Roberts pay tribute to Tom Skerritt?
Skerritt played her father, Drum Eatenton, in Steel Magnolias in 1989. He died on October 21, 2026, at age 93. Roberts posted: “A shining light of a gentle man. RIP.”
