Even Julia Roberts forgets her lines sometimes.
The Academy Award-winning actress, 57, was presented with an honorary César award in France on Friday, Feb. 28, for her contributions to film during her three-decade career.
The person who called her onto the stage was none other than her Closer and Duplicity costar Clive Owen.
After accepting the award, Roberts admitted she had forgotten something important.
“My incredible daughter told me to write a speech but I have never written a speech about myself. It was a complex thing to do and I finally did it. And then um, left it at my hotel,” she confessed onstage.
“Thank you to the Academy for this incredible piece of art,” she continued. “Any artist knows this is not a singular endeavor so to stand here alone is a fraud.”
The Leave the World Behind actress shares three children, 20-year-old twins Hazel Patricia and Phinnaeus Walter, and Henry Daniel, 17, with her husband Danny Moder.
Before her speech, Roberts was greeted with a warm standing ovation inside the Olympia Theater.
The César Awards are presented by the Academy of Cinema Arts and Techniques and are similar to the Oscars, honoring the best in film for the previous year.
“It is a with a great admiration that we will be awarding Julia Roberts an honorary César on the stage of the Olympia Theater. Julia Roberts is not just a movie star, but she is also a cultural icon and her influence goes far beyond her performances,” the organization said in a statement ahead of the event.
“Julia has an incredible body of work, she has a connection with the audience full of intelligence, warmth and honesty and still remains fiercely independent,” Owen, 60, said of Roberts in his introduction.
The Cleaner actor continued, “She is often said of having great chemistry with her co-actors because she makes them better, I know this on a personal level.”
Before turning the stage over to Roberts, he referred to her as “One of the best, nicest and funniest actresses of our time.”
Owen wasn’t the only one to recognize the Pretty Woman actress for her talents.
Hours before the César Awards, Roberts also received the insignia of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in English) by the French Minister of Culture.
France’s minister of culture Rachida Tati pinned the medal on her blazer, WWD reported.
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Roberts’ artistry has even hit home, with her niece Emma Roberts telling Variety last summer that her aunt’s films are always her go-to when she needs to wind down.
“I watch her movies when I’m on location and I’m by myself. I have movies of hers downloaded on my computer that I watch for comfort. My Best Friend’s Wedding and America’s Sweethearts are my safe movies,” the Scream Queens alum said in the July 2024 interview.
Roberts’ next film, After the Hunt, is scheduled for release on Oct. 10, 2025.
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