Julia Roberts and Luca Guadagnino Receive Standing Ovation at Venice Film Festival for 'After the Hunt'

Julia Roberts is an American actress born on October 28, 1967, in Smyrna, Georgia, into a family of actors and playwrights. She began her career in the late 1980s with supporting roles in films such as *Mystic Pizza* and *Steel Magnolias*, gaining early recognition with an Academy Award nomination for the latter. Roberts achieved worldwide fame with the 1990 romantic comedy *Pretty Woman*, where she played Vivian Ward opposite Richard Gere, earning a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination for Best Actress[1][6][7]. Throughout the 1990s, Roberts starred in a series of successful films including *Flatliners* (1990), *Sleeping with the Enemy* (1991), *The Pelican Brief* (1993), *Something to Talk About* (1995), *My Best Friend’s Wedding* (1997), and *Stepmom* (1998), also serving as executive producer on some projects[1]. In 2000, she founded Shoelace Productions and starred in *Erin Brockovich*, portraying a real-life legal assistant who helped win a major environmental lawsuit. This role won her the Academy Award for Best Actress and made her the highest-paid actress at the time, commanding $20 million for the film[1][5][6]. In the early 2000s, Roberts appeared in ensemble films like *Ocean’s Eleven* (2001) and *Ocean’s Twelve* (2004), and took on complex dramatic roles such as in *Closer* (2004). She made her Broadway debut in 2006 with *Three Days of Rain* and continued working in both film and production. Her notable later work includes *Charlie Wilson’s War* (2007), which earned her a Golden Globe nomination, and *August: Osage County*, for which she won a Screen Actors Guild Award[3][5]. Roberts remains a significant figure in Hollywood, recognized for her blend of charisma, versatility, and box office appeal. She has received multiple awards, including three Golden Globes, and was named the People’s Choice Awards Favorite Movie Actress of All Time in 2013[6]. She is married to cameraman Danny Moder and continues to act and produce films.

Luca Guadagnino is an Italian film director and producer born on August 10, 1971, in Palermo, Sicily. He spent part of his childhood in Ethiopia before returning to Italy, where he studied literary history and film at La Sapienza University in Rome. Guadagnino began his career directing short films in the late 1990s and gained early attention with his experimental feature *The Protagonists* (1999), which starred Tilda Swinton, a frequent collaborator throughout his career. He is best known for emotionally complex and visually rich films such as *I Am Love* (2009), *A Bigger Splash* (2015), and the internationally acclaimed *Call Me by Your Name* (2017), which earned four Academy Award nominations and significantly raised the profile of both Guadagnino and lead actor Timothée Chalamet. His work often explores themes of desire, identity, and intimacy, frequently through literary adaptations. Guadagnino also directed the 2018 remake of the horror classic *Suspiria* and the 2022 film *Bones and All*, continuing to build his reputation for blending emotional depth with sumptuous visuals. In recent years, he has expanded his scope with projects such as *Challengers* (2024), a tennis drama, and the adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ novel *Queer* (2024), starring Daniel Craig. He is currently involved in several upcoming films, including *Separate Rooms* and *After the Hunt*, featuring well-known actors like Léa Seydoux, Josh O’Connor, Julia Roberts, and Andrew Garfield. Guadagnino is recognized as one of the most influential contemporary Italian filmmakers working internationally, noted for his sophisticated storytelling and frequent collaborations with prominent actors and creatives. His ongoing projects and recent releases maintain his relevance in global cinema today[1][3][4][5][6].