How are Emma Roberts and Julia Roberts related? Have they ever worked together?

The saying “it runs in the family” very much rings true when it comes to Emma Roberts and acting. The 33-year-old American Horror Story star is the daughter of Oscar and Golden Globe nominated actor Eric Roberts, whose considerable career achievements have been surpassed by his very own sister, Julia Roberts, who is, logically, Emma’s aunt.

Eric and Julia Roberts’ dispute over Emma’s custody

The story goes that the younger Roberts spent a significant amount of time on film sets during her childhood, following aunt Julia in particular. That despite the elder siblings becoming estranged for several years in the 1990s and 2000s, precisely because the Pretty Woman actress had sided with her brother’s ex-girlfriend Kelly Cunningham during a 1993 custody battle over Emma.

Eric and Julia did, however, patch things up following the birth of her twins in November 2004.

Emma Roberts’ varied acting career

Like her aunt, Emma has featured in a number of different film genres since making her on-screen debut at the age of 10 in 2001. She has perhaps become best known for her performances in horror series and movies, although her appearances in a number of romantic comedies and thrillers offer the greatest resemblance to her aunt’s work.

According to The Numbers, films featuring Julia Roberts, who was named Best Actress at the 2001 Academy Awards for her portrayal of Erin Brokovich in the move of the same name, have made over $4 billion at the box office worldwide, making her one of the most commercially successful actors of all time.

Those films include romantic comedies America’s Sweethearts (2001) and Valentine’s Day (2010), which Emma appears in. However, you’ll have to look closely to see the pair appear on screen together.

The two films which Emma and Julia Roberts both feature in

Despite co-starring in Valentine’s Day, which features an ensemble cast including Taylor Swift (in her acting debut), Ashton Kutcher and Jessica Alba, Emma has no scenes with her aunt.

Your chance, therefore, comes in America’s Sweethearts, in which a 10-year-old Emma is an extra. In one scene in which Julia is eating breakfast and talking to Billy Crystal, her niece appears in the background wearing a purple shirt, although you can only see her head.

Did Emma Roberts imagine that more than two decades later she would be following so closely in her aunt’s footsteps? Well, perhaps there is a chance she did. It runs in the family, after all.