3 Delightful Things Gayle King Learned About Julia Roberts

Gayle King was looking forward to relaxing this past weekend. And who could blame her? This past week, our Editor-in-Chief went to London to cover Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, surprised Harry Styles at Madison Square Garden, and woke up every morning at 3:22 a.m. to host CBS Mornings. But when he got a call to interview Julia Roberts for A+E Networks and the History Channel’s HISTORYConversations in Washington, D.C., she booked her Amtrak train ticket to the nation’s capital faster than you can say, “I’m just a girl standing in front of a boy and asking him to love her.”

HISTORYConversations pairs unexpected thought leaders, pioneers, authors, and filmmakers to lead conversations about our nation’s past to “illuminate our future.” This year’s event marked the first in-person conference since the start of Covid – and the lineup was not to be missed. Special guests included superstar sisters Venus and Serena Williams on stage with Bradley Cooper, George and Amal Clooney in conversation with historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, along with former President George W. Bush and Laura Bush, who took the stage with their daughter Jenna Bush Hager . Gayle had no problem canceling her relaxing Saturday to join the roster with Roberts. “It doesn’t feel like work when I talk to Julia. We really wanted it to be more of a conversation, and that’s what happened,” she shared with us.

Following her conversation with Roberts, Gayle shares three highlights about the Hollywood star below.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King paid Roberts’ hospital bill when she was born.

As she prepared for the interview, Gail was surprised to see another king appear in the picture — and she didn’t mean herself, but Martin Luther King, Jr.

“My parents had a theater school in Atlanta called the Actors and Writers Workshop, and one day Coretta Scott King called my mom and asked if her kids could be a part of the school because they were having a hard time finding a place that would accept their children. And my mom said, “Sure, come here.” And everyone became friends and helped us out of a traffic jam.

“In the 1960s, there were no little black kids hanging out with little white kids in acting school. And Julia’s parents were welcoming, and I think that’s extraordinary and sets the stage for who Julia is,” noted Gail.

Roberts met her husband on a movie set — and he still makes her blush.

It’s safe to say that Roberts loves her husband Daniel Modder, a lot, as the couple celebrated their 20-year milestone earlier this year. Still, it’s clear that time has only made their relationship stronger, based on how Roberts gushed when Gail asked if she still gets butterflies when she thinks about her partner of two decades.

“I love that 20 years later you can still feel that way about your husband,” Gail said.

Roberts was the first woman in Hollywood to earn as much money as her male counterparts in the 2000s.

For his role in Erin Brockovich, Roberts asked to be paid $15 million – closing the pay gap she had with male stars of her time, such as Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks. “When I work, I work very hard,” Roberts said. “I’m ready. I’m on time. I’m prepared. I’m happy. I turn everything on. So show me the money.

While the world may know Julia Roberts as an actress, an Oscar winner, America’s sweetheart, or the movie star with the most infectious laugh, she is first and foremost a “person,” as her Instagram bio says. And after getting to know her a little better this weekend, Gail says that’s the sweetest part about her.

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