Here is what Julia Roberts had to say about Viola Davis in ‘The Help’

“To say Viola Davis is brilliant is to say running a marathon is difficult. It is simply something we all know. Now, I have never run a full marathon, but I have worked alongside Viola and I can tell you it is incredible. She is masterful. She is fierce. She is a little bit scary — in the most complimentary way! Her attention to detail and reason is impeccable. To sit face to face with that stunning face is heavenly. Playing closest friends was a dream and a joy. ‘The Help’ is a book I quite enjoyed and I was only sure of Viola’s brilliance as Aibileen. I knew she would be masterful and detailed. I didn’t realize the depth of the river she would call the audience upon — to float and submerge, to nearly drown in the pain of her brown seen-it-all-too-closely eyes. Viola actually vanished. Only Aibileen remained. Only her quest existed for those moments. The devotion to her charge. The steadfast faith in her god, her prayers. When she speaks of her son’s death and the feelings that overtake her each year on the anniversary of his accident, I didn’t realize my hand was to my mouth until I put it down in relief that she has kept going, has found a way to carry on in the face of such a loss. Viola’s portrayal of Aibileen is so human, so fully realized that you feel like you could reach out and hold her hand. Beautiful. The definition of the word ‘viola’ is a stringed instrument that resembles a violin but is larger and deeper in tone. As an actor, she — Viola Davis — stands alongside us all with resemblance, but so much larger and deeper in tone. Indeed.”

A statement from Julia Roberts, global ambassador for the Alliance for Clean Cookstoves:
World Pneumonia Day is Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011

This World Pneumonia Day I’m speaking out as a mother about the leading killer of children under the age of 5.

Pneumonia kills about 1.4 million young children annually, 99% of whom die in developing countries. That’s one child dying every 20 seconds.

I was inspired to join the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves because its core mission is saving lives – especially children’s lives. Of the 2 million people killed each year from diseases caused by toxic smoke from dirty stoves and open cooking fires, about half are young children who die from acute lower respiratory infections, most commonly pneumonia.

Cooking shouldn’t kill, but the sad reality is that it does, and a disproportionate amount of the victims are children at the household hearth with their mother as she cooks.

I believe this is a particularly cruel injustice. But it is one that can be stopped.
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ou don’t have to be a movie expert to know Untitled Snow White Project is a terrible name for a movie. But that was all we had for the fairy tale adaptation starring Julia Roberts and Lilly Collins. Not anymore.

We finally have a title — Mirror, Mirror. Huh? Could we go back to Untitled Snow White Project? Maybe we just need some time to get used to the new title.

At least it doesn’t have “Snow White” in the title. No doubt it’s already going to be confusing with two Snow White movies coming out within months of each other. Mirror, Mirror opens March 16, while the competing Snow White and the Huntsman with Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron opens June 1.

Good thing the differences go beyond the movies’ titles. Snow White and the Huntsman is more of an action-adventure (and, dare we say, looks more like Lord of the Rings than Disney), while Mirror, Mirror offers a more fanciful take on the fairy tale. Still, it’s almost a sure thing that these two movies will be going after the same audience.

Julia Roberts might be one of the big screen’s most talented and beautiful leading ladies now, but back in high school in Georgia, the future Oscar winner was just “coasting” by.

The actress sat down with Access Hollywood Live’s Billy Bush and Kit Hoover on Monday, where the star – who played the clarinet and oboe in school – revealed she wasn’t caught up in the teenage popularity contest.

”[I was] just mediocre, just getting through the hallways with my girlfriend Paige,” the actress said while chatting about her new movie, “Fireflies in the Garden.”

“We weren’t losers, but we weren’t popular, we were just coasting, that is exactly what we were doing,” the 43-year-old star explained of her close friend who is now daughter Hazel’s godmother.

Julia said guys didn’t initially take notice of her until “late.”

“But it was good timing for me, but, it was latish,” she continued.

Though musically gifted, the actress also didn’t catch the acting bug while in school.

“I was dramatic, I wouldn’t say I was theatrical,” she said with a laugh.

As for one of Julia’s upcoming theatrical moments, the untitled Snow White project with Lily Collins and Armie Hammer, the actress revealed a few details about the movie to Billy and Kit.

“We don’t have the classic dwarfs. Our dwarfs have different names and personalities than the fairytale,” Julia explained.

The actress also said she hasn’t told her three children she’s playing the movie’s villain.

“I haven’t like spelled it out that I’m the Evil Queen,” she continued. “Because I showed them [Disney’s] ‘Snow White’ and they had nightmares and they cried.”

“Fireflies in the Garden,” also starring Ryan Reynolds, hits theaters on October 14 and Julia’s untitled Snow White project is slated to debut on March 16, 2012.

Source

This week Julia Roberts began filming Relativity Media’s comedy action-adventure Untitled Snow White project with director Tarsem Singh in Montreal.

In the film she plays an evil Queen who steals control of a kingdom, and an exiled princess (played by Lily Collins), before enlisting the help of seven resourceful rebels who help her win back her birthright. The film also stars Armie Hammer as Prince Andrew Alcott, and Nathan Lane as the Queens hapless servant.

But, unlike The Words, the new Bradley Cooper movie which has been primarily filming on location in Montreal, the Untitled Snow White Project will be shot mostly in studio. As we’ve reported, the movie has set up shop at Mel’s Studios where they are taking over five studios at the facility.

source: onlocationvacations.com

Movie star Julia Roberts touched down in Montreal Thursday night, for her upcoming film Snow White by film maker Tarsem Singh, the actress is to play the role of the vicious queen. The 43 years old actress arrived at Mel’s Studios surrounded by bodyguards and heavy entourage.

The production of more than 125M$ is taking over five studios at the facility and the crew will be building Snow White’s village over a 100,000 square foot area. According to the Patron of Studio Mel’s Michel Trudel, who fought intensely for making this production happen in Montreal said filming in Montreal and at Mel’s studio is of great significance.

This is actress’ first visit in Montreal and her three children, the twins Phinneaus Walter and Hazel Patricia ages 7 years and Henry Daniel 4 years are expected to pay a visit following her weeks of filming.

source: ibtimes.com