Julia Roberts, 50, follows up last year's Money Monster with the uplifting drama Wonder (November 17), based on the New York Times bestseller. She plays the mother of a bright fifth-grader with Treacher Collins syndrome, a disease that causes facial abnormalities. The son ( Jacob Tremblay of Room) is attending a mainstream school for the first time. Here are five things you might not know about the Academy Award winner.

She tried out for a role on All My Children in 1984 but lost the part to Melissa Leo.

An accomplished equestrienne, she did her own riding in Runaway Bride. She converted to Hinduism after filming Eat Pray Love. Julia Roberts has made just one movie—Blood Red (1989)—with brother Eric Roberts. A longtime fan of the Dave Matthews Band, she appeared in their music video for "Dreamgirl" in 2005. She made her TV debut on the 1980s television series Crime Story. She was the first actress to receive a $20 million paycheck for a single movie, Erin Brockovich. She played clarinet in her middle and high school bands in Georgia. A 9,000-year-old female skeleton excavated in Bulgaria in 2004 was named after her by the archaeologists. It was called "Julia Roberts" because of its perfect teeth. She works on her knitting—one of her hobbies—during breaks in filming.