Julia Roberts talks motherhood and being a 'selfish little brat' early on

She's almost 50 years old, and over the decades America's sweetheart has discovered a few things about life and herself.

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Later in October, Julia Roberts will reach the half-century mark, which means that America's sweetheart will be 50 years old.

It's almost redundant to say she doesn't look it, but the fact is Roberts, with her long tousled hair and brilliant wide smile has looked much the same to us for many years now: incredible and effortless. That said, as she tells Harpers Bazaar UK, she's definitely not the same person on the inside.

Julia Roberts on the cover of November's Harper's Bazaar UK.Alexi Lubomirski / Harper's Bazaar

A lot of what's changed her, she says in the new issue's cover story, happened after getting married to cinematographer Danny Moder and becoming mom to three children.

"It was meeting Danny ... finding my person," she said. "When I think about what makes my life my life, and makes sense and just shine inside of me, it's him. Everything has come from that for me."

Still, this was not always the case. Roberts has been acting since she was 20, and noted that her younger self was not as easygoing. "I was my priority," she said. "A selfish little brat running around making films."

These days, she says she's a mom (to Phinnaeus and Hazel, 12; and Henry, 10) doing regular mom things: "If I wasn't here today, I'd be in the carpool lane ferrying my kids to school," she said.

Clearly, Roberts is comfortable in all her roles: movie star, mom, wife, so hitting 50 on Oct. 28 isn't going to hit her too hard.

Roberts in Harper's Bazaar UK.Alexi Lubomirski / Harper's Bazaar

"Deep down, we all know you can't stand on the top point of a pinnacle on your tiptoes, and not at some point lose your balance, or get tired, or say, 'OK somebody else take over, I have to go to the bathroom,'" said the actress, who is starring in the new film "Wonder," out Nov. 17.

"There are great things I've accomplished and I'd be happy to accomplish more, of course, to impress my children and my husband. But you know what? I've been spoiled already."

The full interview appears in the November issue of Harper’s Bazaar, on sale Oct. 6.

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