Over 30 Years Later, Julia Roberts Has A Favorite ’90s Sitcom — And It’s Not The One You Think
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Julia Roberts is an icon of today — and of the 90s, a decade she dominated movie after movie with hits like Pretty Woman, Notting Hill, My Best Friend’s Wedding, and Erin Brockovich. While she’s best known as a top-billed movie star, Julia recently shared in an interview that when she’s at home, she loves to cuddle up on the couch and watch a top-rated ’90s sitcom with her kids — but it’s probably not the TV show you’d think it was.
Julia recently sat down with People to talk about her upcoming movie thriller Leave the World Behind, and the topic of sitcoms came up. According to the publication, Julia’s character in the new movie has a daughter named Rose (played by Farrah Mackenzie), who watches the real-life sitcom Friends as a form of self-care when she needs comfort.
In real life, Julia guest starred on Friends, playing Sosie Moss in Season 2, episode 13, titled “The One After The Superbowl, Part 2,” in 1996 before the series ended in 2004. But when it comes to her own family, that’s not the 90s TV show she chooses to watch with to wind down.
Julia — mom of 19-year-old twins Hazel and Phinnaeus, and son Henry, 16, with her husband, Danny Moder — has very different 90s comfort show: The Wonder Years, which had its final episode in 1993.
“I discovered a series with my kids, The Wonder Years, which I had never seen before,” Julia said in her interview with People. “And boy, did we always look forward to cuddling up with that.”
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The Wonder Years is not exactly an obscure sitcom, but usually, when people mention their favorite heavy hitters of the ’90s, they’re far more likely to mention Friends, Seinfeld, Full House, Married with Children, or King of Queens.
But it’s good to see The Wonder Years get a shoutout from Julia. The show is set in the late 60s/early 70s, following Kevin Arnold and his family as he grows through the awkward teenage to adult phase of life and the conflicts, drama, and fun along the way. The show ran for six seasons from 1988 to 1993. It also hit on some pretty big topics, including global conflicts, mortality relationships, standing up for people, complicated relationships between dad and their kids, grief, changing traditions, and all with the undercurrent of Kevin’s relationship with Winnie, played by Danica McKellar (who is now a pretty kick-ass children’s book author.)
If you’re looking for a new show to watch while you’re sick with the flu or need some downtime after the kids go to bed, don’t sleep on The Wonder Years. You might find it’s more binge-worthy than you anticipated, and you’ll quickly find yourself rooting for a young kiddo named Kevin.