Roberts happy to share the burden

Julia Roberts prefers to share the burden when she’s acting.

The Hollywood star has gone on record saying she’d rather be part of an ensemble cast because she feels less pressure for the movie to perform well at the box office.

The Oscar-winning actress must mean what she says as she’s appeared in a string of films with big-name casts – including Ocean’s Eleven, America’s Sweethearts and her latest effort Mona Lisa Smile.

The last film she was a solo star was in Erin Brockovich, where she won an Oscar for her performance.

The 36-year-old says: "It's just more fun, I think. It's more fun and less work. These are the things I strive for in life. But it's really quite selfish, because their genius makes me look like a genius, so it's not like I'm really giving back."

Roberts does find it somewhat of a trial of working with younger actresses including Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhall and Kirsten Dunst on Mona Lisa if only because of the stupid questions she gets asked by the media.

She says: "This is what I got asked yesterday: 'What was it like working with all these young, beautiful girls and having to get up every day and look at yourself in the mirror? Does that make you consider plastic surgery?' I was just so insulted. She (the journalist) was not having her best day either, let me tell you. I get asked a lot of insulting questions. I think they're just thoughtless."