Continued from page 2

Julia Takes Center Stage

Thursday April 06, 2006 12:00 PM EDT

Roberts (with Moder, Hazel and Phinnaeus in November 2005) "wants her kids to be exposed to life," says Platt. "She takes that seriously." Photo by: LIMELIGHT PICTURES
Julia Takes Center Stage| Julia Roberts
She does get singled out when Hazel and Finn visit during rehearsal breaks. "As soon as her kids came into the room, you hear this little girl go, 'Mama, mama, MAMA!' and the moment they see her, they go running into her arms," says Platt. During each performance, the knitting maven pulls off an impressive feat of multitasking. "She's actually knitting something for her son, and it's part of the scene where she's onstage knitting," says Platt. "She can get her knitting done right in the middle of work."

Offstage, of course, she is even more focused on the kids. "If she has a two-hour break," says Platt, "she runs home to be with the kids." Finding herself with a few minutes to spare between a Three Days cast photo shoot and rehearsal, "we passed a baby store and she jumped at the opportunity," says Platt. "She spent 15 minutes buying clothes for her kids." It also helps that the well-behaved Finn and Hazel are several months away from the terrible twos. For now, "they're fabulous 1 1/2-year-olds," Roberts told Playbill. "They're just adorable. I can't imagine them being terrible. They're very well-adjusted."

As for her marriage to Moder, friends say it's as strong as when the pair tied the knot in a midnight ceremony on her New Mexico ranch in 2002. "They're one of those couples that seem like they've been together forever," says Platt. "They are so comfortable and devoted to each other." Roberts stayed at home while the cameraman shot films like Friends with Money and Freedomland. Now Moder has been returning the favor, reading the male parts in Three Days while Roberts memorized her lines. "I hear there have been some really excellent readings of the play at the Moder household," says Platt. "They seem to be the best of friends. It's so clear how happy they are together."

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