Movies & Series

‘Erin Brockovich’ with Julia Roberts: the true story of the activist who inspired the film

February 28, 2023
10:35 PM

Julia Roberts is best remembered for her role in Pretty Woman, but the role that established her as a major Hollywood star was that of Erin Brockovich in the 2000 film of the same name, which is based on a real-life activist.

Before ‘Erin Brockovich’, the actress was synonymous with romantic comedies, but her excellent performance showed her wide acting range, which led Julia Roberts to even star in a series about Watergate.

Roberts won an Oscar for his performance, and the film won awards for its story, although much of the success is due to the real person who inspired the plot: the real Erin Brockovich.

You can also catch Julia Roberts in ‘Wonder’ just by going to ViX+, ViX’s premium streaming service.

Who is Erin Brockovich? The woman who inspired the Julia Roberts movie

Erin Brockovich was named Miss Pacific Coast in 1981, but her life changed when in 1993 she became one of the leading voices in the fight for access to clean water in California.

Erin Brockovich was a twice-divorced and unemployed single mother at the time, but after a car accident, she got a job at the Masry & Vititoe law firm.

There she worked as an assistant to the lawyer Ed Masry (played in the film by Albert Finney) and it was she who discovered that the company Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) was contaminating the drinking water.

Since 1950 the utility company Pacific Gas & Electric has had a natural gas pump station in Hinkley, a small community in the Mojave Desert.

Until 1966 PG&E used chromium 6 to prevent rust in its facilities. however, the chemical leaked into the water supply and caused damage to the residents’ health.

As Erin Brockovich told ABC’s “20/20” in June 2021, she began researching cases of patients with asthma or coughing, and they all pointed to one common factor: contamination in the water.

“Everywhere I went in this small community, someone had asthma, a complaint of a chronic cough, recurring bronchitis, recurring rashes, unusual joint pain, nosebleeds. It didn’t make sense, and the more questions I asked… the more I put the puzzle together.”

Brockovich assembled the legal case against PG&E, and after a court battle, in 1996 the suit was settled and the company had to pay $333 million, a historic sum for the time.

In an interview with “Fox News” in March 2020, the activist admitted that she was surprised that Hollywood turned to her story and adapted it into a film, even saying that Ed Masri did not want Julia Roberts to play Brockovich.

“I’m still in shock, to be honest. I never thought anyone would want to make a movie about the work I’ve done. I think it woke people up to a lot of environmental issues and how communities needed to find their voice to raise awareness. … I think the film helped us understand our future and how we can move forward.”

Regarding the actors who played them, Brockovich said that at first he talked to Ed Masry and they joked about who their dream actors were.

“I remember talking to Ed Masry. He said, ‘Well, girl, if they ever make a movie, who would you like to play you?’ I said, ‘We need somebody fun. Maybe Goldie Hawn. And then he. He laughed. She said, “I thought more like Roseanne Barr because you’re so rude sometimes.” I laughed and then he said, “All kidding aside, I don’t care who gets the part, as long as it’s not Julia Roberts.”

According to Brockovich, the reason the lawyer didn’t want Roberts to play her friend was because they didn’t have the same bust size and he also didn’t see her as someone capable of raising her voice and cursing like she did.

“You know, her breasts aren’t big enough. His mouth is not bad enough.’ And then he said: “Jokes aside, I really think the most important thing they should do is cast Tom Cruise to play me.

He also applauded that the film was 98% faithful to how her story happened and that Julia Roberts really understood all the emotions she went through during the case.

What happened to the real Erin Brockovich after the movie?

After the movie, Erin Brockovich’s life changed a lot, she received a lot of public exposure, continued to work closely with the people affected and has her own consulting firm.