Emma Roberts Witnessed Aunt Julia Roberts’ ‘Scary’ Fame ‘Up Close’

The actress was featured in Tuesday’s episode Table for Two podcast with Bruce Bozzi, her fellow Scream Queens co-star Billie Lourd’s stepfather. During the episode, she discussed what it was like to rise to fame while witnessing her aunt at the height of her own, before and also opening up about her career goals and motherhood.

“I saw very up close what that [fame] really looks like with my aunt Julia,” Emma told Bozzi “It’s obviously, you know, it’s fun and it’s great, but there is a part of it that’s really scary.”

She added: “”I remember as a kid, even as in my later teens, I was like, ‘I never want my fame to outweigh my work, because there’s nothing scarier to me than being so famous that you’re never left alone.'”

Roberts has been made a career out of diverse roles, getting her start on Nickelodeon’s Unfabulous, before landing the role of Nancy Drew. In the years since, she’s pivoted for far more adult fare — including numerous seasons of American Horror Story, Scream 4, and the film Madame Web earlier this year.

“I’ve always wanted to kind of carve my own path of not just like straight ahead be a big movie star,” Emma said, before noting her desire to “do stuff that’s like creatively fulfilling.”

The child star-turned-scream queen began learning about the industry by spending time with her aunt on sets including Erin Brockovich and America’s Sweethearts, previously telling Tatler that she “would ask questions without a filter.”

Despite her superstar pedigree — which includes aunt Julia and actor dad Eric Roberts, who has more than 700 credits to his name — Emma also hit back at anyone calling her a “nepo baby” in her conversation with Bozzi.

“People like to say, oh, you know, you have a leg up because your family is in the industry, but the other side to that is, you know, you have to prove yourself more.” Emma said. “Also, if people don’t have good experience with other people in your family, then you’ll never get a chance.”

Listen to the full podcast below: