JULIA ROBERTS - JULIA ROBERTS PUTS MOTHERHOOD ON HOLD

OSCAR-winning actress JULIA ROBERTS has abandoned her plans to become a parent so she can concentrate on her acting career once again.

The 35-year-old ERIN BROCKOVICH star - who wed cameraman DANNY MODER, 34, in the summer of 2002 - retreated from the glare of the spotlight in the hopes of getting pregnant, but her dream has yet to be achieved.

Sources say the screen star had been hoping she'd have conceived her first child by now - so much so that she only took one film project, MONA LISA SMILE, after her marriage.

A pal tells American tabloid the STAR, "Julia purposely blocked out time where she wasn't working because she thought she'd be getting ready for a baby."

Towards the end of last year (02), sources tell the publication Roberts gave up drinking and smoking and was even spotted outside the CORNELL MEDICAL CENTER's fertility clinic in New York City.

But after more than a year of trying to conceive, friends say the star has decided to stop getting stressed over it and return to her career - with the full support of her husband.

As well as filming OCEAN'S 12 with GEORGE CLOONEY and the rest of the OCEAN'S 11 cast in March (04), she's also expected star in MIKE NICHOLS' film adaptation of the play CLOSER - replacing CATE BLANCHETT, who pulled out after announcing her pregnancy.

The pal continues, "The irony isn't lost on Julia that she'd be replacing Cate because Cate's pregnant. In the past, that might have upset her. But this is a different Julia now.

"It's not that Julia has abandoned the idea of having kids completely. Far from it! She would still very much like to have a child of her own.

"But she and Danny aren't going to let it take over their lives anymore. Her attitude now is, 'If it happens, it happens. I'm going to sweat it.'"