Julia Roberts in inspired by her daughter.

The 45-year-old actress - who has eight-year-old twins, Hazel and Finn, as well as five-year-old Henry with husband DANNY MODER - says Hazel gives her the greatest drive because she is so independent.

She told People magazine: ''My daughter is my greatest source of inspiration. She hasn't allowed herself to be shaded by popular opinion. She is her own person in every way, loving, tenacious, hilarious. The world is full of joy, openness and wonder to her.''

Julia has previously told how her children don't yet realise she is a famous star, and is happy for things to stay that way.

She explained: ''I was on a crowded street, and somebody noticed me, and then another person noticed. Somebody said as we were walking past, 'Oh, that's Julia Roberts.' We all just kind of kept going, and then Finn said, 'Yeah, my mom's Julia Robinson.'

''That's what gives you perspective. It could be Robinson, it could be Johnson, because it has nothing to do with me as a person.''

Julia is also confident her children will cope well with finding out about her celebrity status since asking her 'Larry Crowne' co-star Grace Gummer - the daughter of Meryl Streep - about it.

She said: ''I said, 'How old were you when you realised your mom was Meryl Streep?' She said, 'I think I was probably nine when I put that all together.' I said, 'Were you cool with it?' She said, 'Yeah, it was fine. There was no trauma.' So that was hopeful.''