Every so often, a movie comes along that sticks with people for years, and Erin Brockovich is one of those films. It does not rely on big effects or flashy tricks, it works because the story feels grounded and personal. Over time, viewers have learned there is much more behind the movie than what made it to the screen.
One of the earliest surprises happens right at the start of the film. The blonde waitress in the diner is not just an extra, it is the real Erin Brockovich herself. Her cameo was written into the contract, a small but meaningful nod to the woman whose life inspired the story.
Stepping onto the set was overwhelming for Erin. Playing a waitress named Julia while Julia Roberts sat nearby felt unreal to her. She later said, “It was like an out-of-body experience,” admitting the nerves were intense and far removed from anything she had faced before.
Another easy-to-miss detail appears in that same diner scene. Sitting quietly in the background is Erin’s real-life lawyer, Ed Masry. In the movie, he was played by Albert Finney, but the real man appears briefly without most viewers noticing.
Erin has said the movie was about 98 to 99 percent accurate, but not everything matched reality. One issue was the idea that she used her appearance to manipulate people. Erin has been clear that while comments were made about her looks, she stayed focused on the poisoning and the victims.
She addressed the criticism directly, saying, “I heard a lot of comments about, you know, the boobs, the cleavage, the way I dress, the language, whatever. I didn’t have time for that. People were poisoned, and they did it and they know it. So yeah, f**k off. That was really my stance.”
Erin has also spoken openly about getting breast implants during a difficult period in her life. She later reflected on that choice without regret, saying, “I decided the best way to boost my confidence would be to get my chest lifted… and believe me, it worked.”
The film also changed a detail from her pageant days. In the movie she is said to have been Miss Wichita, but in real life she held the title of Miss Pacific Coast. Erin laughed about the switch and said leaving pageants behind felt like the right move.
One of Erin’s few complaints about the movie came down to wardrobe. Before the premiere, she joked with Julia Roberts that the skirts were too long. The director later confirmed Erin’s reaction, quoting her as saying, “The only thing that was inaccurate is that the skirts weren’t short enough.”
Julia Roberts initially struggled with wearing such revealing outfits. She worried it might feel forced on screen, explaining, “When you take someone who – by my modest, conservative standards of dressing – is so visually provocative, you don’t want to make it seem like a movie contrivance.”
Once filming began, the wardrobe adjustment became obvious to everyone on set. Roberts joked, “I have something in my closet that I would call a ‘dress.’ Erin has something in her closet I call a ‘dre.’ The whole ‘ess’ part that covers your ass isn’t there.”
George, the biker boyfriend in the movie, was based on a real person named Jorge Halaby. Erin met him in the early 1990s after her second divorce, and he became close to both her and her children during a tough period in her life.
Speaking about him later, Erin said, “He lifted me up during a bad time and loved my kids. He used to always make me laugh. And he believed in me.” Even after they broke up, Jorge stayed involved as a live in nanny for her children.
Years later, Erin revealed that Jorge passed away after battling a brain tumor. She shared, “Jorge and I, right at the time the film came out, weren’t together. Jorge had a brain tumor and there were a lot of things going on that I don’t think a lot of us understood.”
Albert Finney, who played Ed Masry, almost did not take the role. He initially turned it down, and it took producer Danny DeVito to step in and help change his mind. Scenes were rearranged so Finney could spend less time away from home.
Julia Roberts made history with the film by earning $20 million for the role. It was the first time a woman had been paid that much for a single movie. At the time, the number stunned Hollywood.
Despite winning the Oscar, Roberts made one memorable mistake on stage. She forgot to thank the real Erin Brockovich. Later she laughed about it and said, “It doesn’t bring out the Albert Einstein moment that you hoped it would.”
Financially, the movie was a massive success. Erin sold the rights to her story for $100,000, and the film went on to gross over $250 million worldwide. It became one of the biggest hits of its year.
Even the movie’s title caused concern. When Erin asked what it would be called and heard it would use her name, she reacted strongly. “S**t!” she said, admitting she worried people would think it was a dumb name.
There are also a couple of fun mistakes in the film. At one point, a child accidentally calls George by the actor’s real name, saying, “Good night, Aaron.” Another scene shows a Monopoly edition that did not exist during the film’s timeline.
Erin has said her favorite moments were some of the boldest lines in the movie. One that stood out to her was, “They’re called boobs, Ed,” which she found hilarious. Another was, “I’m exhausted, actually. I just gave 634 b**w jobs.”
Julia Roberts later admitted she had never heard of the real scandal before taking the role. She described the part as exciting and unusual, saying, “It’s compelling material because you have a person who is the most unsuspecting of heroines.”
Today, Erin Brockovich remains active in media and advocacy. She hosts television shows, runs her consulting company, and continues working with law firms focused on environmental and personal injury cases.
On the personal side, Erin has been married three times and is a mother of three children. Her life, like the movie, has had rough edges, unexpected turns, and moments that still surprise people who think they know the full story.
