Julia Roberts. Photo: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters

Actress Julia Roberts has said if she manages to get her teeth brushed and lip balm on in the mornings she is happy.

The Hollywood star also said struggling mothers are her “real-life heroes” and said she takes her happiness “very seriously right now”.

Known for glamorous roles in films including Pretty Woman and Notting Hill, the mother-of-three told You Magazine: “Mornings are a high-humour scene. You just have to make sure everyone looks and smells clean.

“That’s all that matters. If I actually manage to get my teeth brushed and lip balm on, I’m good.”

Roberts said she often thinks about the reality of her life “versus a mother who, say, lives in Kansas City and is struggling to pick up the kids when she gets off work, or who doesn’t get to choose not to go to work because she wants to stay at home with the kids”. She said those mothers are her “real-life heroes” and they include her female friends.

The actress said she does not have those worries and is “grateful for that”.

Roberts, married to Daniel Moder, said it is important to spend quality time with your partner.

“My husband just finished a job and we went away for a long weekend – just the two of us. I think children are really important, but you can’t forget your partner.”