Eat, Pray, Love star Julia Roberts revealed she once aspired to spend her life helping animals, but fell into acting because it was in the bloodline.

"I wanted to be a vet. I love animals, but then I discovered how hard science can be. My parents and siblings are all actors, so I grew up around it," she said.

Although she loves her career, Julia confessed she does not regard acting as a very difficult skill to master.

"It's a great way to observe human behavior and how people react to things," she said. "It's like grown-up pretend. My daughter does it all day, I just get paid for it."

Aside from her interest in animals, the 42-year-old Hollywood actress is also passionate about the environment.

"It's probably my greatest concern, besides my babies," she said. "My husband and I spend most of the year away from Hollywood in California, where we support Heal The Bay, a non-profit organization dedicated to keeping Southern California's coastal waters clean.

"I also drive a biodiesel car and we compost everything. It's a big commitment with three kids, but there's so much valuable waste, you sort of have to."