On this particular day, the Pretty Woman star has made herself available to discuss her role as the sinister queen in Mirror Mirror, the re-imagining of the classic Snow White fantasy, directed by Tarsem Singh, which opens March 30.
As the feisty Roberts sits in front of the assembly of reporters, you can almost hear a bell ring to start the promotional event.
After a few glancing jabs, it doesn't take long for the 44-yearold to land the first blow.
Asked by a cautious journalist if she has ever done anything evil in her life, Roberts sees her opening and strikes.
"Lie to the press," she says coyly. "But it was only one time."
As usual, Roberts likes to mix it up with members of the media, whether they deserve it or not.
It's also true that the Oscar-winning actress plays a convincing not-so-pretty woman opposite Lily Collins' Snow White and Armie Hammer's handsome prince.
And while the basics of the classic fairy tale are there, Mirror Mirror is a mostly re-imagined take on the cautionary yarn about the dysfunctional pursuit of perfection, which dates back hundreds of years, before the whimsical Disney cartoon became the defining reference.
To that end, the movie contains some revisions.
The seven dwarfs have been renamed, and their personalities adjusted to suit the kind of fellows who would rob, not whistle, while they work. Post-modern dialogue is sprinkled throughout, as well.
"The line between homage and lawsuit is very thin," notes Singh, who directed last year's gods-andmonsters epic, Immortals.
In keeping with the classic theme, however, Roberts' queen is a self-involved, vindictive ruler who celebrates her vanity with her mirror until Snow White inadvertently reminds the queen she is not the fairest in the land.
It's a plum part, but it took awhile for Roberts to warm to the fantasy, which is in sharp contrast to her recent reality-based parts in last year's Larry Crowne with Tom Hanks, in 2010's Eat Pray Love, and her co-starring role in the ensemble comedy, Valentine's Day.
Although 1990's Pretty Woman (which won her an Oscar nod and turned her into the highly paid movie star she is today) is described as a modern-day fairy tale, Mirror Mirror ranks as her first major attempt in the genre since she played Tinkerbell in 1991's Hook.
"The one-sentence pitch on the phone, 'Hey, they're doing a Snow White adaptation,' didn't grab my attention," admits Roberts. "Then Tarsem lured me in his luring way, and, after looking at the script, I realized there was really something there."
Typically, after agreeing to do the movie, Roberts worked out her schedule to suit her family. Her mini-entourage includes her husband, Daniel Moder, and their children: six-year-old fraternal twins, Hazel and Finn, and Henry, 4.
And then she got down to business during the shoot in Montreal last year.
Helping Roberts emote were the elaborate sets in sound stages. "They were stunning, and such an integral part of it," she said. So were the costumes, which she describes as "completely original, yet authentic."
What she didn't enjoy were the scenes in which she bullies Snow White. "I mean, it is acting," says Roberts. "But we almost tried to take better care of our relationship because of the nasty undertones."
Collins, daughter of pop star Phil Collins, said her "mentor" went beyond the call of duty.
"It was an absolute honour for (Roberts) to even touch my hair," says Collins. "To be in scenes with somebody you grow up admiring was really something. Her character was being so mean, but all I wanted to do was smile and giggle, because I was so happy."
Convincing, though, is the Roberts' onscreen wickedness. "It was fun to play this villain, because there aren't real rules of syntax or reality that apply to her," Robert said. "I could do anything, and just go off the rails in any direction at any time, and it would make sense to me."
When asked how she managed to dredge up such a convincing diabolical being, she replied: "Well, I'm happy to announce she is not inside me. But without naming names, I drew from a couple of people I know better than I wish I did, and found it very fun and helpful."
Roberts is then asked if her queen could defeat Charlize Theron's rendition of the cranky one, which will be featured in another upcoming Snow White redo, Snow White and the Huntsman. "I've never met her," says Roberts of Theron. "So I couldn't even begin to size her up for your entertainment."
