Basic Information
Name: Julie Anne Smith (professionally known as Julianne Moore)
Date of Birth: December 3, 1960
Nationality: American, with British citizenship acquired in 2011
Profession: Actress and Children's Author
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Spouse: Bart Freundlich (m. 2003), John Gould Rubin (m. 1986–1995)
Children: Liv Freundlich, Caleb Freundlich
Biography
Julianne Moore was born Julie Anne Smith on December 3, 1960, in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Her father, Peter Moore Smith, was a military judge, and her mother, Anne (née Love), was a psychiatric social worker from Scotland. Due to her father's military career, the family moved frequently, living in various places including Germany before she turned 18. This transient childhood exposed her to different environments and people, which she believes contributed to her adaptability as an actress. She is the oldest of three children.
Moore attended Boston University, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting in 1983. After graduating, she moved to New York City and worked as a waitress while pursuing acting roles. She chose the stage name "Julianne Moore" because her birth name was already taken in the Actors' Equity Association. She took Julianne from combining her first name and her mothers name. She took Moore from her father's middle name, so that she could use parts of both of her parents names.
Her career began in the mid-1980s with roles in off-Broadway theatre and television. Her early work included a regular role on the soap opera As the World Turns, where she played the dual roles of half-sisters Frannie and Sabrina Hughes. This role earned her a Daytime Emmy Award in 1988. Her breakthrough into film came with the 1993 Robert Altman film, Short Cuts. She has since become known for her portrayals of complex and emotionally troubled women, often in independent films, as well as her roles in major blockbusters. She has received critical acclaim for her work in a wide variety of genres.
Career Timeline
1984: Made her screen debut in an episode of the soap opera The Edge of Night.
1985-1988: Starred in As the World Turns, earning a Daytime Emmy Award.
1990: First film role in Tales from the Darkside: The Movie.
1993: Breakthrough role in Robert Altman’s Short Cuts.
1995: Starred in Safe and Nine Months, establishing herself as a leading actress.
1997: Appeared in Boogie Nights and The Lost World: Jurassic Park.
1999: Starred in The End of the Affair.
2001: Played Clarice Starling in Hannibal.
2002: Received Oscar nominations for Far from Heaven and The Hours.
2012: Won a Primetime Emmy Award for her role as Sarah Palin in Game Change.
2014: Won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Still Alice.
2014-2015: Appeared in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay films.
2017: Appeared in Kingsman: The Golden Circle.
2023: Starred in May December.
2024: Starred in Mary & George.
Achievements
Awards & Recognition:
Academy Award for Best Actress for Still Alice (2015).
British Academy Film Award (BAFTA) for Best Actress for Still Alice (2015).
Two Golden Globe Awards: Still Alice (2015) and Game Change (2013)
Two Primetime Emmy Awards: Game Change (2012), and 30 Rock (2010)
Daytime Emmy Award for As The World Turns (1988).
Numerous nominations for Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and other major awards.
Named Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, and Venice Film Festival.
Coolidge Award, recognizing her iconic performances and distinctive contributions to cinema.
Philanthropic Work:
Artist Ambassador for Save the Children, an organization focused on helping children.
Has supported more than a dozen charities, including STOMP Out Bullying, Charity: Water, The Art of Elysium and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
Actively supports gun safety laws, LGBTQ rights and pay equality for women.
Participated in philanthropic efforts dedicated to fighting women’s cancers with Revlon.
Key Quotes / Catchphrases
"The audience doesn't come to see you, they come to see themselves."
"I think imperfections are important, just as mistakes are important. You only get to be good by making mistakes, and you only get to be real by being imperfect.”
"When someone says, 'I'm not political,' I feel like what they're saying is, 'I only care about myself. In my bathtub. Me and my bathtub is what I care about.'"
“That's the beauty of what actors do, that you only have yourself as a resource.”
“Be ordinary in your life so that you can be violent and original in your work!”
