Q&A With Julianne Moore

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What's the biggest misconception people have of you?

That I'm exceptionally serious. (laughs)

Because of the roles you've played?

Because I've done a lot of serious roles. I think I take my work seriously, but I crack a lot of jokes and I'm pretty irreverent.

You've been directed by your husband [Bart Freundlich] three times, most recently in Trust the Man. I had read that he takes his notebook out and you say 'That's got to get in the movie.' How much of that film was autobiographical?

Everything a writer writes is autobiographical. That's been my conclusion, living with a writer. And working with someone like David [Hare], David is clearly present in this play, what he thinks. What I've learned from Bart is that every character is the writer, they are just different aspects of them. For a character to work, there has to be some part of the writer speaking through each of them

From your confessional (bottomless) speech in Short Cuts to being topless in Boogie Nights, you're clearly not afraid to take risks. What's the biggest risk you've taken professionally?

Just doing it, period, is a huge risk. If you talk to any actor they say, 'Why am I doing this?' It's terrifying, I can't eat. We're so afraid. I love it, but it's always terrifying, it's incredibly difficult and you always feel you're just about to fail.

Do you think about the day that comes and you are no longer offered romantic leading lady roles?

I'm a character actor. I'm not particularly worried about that. With any luck, there'll continue to be something for me to do. Anjelica Huston had this quote, she's like 'You'll continue to work, there's stuff for people to do. You're just not going to be the prettiest kitty in the litter any more.' Look at Meryl! She's got a career that all of us admire and envy, and she just keeps going and going.

What particular role are you most proud of?

A: The movie I had the most extraordinary time on both personally and professionally was Far From Heaven. It was written for me, which is a pretty great gift, and it was such a beautiful eloquent moving script, I left like every element of it supported me. It was like a joy ride the whole time. I was exhausted and six months pregnant, but we got to the last day and I felt really sad that I wasn't going to get up every day and do this movie.

Is there a role you're dying to do out there somewhere?

A: I never knew what I was going to do next, I don't know it until I see it. The material chooses you in a weird sort of way. It's like a life full of potholes, you don't know what you're going to fall into sometime.

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