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Today, 09 February 2012

Yesterday, 08 February 2012

After appearing in a staggering 21 movies in a decade, the exceptionally talented Julianne Moore is finally garnering the critically acclaimed credit she deserves.

Born on December 3 1960, Julianne Moore spent much of her army brat childhood moving from place to place, catering to the job demands of her military judge father. Adapting to an ever-changing social environment became the norm and, after spending time in 23 different locations all over the world, Moore settled at Boston University's School of the Performing Arts where she completed a degree in drama.

After varsity, Moore headed to New York to work as a professional actress. In the 80s, she was a frequent face in numerous off-Broadway productions. She landed a small part in a daytime television drama called "The Edge Of Night" which led to a three-year stint on the popular soapie, "As The World Turns" (1985-1988).

Moore played the dual role of half-sisters, Frannie and Sabrina, on the show. Her efforts won her an Outstanding Ingenue Emmy Award in 1988. She gave a solid supporting performance in the Judith Krantz mini-series "I'll Take Manhattan" (1987) and lent her striking presence to a string of forgettable made-for-TV movies.

Her big screen debut was equally unmemorable: Moore played the victim of a mummy in 1990's "Tales From The Darkside: The Movie". But a cameo in the successful thriller, "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle" (1992), peaked the interest of casting agents and Moore next found herself in a small yet pivotal role as a doctor suspicious of Harrison Ford's Richard Kimble in the celebrated blockbuster, "The Fugitive" (1993).

1993 proved to be Moore's breakout year. She played Willem Dafoe's wife in the tasteless Madonna sex-thriller, "Body Of Evidence", and was endearing as the waitress girlfriend of Aidan Quinn's character in the Johnny Depp romantic comedy, "Benny And Joon".

But it was her performance in Robert Altman's "Short Cuts" that really set tongues wagging. Moore played Matthew Modine's character's artist-wife who, in a heated spousal spat, delivers a fiery monologue while naked from the waist down. Not only did Moore prove that she's a genuine redhead, but she also showed that she could dominate a scene with her formidable presence and that she had the goods to play a credible lead.

After appearing on stage opposite Al Pacino in a production of Strindberg's "The Father", Moore reprised her stage role of Yelena in Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" for Louis Malle's feature adaptation of the play, titled "Vanya On 42nd Street" (1994). Then, she starred opposite D.B. Sweeney and Peter Falk in the comedy "Roommates" (1994) and finally got the chance to carry a film with her first leading role in the edgy, independent production, "Safe" (1995).

Moore's bravura performance in "Safe" as a discontented housewife who develops an extreme reaction to her conventional lifestyle furthered her development of courageous performances in controversial roles. But she tempered this by appearing in a string of mediocre commercial flicks that included "Nine Months" (1995) opposite Hugh Grant, "Assassins" (1995) opposite Sylvester Stallone, and "Jurassic Park: The Lost World" (1997) - directed by Hollywood big-wig, Steven Spielberg.

She showcased her versatility by starring in the Merchant-Ivory production of "Surviving Picasso" (1996 - with Anthony Hopkins as the incorrigable artist) and by appearing in the low-key family drama "The Myth Of Fingerprints (1997 - opposite "ER's" Noah Wyle). And memorable turns in Gas Van Sant's remake of "Psycho" (1998) and the Coen Brothers' gloriously off-beat "The Big Lebowski" (1998) cemented Moore's sterling indie cred.

But it was her role as Amber Waves, the dysfunctional porn queen and mother-figure of the disparate family in Paul Thomas Anderson's brilliant "Boogie Nights" (1997), that earned Moore her first Academy Award nomination (for Best Supporting Actress).

1999 proved to be yet another banner year for Moore. She starred in a staggering five films including the Robert Altman-directed ensemble piece "Cookie's Fortune", the drama "A Map Of The World" - opposite fellow redhead Sigourney Weaver, and she reteamed with "Boogie Nights" director Anderson in yet another ensemble production, "Magnolia".

But it was her turn as the deliciously sly widow in the Oscar Wilde adaptation, "An Ideal Husband", and her portrayal of an adulterous wife in the Graham Greene adaptation, "The End Of The Affair", that garnered Moore an impressive two Golden Globe nominations - one for Best Supporting Actress and one for Best Actress.

Moore is also nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her work in "The End Of The Affair". She has just accepted to replace Jodie Foster as FBI agent Clarice Starling in Ridley Scott's upcoming production of "Hannibal" - the heavily anticipated sequel to "The Silence Of The Lambs".