Julianne Moore (born Julie Anne Smith; December 3, 1960) is an American actress and children's author. Prolific in film since the early 1990s, she is known for her portrayals of emotionally troubled women inΒ independent films and her roles inΒ blockbusters. She has receivedΒ numerous accolades, including anΒ Academy Award, aΒ British Academy Film Award, twoΒ Golden Globe Awards, and twoΒ Emmy Awards. In 2015,Β Time named her one of theΒ 100 most influential people in the world; in 2020,Β The New York Times named her one of the greatest actors of the 21st century.
After studying theatre atΒ Boston University, she began acting in television. From 1985 to 1988, she was a regular in the soap operaΒ As the World Turns, earning aΒ Daytime Emmy Award. Moore made her breakthrough withΒ Robert Altman's ensemble filmΒ Short CutsΒ (1993), followed by a critically acclaimed performance inΒ Todd Haynes'Β SafeΒ (1995). Starring roles in the blockbustersΒ Nine MonthsΒ (1995) andΒ The Lost World: Jurassic ParkΒ (1997) established her as a Hollywood leading lady. She received Oscar nominations for her roles in the period filmsΒ Boogie Nights (1997), The End of the Affair (1999),Β Far from HeavenΒ (2002) andΒ The Hours (2002); in the first of these, she played a 1970s pornographic actress, while in the other three, she starred as an unhappy mid-20th centuryΒ housewife.
Her career progressed with roles inΒ The Big LebowskiΒ (1998), MagnoliaΒ (1999), Hannibal (2001),Β Children of MenΒ (2006),Β A Single ManΒ (2009),Β The Kids Are All RightΒ (2010),Β Crazy, Stupid, LoveΒ (2011), andΒ Maps to the StarsΒ (2014). She won aΒ Primetime Emmy AwardΒ for portrayingΒ Sarah PalinΒ in theΒ HBOΒ filmΒ Game Change (2012) and theΒ Academy Award for Best ActressΒ for portraying an Alzheimer'sΒ patient inΒ Still AliceΒ (2014). Her highest-grossing releases came with the final two films in The Hunger GamesΒ film seriesΒ (2014β2015) and the spy filmΒ Kingsman: The Golden CircleΒ (2017). She has since starred in independent films and streaming projects, including Haynes'Β May DecemberΒ (2023) drama and the historical drama miniseries Mary & GeorgeΒ (2024).
In addition to her acting work, she has written a series of children's books about Freckleface Strawberry. She is married to directorΒ Bart Freundlich, with whom she has two children.
