This is Julianne Moore on the red carpet for the 13th Annual Hollywood Film Festival Awards Gala Ceremony in Beverly Hills last night. She was being recognized for her supporting work in Tom Ford’s A Single Man, for which many think she’ll be nominated for yet another Oscar. Now, here’s the thing: I f-cking love Julianne Moore. She’s amazing. She’s one of the most talented actresses out there, and I think very highly of her beauty. But Julianne is not Cate Blanchett. Julianne is not a style icon. She’s a beautiful woman who gets it wrong on the red carpet often enough that I think to myself “Why doesn‘t my girl get a better stylist?”. Last night was one of those times. I don’t know who designed this puff-sleeved, peach-pink monstrosity, but I hope they’re pleased with themselves. This junk is so ugly, I really feel for poor Julianne. What was she thinking? “Tonight, I want to look like a budget bridesmaid!”?

In happier news, Julianne is out there promoting her work in both Chloe and A Single Man. So we have a new interview! Yeah! It’s this piece from Indie Wire called “10 Things You Want to Know About Julianne Moore”. Unfortunately, I only wanted to know about six of these things, so here are the highlights (full article is here):

Her character in “A Single Man” was inspired by Tom Ford’s grandmother.
“He had a very glamorous grandmother,” Moore said of Ford. “She lived in Santa Fe. When I went for my first costume fitting, he was very specific about the dress. He pulled out quite a few options, but when he whipped out this one dress, and I put it on, he was like, “That’s the dress.” And the dress had come from a vintage store in Santa Fe, where his grandmother lived. So he got very emotional and said he could not believe the dress I was going to wear was from there. But, yeah, she had the hair and the makeup and the jewelry, and was it fun… So that’s where a lot of that came from.”

She does not believe there is a downside to awards attention.
“Noooo,” she yelped when moderator Briony Hanson asked if getting awards attention had a downside. “Are you kidding? It helps you get another job! Bring it on! You’re like, ‘thank you.’ It’s great.”

Though she did see a downside to getting nominated twice in one year (as she did in 2002 for “Far From Heaven” and “The Hours”).
“Obviously it’s nothing to sneeze at,” she said of the double nomination. “But in that same way that every film is your baby… you like each one to have its moment. So when you have two at the same time, it’s like having twins. It probably would be nicer to be able to focus on one or the other but, you know, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, as they say.”

She’s not afraid of aging.
“I’ve been asked about aging in Hollywood since I started,” Moore said. “I think because I started making movies when I was 30 or 31. So the first question out of everybody’s mouth is ‘what does it feel like to be an older actress working in Hollywood.’ And I keep getting it. And my answer to it always has been that you can’t be anywhere except where you are. I’m 48. I’m going to be 48 until I’m not anymore and then I’ll be 49. And if I spend all my time at 48 wishing that I was 35, I’m not going to experience 48. And I’m not going to play parts I played at 31 either. It’s not going to happen. So I feel like as far as aging is concerned for anybody in their life, at any point… you have to go, ‘this is where I am today, and appreciate it.’ Because none of it lasts very long.”

Moore cautions a previous statement she’d made where she said that she makes some films “to pay her mortgage.”
“That sounds like a horrific statement,” Moore said when Hanson quoted her. “Because I’ve also been really pleased and happy doing the more commercial work that I’ve done. I’ve worked with people like Steven Spielberg and Ridley Scott and Ivan Reitman. Directors that are really talented and interesting but just happen to be making great big movies. So it’s nothing to sneeze at, but you also have to, as an actor, work within the range of films that are out there. It’s like, if you ate tomatoes every day, you’re like ‘okay, enough tomatoes. I can’t stand it anymore.’ So I think it’s that way with anything we do in our lives. You want to have some variety, and some different experiences.”

But she admits that they do pay the mortgage, and allow her to make smaller films.
“There’s this misnomer about actors that whatever we do we get paid for,” she said. “I made a movie this summer with Lisa Cholodenko [‘The Kids Are Alright’]. And it actually cost me money. Because you have to uproot your whole family. So some movies allow you to have a career and a regular job. And some movies you just do because you want to do them, but you’re not getting paid. It’s all part of a whole thing. And I’ve been super, super fortunate that I’ve had varied opportunities.”

[From Indie Wire]

I’m actually looking forward A Single Man. It looks really interesting, and the cast is superb. The film is adapted from Christopher Isherwood’s 1964 book of the same name. According to the reviews (which are stellar), the film is a day-in-the life story, following and narrated by George (Colin Firth), a British university lecturer in L.A. whose male partner has died. George has decided to kill himself, but is constantly reminded of how much life there is beyond his grief. Julianne, in a glamorous turn, plays George’s best friend. Maybe Julianne will finally get the Oscar!

Trailer for “A Single Man”:

Images thanks to WENN.com and BauerGriffinOnline.