Julianne Moore

Though she's one of cinema's busiest actresses, Julianne Moore is not about quantity. Inhabiting her characters rather than simply Being A Star, she's become the equal of such recent luminaries as Michelle Pfeiffer, Jessica Lange and, yes, even Meryl Streep. Outside of her home nation, particularly in Europe, she's held in an esteem seldom granted to Hollywood stars, being seen as a true artist and thespian, rather than just a screen actress. Her directors agree. Andre Gregory said she possessed "the sensuality and urgency of a young Joan Crawford, but with more depth, more contradictions", while Louis Malle said she reminded him of Jeanne Moreau. High praise, well deserved.

She was born Julie Smith in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on the 3rd of December, 1960. Her father, Peter, was a judge in the US Army's Judge Advocate General Corps. Her mother, Ann, was his childhood sweetheart - a Scot who'd become a psychiatric social worker. Peter's work took them to Army bases all over. They lived in Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Virginia, New Jersey, Nebraska, New York, Juneau in Alaska (between 1971 and 72), then Panama and Germany - two dozen locations around the globe (Moore claims it's made her more adaptable). In her early school years, Julie, the oldest of three children, was skinny, with spectacles. "I was a complete geek", she says. "You know, there's always the kid who's too short, the kid who wears glasses, the kid who's not athletic. Well, I was all three".

Various things drew her to acting. First, she was a big reader. She says now that this has been a huge advantage, as she can easily pick a good script. But it also acquainted her with fictional drama - she already had "a sense of emotional drama" from her parents who'd discuss their work-cases at the dinner-table. What Julie needed was confidence. Moving to Germany for her High School years - she'd graduate from Frankfurt's American High School in 1979 - she had her hair cut and bought contact lenses. "People were suddenly much nicer to me", she recalls. "It was shocking, emotionally". Even her parents were taken aback by the transformation. Watching Julie in a school production of Sleeping Beauty, her mother (something of a beauty herself) was heard to exclaim "My God, Peter - she's PRETTY!"

Encouraged to pursue acting by her English teacher, Julie decided to go for it, much to the chagrin of her parents who desired a more secure profession for her. Eventually, they came to a compromise. Julie would attend the School Of The Performing Arts at Boston University, majoring in Drama, thereby receiving the training she required and an all-round education.