Julianne Moore covers the September issue of InStyle, which celebrates their 25th anniversary. InStyle gathered a lot of big names for this issue, but Julianne is the one who got the biggest interview. I kind of thought this cover was a throwback too, but no, this is real. Julianne looks THAT great. Ginger lady did THAT. For the cover story, Julianne is interviewed by Helena Christensen, which seems random as hell but I guess they’re good friends. They had a good conversation – you can read the piece here. Some highlights:
She proudest of her marriage to director Bart Freundlich: “Twenty-three years with the same guy. It’s pretty amazing. We like each other; we’re invested in each other; we’re a family. I think being a family helps. There’s nobody who’s as interested in your children as the other parent…he’s a romantic partner, a work partner, and also a parental partner. I’ve talked about this with my kids. I said, “You know, if you want to have a successful career and family, you have to find somebody who is as interested in that as you are and is willing to share the work with you because otherwise you can’t do it. It’s too hard.”
Her work with Everytown for Gun Safety: “The thing that galvanized me was Sandy Hook. I’ve told this story so many times, but it was December 14 of 2012, and my daughter was already on break from school. I brought her to work with me that day because Bart was working too, and Cal was at middle school. The news broke, and I didn’t know what to do, so I told the guy who was driving us to work, “Please keep the radio off.” I was going to wait until we were home later that night and explain it to her and her brother as a family, when I could assure them that they were safe. We were decorating the Christmas tree, and she had recently gotten a phone. It was very carefully monitored, but anyway, she looked at it, and she goes, “Mommy, did a bunch of little kids get shot today?” I was ashamed of myself because I realized that my idea of keeping my child safe by not exposing her to horrific news was not responsible.”
Opposition to the NRA: “I also felt I needed to do something to keep her and all the other children in our country safe from gun violence, so I started speaking out against it and following other activists on Twitter. I learned that [former N.Y.C.] Mayor [Michael] Bloomberg had formed this organization called Mayors Against Illegal Guns [which eventually joined Everytown for Gun Safety]. I worked with them to start the Creative Council, where I asked people I knew, other actors and artists, to speak out about gun violence. The majority of Americans are in favor of common-sense gun-safety regulation. This is really about us bonding together and forming a real opposition to the NRA.
Older women who feel invisible: “Yes, it’s like, invisible to whom? That’s not our narrative either. I see all my girlfriends. I see women everywhere I go. Put it this way: A 75-year-old man, if he did the work he wanted to do, had a successful career and a family, he’s probably not going to say, “I feel invisible.” Visibility is about your value as a human being and what you have to offer the world. Nothing other than that.
How many pairs of Birkenstocks she owns: “Oh, I can’t even count. I’ve stopped buying them because I have too many, and I want to make sure I wear them until they die. My favorites right now are the Rick Owens. Then I also have an all-green pair that’s a special edition I got in Berlin. They’re excellent.
There’s a lot of other stuff in that interview, like fashion advice from Tom Ford about not being precious about fashion, and even more about how she works with Everytown. Julianne is just a good egg, isn’t she? Not problematic, nice to everyone, loved by everyone, does her work and donates her time to good causes and more. I didn’t know that about her Birkenstocks though – lord, she’s one of THOSE, huh? I say that as I’m sitting her in my Lands End flip-flops, scoffing my ass off.
Photos courtesy of Instagram, cover courtesy of InStyle.
I have loved Julianne since seeing her in The Gun In Betty Lou’s Handbag.
I know people liked her on As The World Turns, but no, that movie was when I knew she was gonna do great.
I don’t know how to talk to my child about school shootings. She is entering Kindergarten next year. Is it irresponsible for me to shield her from that knowledge for a little bit longer when they will likely have active shooter drills? Ugh. Any advice on how anyone has handled this will be much appreciated.
in my opinion – if she is in kindergarten – that means she will be around other kids who’s parents have might guns in their home. plenty of people lock them up safely and plenty don’t and don’t think they should have to. she should at least know what guns are, what to do if she finds one or if someone is playing with one and that they are lethal. not just dangerous but lethal. perhaps she doesn’t have to know that people walk into schools and commit violent crimes but she should know that they are dangerous, not to be touched and to leave and tell an adult if she ever sees one.
my daughter is 2 and a few months ago she picked up a squirt gun she couldn’t pull the trigger so she pointed it upside down with the tip pointed at her belly, held it in two hands and used her thumbs and the leverage against her body to pull the trigger. i almost passed out. my heart sank b/c in the moment i realized – oh – this is how kids shoot themselves when they find real guns. i actually had to excuse myself b/c i started sobbing and in that second vowed to be vigilant on this subject. that includes asking the owners of every home she goes into if they have guns and if they do to show me that they are locked up – otherwise – she will not be left there. if people think i’m a lunatic – that’s fine by me.
Thank you for your response. Your story really touched me. I am going to talk to my husband and talk to my little about guns. We live in a very rural militaristic area so I am gearing up to have the conversations that you are having with other parents . I am sure they will think I am a wacko but that’s okay with me.
Mother of a nine year old entering grade 4 here. We haven’t told him and he doesn’t know except a few hints something is weird about the drills. It was first explained a couple of years ago by his principal that she came from northern Wisconsin and a deer cane through the window so they have to learn what to do. As far S I know they now make it pretty non specific but have never referenced a shooter. Except one of his besties’ Teachers, hence the weirdness. Same bff was caught in a crowd where someone opened fire and everyone stampeded our. She was frightened going back for her bike but ultimately has never mentioned it to my son even seeing him several times a week. I won’t say anything until he starts becoming more aware or in a year or two. I agree that at certain point it’s not respecting them or reality but he’s innocent and I want him to be able to keep that into his double digits. I want to cry writing this, I can’t imagine going to school with low grade anxiety all the time. I know we adapt but it’s not right.
I want so badly to preserve her innocence a little longer. But I want to be responsible. Such a terrible situation that our country finds itself in.
@machineelf, I share the same struggle. I have older kids who are familiar with drills and active shooter situations, and one entering TK who has no clue. What I did with my older kids was talk to the teacher and ask how and when the information about active shooter and safety drills were going to be relayed to the children. Then, I talked to my girls the night before about what was happening the next day and why (keeping the really sordid stuff out of it and just focusing on how to keep safe), and after the drill, to gauge their reaction and reassure them. We focus on safety a lot (staying with Mommy and Daddy, not wandering off, not talking to strangers,etc) and we couched this event as just another way to stay safe. Having the teacher’s input and support was really helpful, and it put my conversations with them in context. I hope you find what works for you!
Thank you. I really appreciate this. I will follow your advice regarding talking to the teacher and couching it in with other safety stuff.
Oh yes, just piggybacking on some of the other comments. My ex and I and other parents bandit together the first time they had the drills because they didn’t really give us any information in advance. So we were able to get the school to start informing us ahead of time in most cases and afterward during the mandated surprise drills. And we demanded to know what they were telling the children and to have a chance to provide input as a group. Which they gave us and welcomed our comments via email. I also agree with the idea of comparing it to other safety information and I framed it for my son as similar to the part of a flight where they go over the safety equipment on the plane and what not. It’s very hard for me to have those kind of conversations but I think the reality is just that we’re going to have to step up and do it and figure out how to be happy and cautious given some of the circumstances that we’re living in. I’m really lucky that I live in a progressive community Where at least the teachers and a lot of the administrators are on the same page as me.
I have been a Julianne Moore fan for literally decades. I even have vague recollection of when she was on As the World Turns. She is one of the FEW actresses/celebs who hasn’t been an utter disappointment in recent years.
Agreed. She’s amazing and still a huge girl crush.
I can’t imagine reconciling gun massacres with rights discussions in my head. I’m so glad not to be American in this regard. I couldn’t send my kids to school in those circumstances.
I love that she has found her voice, and is using it on an issue that is controversial. She is so right that the problem is the gun lobby’s hold on government. When you get down to it, over 90% of Americans want the gun control laws she is talking about to be implemented. We are being terrorized and held hostage by a violent group of gun extremists.
Phenomenal, underrated actress. She’s right in her opinion.
She looks like Gillian Anderson on the cover photo.
Both GORGEOUS ladies!
Julianne is a fave of mine, always loved her 🙂
MAUDE LEBOWSKI!!!!!!!!! <3