Uma Thurman Profile
Uma Thurman
Thurman at a Cannes press conference.
Born Uma Karuna Thurman April 29, 1970 (1970-04-29) (age 37) Boston, Massachusetts
Years active 1987 - present
Spouse(s) Gary Oldman (1990-1992) Ethan Hawke (1998-2004)
Parents Robert Thurman (b.1941) Nena von Schlebrügge (b.1941)
Awards won
Golden Globe Awards
Best Actress - Miniseries 2003 Hysterical Blindness
Other Awards
Saturn Award for Best Actress (film) 2003 Kill Bill: Vol.1
Uma Karuna Thurman (IPA: /ˈumə ˈθɝmən/;) is an Academy Award-nominated American actress. She performs predominantly in leading roles in a variety of films, ranging from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action thrillers. She is best known for her films directed by Quentin Tarantino. Her most popular films include Dangerous Liaisons (1988), Pulp Fiction (1994), Gattaca (1997) and the two Kill Bill movies (2003–04). She is currently the "face" of Virgin Media in the United Kingdom and along with Scarlett Johansson, models handbags and other fashion items for clothes designer Louis Vuitton. At 6ft (183cm) she is one of the tallest actresses in Hollywood.
Contents
1 Biography
1.1 Family and early life 1.2 Career
1.2.1 Early works, 1987–1989 1.2.2 Major works, 1990–1993 1.2.3 1994–1998 1.2.4 Hiatus, 1998–2002 1.2.5 2003–present
2 Personal life
2.1 Relationships and family 2.2 Politics and opinions
3 Filmography 4 Further reading 5 References 6 External links
Biography
Family and early life Thurman's mother, Nena Birgitte Caroline von Schlebrügge (b. 1941), was a fashion model who was born in Mexico City, Mexico, to German nobleman Friedrich Karl Johannes von Schlebrügge, and Birgit Holmquist, who was from Trelleborg, Sweden. Birgit Holmquist, Thurman's grandmother, had stood model in 1930 for the statue of a nude woman that still stands overlooking the harbor of Smygehuk. Thurman's mother was briefly married in 1964 to LSD guru Timothy Leary after the two were introduced by Salvador Dalí; she married Thurman's father in 1967.
Thurman's father, who would later become a recognized scholar and professor at Columbia University of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies, was the first westerner to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monk. Since Professor Thurman moved between various universities, the family often relocated when Uma was a child. She grew up mostly in Amherst, Massachusetts and Woodstock, New York. Thurman is described as having been an awkward and introverted young girl who was frequently teased as a child for her tall frame, unique angular bone structure, unusual name (sometimes using the name “Uma Karen” instead of her birth-name), and size 11 feet Although these unique physical attributes would later make her beauty iconic, these childhood attentions may have led to her bouts with body dysmorphic disorder, a syndrome involving a disturbed body image, which she discussed in an interview with Talk magazine in 2001. Thurman attended Northfield Mount Hermon, a college preparatory boarding school in Northfield, Massachusetts, where she received her first acting experiences in school plays. She was unathletic and earned average grades in school, but excelled in acting from a young age. It was after performing as Abigail in a production of The Crucible that she was noticed by talent scouts,
Career
Early works, 1987–1989
Thurman as Venus in 1988’s The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.
Thurman began her career as a fashion model at the age of 15. Thurman made her movie debut in 1988, appearing in a total of four films that year. Her first two were the high school comedy Johnny Be Good and the teen thriller Kiss Daddy Goodnight at the age of seventeen, but both films were only marginally successful and failed to gain her notice. Thurman’s next role was in the film The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, playing the goddess Venus alongside Oliver Reed’s Vulcan. During her entrance Thurman briefly appears nude in a homage to Botticelli’s painting The Birth of Venus. With a budget of $46 million USD and box office receipts of only $8 million, the film was a commercial failure. Her fourth role, as Cecile de Volanges in Dangerous Liaisons, was her breakthrough role, which brought Thurman to the attention of the film industry and the general public. Actresses Glenn Close and Michelle Pfeiffer earned Oscar nominations for their performances, and Thurman drew an inordinate amount of attention for a topless scene in which she appeared. Garnering the lion’s share of attention proved too much for the shy, insecure 19-year-old who thought she was funny-looking, Soon after the release of Dangerous Liaisons, magazines and other media outlets were eager to profile the actress. Thurman received praise for her professionalism from her co-star John Malkovich, who said of her, “There is nothing twitchy teenager-ish about her, I haven’t met anyone like her at that age. Her intelligence and poise stand out. But there’s something else. She’s more than a little haunted”.
Major works, 1990–1993 In 1990, the 19-year-old Thurman co-starred with Fred Ward in the sexually provocative drama film Henry & June, the first film to receive an NC-17 rating. Because of the film’s restrictive rating, it never played in a wide release but would attract more attention to Thurman’s career. Critics embraced her in her first leading role, The New York Times wrote, “Thurman, as the Brooklyn-accented June, takes a larger-than-life character and makes her even bigger, though the performance is often as curious as it is commanding”. Thurman’s first starring role in a major production was 1993’s Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (directed by Gus Van Sant), although the film was a misstep for her being a critical and financial disappointment (Thurman was even nominated for a Worst Actress Razzie). The Washington Post described her acting as shallow, writing that, “Thurman’s strangely passive characterization doesn’t go much deeper than drawling and flexing her prosthetic thumbs”.
1994–1998
Thurman in 1994’s Pulp Fiction. Her character in the film was based on Danish actress Anna Karina.
After Mad Dog and Glory, Thurman auditioned for Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. Tarantino originally had no intention of casting her, after seeing her performance in Glory, but ultimately decided to cast her after having dinner with her: “And Uma and I were doing that scene. We were living the movie, all right? I left thinking… God, she could be Mia!” Films of varying quality and success followed Pulp Fiction. She starred opposite Janeane Garofalo in the moderately successful 1996 romantic comedy The Truth About Cats & Dogs as a ditzy blonde supermodel. In 1998, she starred opposite her future husband Ethan Hawke in the dystopian science fiction film Gattaca. Although Gattaca was not a major success at the box office, it drew many positive reviews and became successful on the home video market. The two biggest film flops of Thurman’s career came in 1997 and 1998. She played Poison Ivy in Batman & Robin, the fourth film of the popular franchise. Batman & Robin became one of the largest critical flops in history. Thurman’s performance in the campy film received mainly mixed reviews, and critics made comparisons between her and actress Mae West. The New York Times wrote, “like Mae West, she mixes true femininity with the winking womanliness of a drag queen”. She received Razzie Award nominations for both films. She closed out 1998 with the powerful tale Les Misérables, a film version of Victor Hugo’s classic novel of the same name, directed by Bille August, in which she played the role of Fantine.
Hiatus, 1998–2002 After the birth of her first baby in 1998, Thurman took a rest from major roles to concentrate on motherhood. Her next roles were in low-budget and television films, including Tape, Vatel, and Hysterical Blindness. In 2000 she narrated a theatrical work by composer John Moran titled, "Book of the Dead (2nd Avenue)" at The Public Theater. She won a Golden Globe award for Hysterical Blindness, a film for which she also served as executive producer. In the film she played an excitable New Jersey woman in the 1980s searching for romance. The San Francisco Chronicle review wrote, “Thurman so commits herself to the role, eyes blazing and body akimbo, that you start to believe that such a creature could exist — an exquisite looking woman so spastic and needy that she repulses regular Joes. Thurman has bent the role to her will”.
2003–present After a five-year hiatus from any major film roles, Thurman returned in 2003 in John Woo's film Paycheck, followed by her next collaboration with Quentin Tarantino, Kill Bill. Paycheck was only moderately successful with critics and at the box office, but Kill Bill relaunched her career. In Kill Bill she played one of the world's top assassins, out on a revenge quest against her former lover. She was offered the role on her 30th birthday from Tarantino, who wrote the part specifically for her. He also cited Thurman as his muse while writing the film, and also gave her a formal joint credit for the character of Beatrix Kiddo, whom the two conceived on the set of Pulp Fiction from the sole image of a bride covered in blood. Production was delayed for several months after Thurman became pregnant as Tarantino refused to recast the part. The main inspirations for “The Bride” were several B-movie action heroines. Thurman's main inspiration for the role was the title character of Coffy (played by Pam Grier) and the character of Gloria Swenson from Gloria (played by Gena Rowlands). She said that the two characters are “two of the only women I've ever seen be truly women By 2005, Thurman had become one of Hollywood's highest paid actresses, commanding a salary of $12.5 million USD per film. With a successful film career, Thurman once again became a desired model. Cosmetics company Lancôme selected her as their spokeswoman, and named several shades of lipstick after her (these were only sold in Asia). In 2005, she became a spokeswoman for the French fashion house Louis Vuitton. On February 7, 2006, Thurman was named a knight of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France for outstanding achievement in the field of art and literature. In May 2006 Thurman bought the film rights to the Frank Schätzing novel "The Swarm", which is now in development and due for release in 2008. In July 2006 Thurman starred opposite of Luke Wilson in My Super Ex-Girlfriend. Thurman starred as a super-heroine named "G-Girl" who is dumped by her boyfriend and then takes her revenge upon him. Thurman received a reported 14 million dollars for the role, but the film flopped. Once again Thurman was well-received, yet the film itself was not. Bollywood director Vishal Bharadwaj has announced his interest in Thurman to star in his latest film venture opposite Hrithik Roshan, in a biographical film of the life of actress Nadira. The film is still in its pre-production stage.
Personal life
Relationships and family
Uma Thurman at Cannes, 2000.
While living in London to avoid the Dangerous Liaisons hype, she began dating director Phil Joanou, who had just produced U2’s movie Rattle and Hum in 1988. While visiting the set of his latest project, State Of Grace, she met English actor Gary Oldman. The two hit it off immediately and were married in 1990, but the marriage only lasted two years, reportedly caused by the little time they spent together due to their busy acting schedules. On May 1, 1998, she married actor Ethan Hawke, after the two met at the set of Gattaca; he subsequently dedicated his novel ("To Karuna"), to her. Prior to their engagement, Hawke had proposed twice before she accepted. Thurman herself acknowledged that they married early on because she had become pregnant; at the time of their wedding she was seven months along. The couple have two children, daughter Maya Ray (b. July 8, 1998) and son Levon Roan (b. January 15, 2002). In 2003, Thurman and Hawke separated, and in 2004 they filed for divorce. Many news outlets reported that the cause of the divorce was because Hawke had cheated on Thurman with Canadian model Jen Perzow. Hawke denied that the cause of the divorce was infidelity, saying that it was caused by their busy work schedules. She currently resides in Hyde Park, New York. In 2004, she began dating New York hotelier Andre Balazs. At one point, they lived in a loft apartment in New York City's SoHo neighborhood, down the street from Balazs’s Mercer Hotel. Thurman also owns a townhouse in the New York neighborhood of Greenwich Village. In October 2007, Thurman was said to be engaged to Arpad Busson, supermodel Elle Macpherson's former partner, who she had been dating since summer 2007. Thumran and Macpherson used to be friends before Thurman got engaged to Busson.
Politics and opinions Thurman dedicates herself to a large variety of political and social causes and interests. She is a supporter of the United States Democratic Party, and has made donations to the campaigns of John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, and Joseph Driscoll. In 2007, Thurman hosted the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo together with actor Kevin Spacey.
Filmography
Year Film Role Other notes
1988 Johnny Be Good Georgia Elkans
Dangerous Liaisons Cécile de Volanges
Kiss Daddy Goodnight Laura
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen Venus/Rose
1990 Henry & June June Miller
Where the Heart Is Daphne McBain
1991 Robin Hood Maid Marian John Irvin version
1992 Final Analysis Diana Baylor
Jennifer 8 Helena Robertson
1993 Mad Dog and Glory Glory
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues Sissy Hankshaw
1994 Pulp Fiction Mia Wallace Nominated: Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture
1995 A Month by the Lake Miss Beaumont
1996 The Truth About Cats & Dogs Noelle
Beautiful Girls Andera
1997 Gattaca Irene Cassini
Batman & Robin Dr. Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy
1998 Les Misérables Fantine
The Avengers Emma Peel
1999 Sweet and Lowdown Blanche
2000 Vatel Anne de Montausier
The Golden Bowl Charlotte Stant
2001 Tape Amy Randall
2002 Hysterical Blindness Debby Miller Producer Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, TV Mini-series
2003 Paycheck Dr. Rachel Porter
Kill Bill Volume 1 The Bride/Black Mamba Nominated: Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama
2004 Kill Bill Volume 2 Beatrix Kiddo/The Bride/Mommy/Black Mamba Nominated: Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama
2005 The Naked Brothers Band Herself
Be Cool Edie Athens
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Kushana (Voice) English re-dub version of 1984 movie
Prime Rafi Gardet
The Producers: The Movie Musical Ulla
2006 My Super Ex-Girlfriend Jenny Johnson/G-Girl Nominated: People's Choice Awards
2008 The Life Before Her Eyes Diana
The Accidental Husband Emma Lloyd also Producer
My Zinc Bed TBA post-production
Eloise in Paris Nanny
TBA The Swarm
Filmrights bought by Thurman
Vishal Bharadwaj's untitled film
Starring opposite Bollywood Actor Hrithik Roshan
Awards
Preceded by Judy Davis for Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows Golden Globe Awards - Best Actress in a Mini-series for Hysterical Blindness 2003 Succeeded by Meryl Streep for Angels in America
Further reading
AEC One Stop Group, Inc Biography Uma Thurman biography. Retrieved 5 January 2006. Jamie Russell Interview Uma Thurman interview — Kill Bill Vol. 1. October 2003. Retrieved 5 January 2006. Anwar Brett Interview Uma Thurman interview — Kill Bill Vol. 2. April 2004. Retrieved 5 January 2006. Paul Fischer Film Monthly For Ms. Thurman, Life is More than Just a Paycheck. 22 September 2003. Retrieved 5 January 2006. Roxanna Bina Independent film quarterly Interview with Uma Thurman. 8 December 2003. Retrieved 5 January 2006. Independent Online Uma Thurman: Pulp friction. Retrieved 5 January 2006. Erik Hedegaard Rolling Stone magazine A Magnificent Obsession by Erik Hedegaard. 29 April 2004. Retrieved 6 January 2005. Sean Chavel UGO Uma Thurman interview. October 2003. Retrieved 6 January 2006. The Real Dick Hollywood Uma Thurman on... FilmJerk.com. Retrieved 1 February 2006.
References
^ See inogolo:pronunciation of Uma Thurman.
External links
Uma Thurman at the Internet Movie Database
Uma Thurman at Rotten Tomatoes TV.com - Uma Thurman
Persondata
NAME Thurman, Uma Karuna
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Actor
DATE OF BIRTH April 29, 1970
PLACE OF BIRTH Amherst, Massachusetts
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH
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1989-1997 Batman film series
Batman • Batman Returns • Batman Forever • Batman & Robin
Cast Michael Keaton (Batman/Bruce Wayne #1) • Michael Gough (Alfred Pennyworth) • Pat Hingle (Commissioner James Gordon) • Jack Nicholson (The Joker) • Kim Basinger (Vicki Vale) • Billy Dee Williams (Harvey Dent #1) • Danny DeVito (The Penguin) • Michelle Pfeiffer (Catwoman) • Val Kilmer (Batman/Bruce Wayne #2) • Tommy Lee Jones (Harvey Dent/Two-Face #2) • Jim Carrey (The Riddler) • Chris O'Donnell (Robin/Dick Grayson) • George Clooney (Batman/Bruce Wayne #3) • Arnold Schwarzenegger (Mr. Freeze) • Uma Thurman (Poison Ivy) • Alicia Silverstone (Batgirl) • Jeep Swenson (Bane) • Elle Macpherson (Julie Madison) • John Glover (Dr. Jason Woodrue) • Vendela Kirsebom Thomessen (Nora Fries)
Characters created for the film series Carl Grissom (Jack Palance) • Lt. Max Eckhardt (William Hootkins) • Max Shreck (Christopher Walken) • Dr. Chase Meridian (Nicole Kidman)
Crew Tim Burton • Peter Guber • Jon Peters • Sam Hamm • Charles McKeown • Warren Skaaren • Danny Elfman • Ray Lovejoy • Anton Furst • Keith Short • Denise Di Novi • Daniel Waters • Wesley Strick • Chris Lebenzon • Bo Welch • Joel Schumacher • Akiva Goldsman • Elliot Goldenthal • Stephen Goldblatt • Dennis Virkler
Soundtracks "The Arms of Orion" • "Batdance" • Batman & Robin (soundtrack) • Batman (album) • Batman Forever (orchestral score) • Batman Forever (soundtrack) • "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" • "Face to Face" (song) • "Foolish Games" • "The Future" (song) • "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" • "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game" • "Kiss from a Rose" • "Look into My Eyes" • "Partyman" • "The Passenger" (song) • "Scandalous" (Prince song) • "Smash It Up"
Arcade and video games Batman (arcade game) • Batman (pinball) • Batman (video game) • Batman Returns (video game) • Batman Forever (pinball) • Batman Forever (video game) • Batman Forever: The Arcade Game • Batman & Robin (video game)
Batmobiles Batmobile (1989) • Batmobile (Batman Forever) • Batmobile (Batman & Robin (film))
Sets and filming locations Gotham City (Batman/Batman Returns/Batman Forever and Batman & Robin) • Batcave (Batman/Batman Returns/Batman Forever/Batman & Robin) • Wayne Manor (Knebworth House (exteriors)/Hatfield House (interiors)/Webb Institute (exteriors)) • Axis Chemicals • Pinewood Studios
Related articles Batman franchise media • Batarang • Batboat (Batman Returns/Batman Forever) • Batplane (Batman/Batman Forever) • Batsuit • Batman's utility belt • Batblade • Redbird • Smilex
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