Uma Thurman
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Uma Karuna Thurman (born April 29, 1970) is an American actress and former model. She has performed in a variety of films, from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action films. Following her appearances on the December 1985 and May 1986 covers of British ''
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...
'', Thurman starred in ''
Dangerous Liaisons ''Dangerous Liaisons'' is a 1988 American period romantic drama film directed by Stephen Frears from a screenplay by Christopher Hampton, based on his 1985 play '' Les liaisons dangereuses'', itself adapted from the 1782 French novel of the s ...
'' (1988). She rose to international prominence with her performance as
Mia Wallace Mia Wallace is a fictional character portrayed by Uma Thurman in the 1994 Quentin Tarantino film ''Pulp Fiction''. It was Thurman's breakthrough role and earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. The character ...
in
Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, Black comedy, dark humor, Nonlinear narrative, non-lin ...
's 1994 film ''
Pulp Fiction ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Vin ...
'', for which she was nominated for the
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, the
BAFTA Award The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cer ...
, and the
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
for Best Supporting Actress. Often hailed as Tarantino's muse, she reunited with the director to play the main role in '' Kill Bill: Volume 1'' and '' 2'' (2003, 2004), which brought her two additional Golden Globe Award nominations. Established as a Hollywood actress, Thurman's other notable films include ''
Henry & June ''Henry & June'' is a 1990 American biographical drama film directed by Philip Kaufman, and starring Fred Ward, Uma Thurman, and Maria de Medeiros. It is loosely based on the posthumously published 1986 Anaïs Nin book of the same name, and ...
'' (1990), '' The Truth About Cats & Dogs'' (1996), '' Batman & Robin'' (1997), ''
Gattaca ''Gattaca'' is a 1997 American dystopian science fiction thriller film written and directed by Andrew Niccol in his filmmaking debut. It stars Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman with Jude Law, Loren Dean, Ernest Borgnine, Gore Vidal, and Alan Arkin ap ...
'' (1997), ''
Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...
'' (1998), ''Paycheck'' (2003), '' The Producers'' (2005), ''
My Super Ex-Girlfriend ''My Super Ex-Girlfriend'' is a 2006 American superhero romantic comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and starring Uma Thurman and Luke Wilson with Anna Faris, Eddie Izzard, Rainn Wilson and Wanda Sykes in supporting roles. The film received mixe ...
'' (2006), '' Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief'' (2010),
Lars von Trier Lars von Trier (''né'' Trier; 30 April 1956) is a Danish filmmaker, actor, and lyricist. Having garnered a reputation as a highly ambitious, polarizing filmmaker, he has been the subject of several controversies: Cannes, in addition to nominat ...
's ''
Nymphomaniac Hypersexuality is extremely frequent or suddenly increased libido. It is controversial whether it should be included as a clinical diagnosis used by mental healthcare professionals. Nymphomania and satyriasis were terms previously used for the c ...
'' (2013) and '' The House That Jack Built'' (2018), and ''
Hollywood Stargirl ''Hollywood Stargirl'' is a 2022 American teen romantic drama film directed by Julia Hart from a screenplay that she co-wrote with Jordan Horowitz. The film is a sequel to the 2020 film '' Stargirl'', which was in turn based on Jerry Spinelli' ...
'' (2022). In 2011, she was a member of the jury for the main competition at the 64th Cannes Film Festival, and in 2017, she was named president of the 70th edition's "
Un Certain Regard (, meaning 'a certain glance') is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's official selection. It is run at the Debussy, parallel to the competition for the . This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob. The section presents 20 films w ...
" jury. Thurman made her
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
debut in ''
The Parisian Woman ''The Parisian Woman'' is a 2013 play by Beau Willimon. It premiered at the South Coast Repertory in April 2013 and centers on Chloe, a socialite armed with charm and wit, coming to terms with politics, her past, her marriage and an uncertain fu ...
'' (2017–2018). Thurman won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Film for her performance in the made-for-
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
film '' Hysterical Blindness'' (2002) and received a
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her five-episode role in the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
musical series '' Smash'' (2012). She has also starred in the miniseries '' The Slap'' (2015) and the series '' Imposters'' (2017–2018), ''
Chambers Chambers may refer to: Places Canada: *Chambers Township, Ontario United States: *Chambers County, Alabama * Chambers, Arizona, an unincorporated community in Apache County * Chambers, Nebraska * Chambers, West Virginia * Chambers Township, Hol ...
'' (2019) and '' Super Pumped'' (2022).


Early life and family

Uma Karuna Thurman was born on April 29, 1970, in Boston, Massachusetts. Her father,
Robert Thurman Robert Alexander Farrar Thurman (born August 3, 1941) is an American Buddhist author and academic who has written, edited, and translated several books on Tibetan Buddhism. He was the Je Tsongkhapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at ...
, is a professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies and an author, who lived as an ordained Buddhist monk for three years. Her mother,
Nena von Schlebrügge Birgitte Caroline "Nena" von Schlebrügge (born January 8, 1941) is a Mexican-born Swedish and American fashion model from the 1950s and 1960s. She started her high-fashion modelling career in London in 1957 and continued in New York City in 1 ...
, a high-fashion model, was born in
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
to a
German nobleman The German nobility (german: deutscher Adel) and royalty were status groups of the medieval society in Central Europe, which enjoyed certain privileges relative to other people under the laws and customs in the German-speaking area, until the begi ...
and a Swedish model. Thurman received a
Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
upbringing, and spent altogether around two years in
Almora Almora ( Kumaoni: ''Almāḍ'') is a municipal board and a cantonment town in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Almora district. Almora is located on a ridge at the southern edge of the Kumaon Hills of th ...
, a town in the Northern-Indian state of
Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...
. She grew up mostly in
Amherst, Massachusetts Amherst () is a New England town, town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,263, making it the highest populated municipality in Hampshire County (althoug ...
, where she went to Amherst Regional Junior High School, then moved to
Woodstock, New York Woodstock is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States, in the northern part of the county, northwest of Kingston, NY. It lies within the borders of the Catskill Park. The population was 5,884 at the 2010 census, down from 6,241 in 2000 ...
. She has three brothers, Ganden (b. 1967), Dechen Karl (b. 1973), and Mipam (b. 1978), and a half-sister named Taya (b. 1961), from her father's previous marriage. Thurman's first cousin once removed is Swedish football player Max von Schlebrügge. She is described, in a 2004 biography, as having been an awkward and introverted girl who was teased for her appearance and unusual name (sometimes using the name "Uma Karen" instead of her birth name). When Thurman was ten years old, a friend's mother suggested a
nose job Rhinoplasty ( grc, ῥίς, rhī́s, nose + grc, πλάσσειν, plássein, to shape), commonly called nose job, medically called nasal reconstruction is a plastic surgery procedure for altering and reconstructing the nose. There are two typ ...
. As a child, she suffered bouts of
body dysmorphic disorder Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), occasionally still called dysmorphophobia, is a mental disorder characterized by the obsessive idea that some aspect of one's own body part or appearance is severely flawed and therefore warrants exceptional meas ...
. She attended
Amherst Public Schools Amherst may refer to: People * Amherst (surname), including a list of people with the name * Earl Amherst of Arracan in the East Indies, a title in the British Peerage; formerly ''Baron Amherst'' * Baron Amherst of Hackney of the City of London, ...
, where in eighth grade she discovered her love of acting. At age 14 she attended
Northfield Mount Hermon School Northfield Mount Hermon School, often called NMH, is a co-educational preparatory school in Gill, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is a member of the Eight Schools Association. Present day NMH offers nearly 200 courses, including AP a ...
, a preparatory school in Massachusetts, where talent scouts noticed her performance as
Abigail Abigail () was an Israelite woman in the Hebrew Bible married to Nabal; she married the future King David after Nabal's death ( 1 Samuel ). Abigail was David's second wife, after Saul and Ahinoam's daughter, Michal, whom Saul later marri ...
in a production of ''
The Crucible ''The Crucible'' is a 1953 play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692–93. Miller wrote the play as a ...
''Schoumatoff, Alex
"The life and career of Uma Thurman"
''Vanity Fair'', January 1996.
and offered her the chance to act professionally; she then dropped out to pursue an acting career.


Career


Modeling and acting beginnings (1985–1989)

Thurman began her career as a fashion model at age 15, and signed with the agency Click Models. Her early modeling credits included '' Glamour'' and the December 1985 and May 1986 covers of British ''
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...
''."Uma Thurman Biography"
, Biography Channel, Retrieved October 18, 2011.
She made the transition to acting with her film debut, the teen thriller '' Kiss Daddy Goodnight'', which was released in 1987. Thurman was subsequently cast in three 1988 films — ''
Johnny Be Good ''Johnny Be Good'' is a 1988 American comedy film directed by Bud S. Smith, starring Anthony Michael Hall as the main character, Johnny Walker. The film also features Robert Downey Jr., Paul Gleason, Steve James, Jennifer Tilly and Uma Thurman. ...
'', ''
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen ''The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'' is a 1988 adventure fantasy film co-written and directed by Terry Gilliam, and starring John Neville, Sarah Polley, Eric Idle, Jonathan Pryce, Oliver Reed, Robin Williams and Uma Thurman. An interna ...
'' and most notably, ''
Dangerous Liaisons ''Dangerous Liaisons'' is a 1988 American period romantic drama film directed by Stephen Frears from a screenplay by Christopher Hampton, based on his 1985 play '' Les liaisons dangereuses'', itself adapted from the 1782 French novel of the s ...
''. In the comedy ''Johnny Be Good'', she played the girlfriend of a top high school quarterback prospect, and in ''The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'', she made a brief appearance as the goddess
Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never fa ...
; during her entrance she briefly appears nude, in an homage to
Botticelli Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi ( – May 17, 1510), known as Sandro Botticelli (, ), was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. Botticelli's posthumous reputation suffered until the late 19th century, when he was rediscovered ...
's ''
The Birth of Venus ''The Birth of Venus'' ( it, Nascita di Venere ) is a painting by the Italian artist Sandro Botticelli, probably executed in the mid 1480s. It depicts the goddess Venus arriving at the shore after her birth, when she had emerged from the sea ...
''. In the Oscar-winning drama ''Dangerous Liaisons'', co-starring
Glenn Close Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress. Throughout her career spanning over four decades, Close has garnered numerous accolades, including two Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards ...
and
John Malkovich John Malkovich (born December 9, 1953) is an American actor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Screen Actors Guild Aw ...
, Thurman took on the role of a naive teenager, raped by a manipulative man. The picture was an arthouse success, and garnered Thurman recognition from critics and audiences; film critic
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
found her to be "well cast" in her "tricky" key role. At the time, insecure about her appearance, she spent roughly a year in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, during which she often wore loose, baggy clothing. Malkovich 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."


Early prominence and ''Pulp Fiction'' (1990–1995)

In 1990, Thurman appeared with
Fred Ward Freddie Joe Ward (December 30, 1942 – May 8, 2022) was an American actor and producer. Starting with a role in an Italian television movie in 1973, he appeared in such diverse films as '' Escape from Alcatraz'', ''Southern Comfort'', '' The R ...
and
Maria de Medeiros Maria Esteves de Medeiros Victorino de Almeida, DamSE (born 19 August 1965), known professionally as Maria de Medeiros (), is a Portuguese actress, director, and singer who has been involved in both European and American film productions. Ear ...
in ''
Henry & June ''Henry & June'' is a 1990 American biographical drama film directed by Philip Kaufman, and starring Fred Ward, Uma Thurman, and Maria de Medeiros. It is loosely based on the posthumously published 1986 Anaïs Nin book of the same name, and ...
'', a sexually provocative drama about the relationship and affairs between writer
Henry Miller Henry Valentine Miller (December 26, 1891 – June 7, 1980) was an American novelist. He broke with existing literary forms and developed a new type of semi-autobiographical novel that blended character study, social criticism, philosophical ref ...
and his wife
June Miller June Miller (January 7 or 28, 1902 – February 1, 1979) was the second wife of novelist Henry Miller. He wrote prolifically about her and their relationship in his books, usually using the pseudonyms Mona or Mara interchangeably. She also appea ...
in 1931 Paris. This film was the first to receive an
NC-17 The Motion Picture Association film rating system is used in the United States and its territories to rate a motion picture's suitability for certain audiences based on its content. The system and the ratings applied to individual motion pictures ...
rating and partly because many American newspapers refused to advertise films with the new rating, it did not get
wide release In the American motion picture industry, a wide release (short for nationwide release) is a film playing at the same time at cinemas in most markets across the country. This is in contrast to the formerly common practice of a roadshow theatrical r ...
in the United States. However, it won Thurman good notices; ''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." After playing
Maid Marian Maid Marian is the heroine of the Robin Hood legend in English folklore, often taken to be his lover. She is not mentioned in the early, medieval versions of the legend, but was the subject of at least two plays by 1600. Her history and circums ...
in the 1991 British adventure film ''
Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depic ...
'', Thurman began filming ''Dylan Thomas'', a biopic on Welsh poet
Dylan Thomas Dylan Marlais Thomas (27 October 1914 – 9 November 1953) was a Welsh poet and writer whose works include the poems "Do not go gentle into that good night" and "And death shall have no dominion", as well as the "play for voices" ''Under ...
starring her then-husband
Gary Oldman Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility and intense acting style, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and three British Academy ...
with herself as Caitlin Thomas, however the project was shut down shortly after filming began. Thurman went on to star as the patient of a San Francisco psychiatrist in the
neo-noir Neo-noir is a revival of film noir, a genre that had originally flourished during the post-World War II era in the United Statesroughly from 1940 to 1960. The French term, ''film noir'', translates literally to English as "black film", indicating ...
drama ''
Final Analysis ''Final Analysis'' is a 1992 American neo-noir erotic thriller film directed by Phil Joanou and written by Wesley Strick from a concept by forensic psychiatrist Robert H. Berger. It stars Richard Gere, Kim Basinger, Uma Thurman, Eric Roberts, Ke ...
'' (1992), opposite
Richard Gere Richard Tiffany Gere ( ; born August 31, 1949) is an American actor. He began in films in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in '' Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' (1977) and a starring role in ''Days of Heaven'' (1978). He came to prominence with ...
and
Kim Basinger Kimila Ann Basinger ( ; born December 8, 1953) is an American actress and former fashion model. She has garnered acclaim for her work in film and television, for which she has received various accolades including an Academy Award, a Golden Glo ...
, and as a blind woman romantically involved with a former policeman in the thriller ''
Jennifer 8 ''Jennifer 8'' is a 1992 American thriller film written and directed by Bruce Robinson and starring Andy García, Uma Thurman, and John Malkovich. Plot Former Los Angeles policeman John Berlin is teetering toward burnout after the collapse of hi ...
'' (also 1992), with
Andy García Andrés Arturo García Menéndez (born April 12, 1956), known professionally as Andy García, is a Cuban-born American actor, director and musician. He first rose to prominence acting in Brian De Palma's ''The Untouchables'' (1987) alongside ...
. Thurman portrayed a young woman with unusually big thumbs in Gus Van Sant's 1993 adaptation of
Tom Robbins Thomas Eugene Robbins (born July 22, 1932) is a best-selling and prolific American novelist. His most notable works are "seriocomedies" (also known as "comedy drama"), such as ''Even Cowgirls Get the Blues''. Tom Robbins has lived in La Conner, ...
' novel '' Even Cowgirls Get the Blues''. The film was a critical and commercial failure, eventually earning Thurman a
Golden Raspberry Award The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic under-achievements. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, ...
nomination for Worst Actress. ''The Washington Post'' described her acting as shallow and remarked: "Thurman's strangely passive characterization doesn't go much deeper than drawling and flexing her prosthetic thumbs". Also in 1993, she starred as a waitress opposite Robert De Niro and
Bill Murray William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan delivery. He rose to fame on ''The National Lampoon Radio Hour'' (1973–1974) before becoming a national presence on ''Saturday Nigh ...
in the drama ''
Mad Dog and Glory ''Mad Dog and Glory'' is a 1993 American crime comedy-drama film directed by John McNaughton and starring Robert De Niro, Uma Thurman, and Bill Murray, and supporting roles from well known actors Richard Belzer and David Caruso as De Niro's partne ...
'' and auditioned for
Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his films, almost all of which are adaptations of nove ...
while he was casting for his eventually unrealized adaptation of the novel ''
Wartime Lies ''Wartime Lies'' is a semi-autobiographical novel by Louis Begley first published in 1991. Set in Poland during the years of the Nazi occupation, it is about two members of an upper middle class Jewish family, a young woman and her nephew, who avo ...
''. In
Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, Black comedy, dark humor, Nonlinear narrative, non-lin ...
's neo-noir
black comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...
''
Pulp Fiction ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Vin ...
'' (1994), Thurman played
Mia Wallace Mia Wallace is a fictional character portrayed by Uma Thurman in the 1994 Quentin Tarantino film ''Pulp Fiction''. It was Thurman's breakthrough role and earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. The character ...
, the wife of a Los Angeles mobster. Several actresses were considered for the role, but Tarantino wanted Thurman after their first meeting. The film grossed $213.9 million worldwide and received widespread acclaim, appearing on many critics' lists of the
greatest films ever made This is a list of films considered the best in national and international surveys of critics and the public. Some surveys focus on all films, while others focus on a particular genre or country. Voting systems differ, and some surveys suffe ...
. She dominated most of the movie's promotional material; Mia is considered one of the most iconic female film characters of the 1990s. ''The Washington Post'' asserted that Thurman was "serenely unrecognizable in a black wig, ndis marvelous as a zoned-out gangster's girlfriend". For her performance, Thurman was nominated for the
Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
and the
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
for Best Supporting Actress and launched into the celebrity
A-list An A-list actor is a major movie star, or one of the most bankable actors in a film industry. The A-list is part of a larger guide called ''The Hot List'', which ranks the bankability of 1,400 movie actors worldwide, and has become an industry ...
. She took little advantage of her new-found fame by choosing not to do any big-budget films for the next three years. In a 2003 interview with ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazine, Tarantino, who considers Thurman his muse, remarked that she was "up there with Garbo and Dietrich in goddess territory".


Established career (1996–2002)

Thurman's next films, the romantic dramedy '' Beautiful Girls'', in which she played a fairly wise love interest, and the comedy '' The Truth About Cats & Dogs'', in which she top-billed as a ditzy blonde model, were modest commercial successes amid a positive critical response upon their theatrical releases in 1996. In 1997, Thurman starred opposite
Ethan Hawke Ethan Green Hawke (born November 6, 1970) is an American actor and film director. He has been nominated for four Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award. Hawke has directed three feature films, three off-Broadway plays, and a doc ...
in ''
Gattaca ''Gattaca'' is a 1997 American dystopian science fiction thriller film written and directed by Andrew Niccol in his filmmaking debut. It stars Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman with Jude Law, Loren Dean, Ernest Borgnine, Gore Vidal, and Alan Arkin ap ...
'', a science fiction film set in a future society driven by
eugenics Eugenics ( ; ) is a fringe set of beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter human gene pools by excluding people and groups judged to be inferior or ...
where potential children are conceived through genetic manipulation. The film received critical praise and became successful on the
home video Home video is prerecorded media sold or rented for home viewing. The term originates from the VHS and Betamax era, when the predominant medium was videotapes, but has carried over to optical disc formats such as DVD, Blu-ray and streaming me ...
market, despite lackluster box office receipts. Her next film role was that of supervillain Poison Ivy in '' Batman & Robin'' (1997). Budgeted at $160 million, the film grossed a modest $238 million worldwide and is often considered to be one of the worst films ever made. Thurman's performance, however, was largely highlighted upon the film's release; the ''
Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...
'' remarked that "Thurman ..sometimes seems to be doing
Mae West Mae West (born Mary Jane West; August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American stage and film actress, playwright, screenwriter, singer, and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned over seven decades. She was known for her breezy ...
by way of
Jessica Rabbit Jessica Rabbit is a fictional character in the novel '' Who Censored Roger Rabbit?'' and its film adaptation, ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit''. She is depicted as Roger's human toon wife in various Roger Rabbit media. Jessica is renowned as one of the ...
", and a similar comparison was made by ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'': " ke Mae West, she mixes true femininity with the winking womanliness of a drag queen". She obtained a
Blockbuster Entertainment Award The Blockbuster Entertainment Awards was a film awards ceremony, founded by Blockbuster Entertainment, Inc., that ran from 1995 until 2001. They were produced each year by Ken Ehrlich. Formation and first awards The awards were first held on J ...
for Best Sci-fi Actress and was also nominated for Favourite Movie Actress at the Kids' Choice Awards. Thurman took on the role of
Fantine Fantine (French pronunciation: ) is a fictional character in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. She is a young '' grisette'' in Paris who becomes pregnant by a rich student. After he abandons her, she is forced to look after their chil ...
in ''
Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...
'', the 1998 film version of
Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...
's novel of the same name, directed by
Bille August Bille August (born 9 November 1948) is a Danish director, screenwriter, and cinematographer of film and television. In a career spanning over four decades, he has been the recipient of numerous accolades, making him one of the most acclaimed co ...
. The film was considered an "intelligent, handsomely crafted adaptation" of the classic novel, according to
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, and on his review of the film, Roger Ebert expressed that "Thurman's performance is the best element" of the story. That year, she also starred as a British secret agent in '' The Avengers'', a notable financial and critical flop;
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
described her as "so distanced you feel like you're watching her through the wrong end of a telescope". In 1999, she performed in theater in an update of
Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and world ...
's ''
The Misanthrope ''The Misanthrope, or the Cantankerous Lover'' (french: Le Misanthrope ou l'Atrabilaire amoureux; ) is a 17th-century comedy of manners in verse written by Molière. It was first performed on 4 June 1666 at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal, Paris b ...
'' at the
Classic Stage Company Classic Stage Company, or CSC, is a classical Off-Broadway theater. Founded in 1967, Classic Stage Company is one of Off-Broadway's oldest theaters. Its 199-seat theatre is the former Abbey Theatre located at 136 East 13th Street between Third a ...
, and portrayed a socialite in
Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
's romantic dramedy ''
Sweet and Lowdown ''Sweet and Lowdown'' is a 1999 American comedy-drama mockumentary film written and directed by Woody Allen. Loosely based on Federico Fellini's film ''La Strada'', the film tells the fictional story, set in the 1930s, of self-confident jazz guit ...
'', opposite
Sean Penn Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He has won two Academy Awards, for his roles in the mystery drama ''Mystic River'' (2003) and the biopic ''Milk'' (2008). Penn began his acting career in televisi ...
. Thurman was in a hiatus from acting at the time as she had her daughter in 1998, doing only a few small, low-budget projects after giving birth; she eventually turned down the role of
Éowyn Éowyn is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philology, philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and '' ...
in
Peter Jackson Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the director, writer and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy ( ...
's ''
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...
'' film trilogy, which she considers "one of the worst decisions heever made". Thurman headlined the period drama ''The Golden Bowl'' (2000), based on the 1904 novel of the same name by
Henry James Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the ...
. In November 2000, she narrated the John Moran opera ''Book of the Dead (2nd Avenue)'' at
The Public Theater The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American Li ...
. The historical drama ''Vatel'' (2000) saw Thurman play Anne de Montausier, the love interest of 17th-century French chef
François Vatel François Vatel (; 1631 – 24 April 1671) was the majordomo (in French, ) of Nicolas Fouquet and prince Louis II de Bourbon-Condé. Vatel was born either in Switzerland or in Paris in 1625, 1631, or 1635. He is widely credited with creating ...
, and in
Richard Linklater Richard Stuart Linklater (; born July 30, 1960) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known for films that revolve mainly around suburban culture and the effects of the passage of time. His films include the comedies '' ...
's real-time drama ''Tape'' (2001), she starred as the former girlfriend of a drug dealer and volunteer firefighter (Ethan Hawke). She was nominated for the
Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female The Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female was an award presented annually by Film Independent. It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an absolutely outstanding performance in a supporting role while working in an indepe ...
for her part in ''Tape''. Hawke directed her in ''Chelsea Walls'' (2001), a drama revolving a number of artists as they spend a single day in New York's famed bohemian home Chelsea Hotel. Thurman would win a Golden Globe for her performance in the
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
cable film '' Hysterical Blindness'' (2002), where she was also one of the executive producers. Thurman played a
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
woman in the 1980s searching for romance. In its review, the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' remarked: "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."


Renewed success with ''Kill Bill'' (2003–2005)

Thurman reunited with Quentin Tarantino for the two-part
martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
action film ''
Kill Bill ''Kill Bill: Volume 1'' is a 2003 American martial arts film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Uma Thurman as the Bride, who swears revenge on a team of assassins (Lucy Liu, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, and Vivica A. Fox) an ...
'' (2003–2004), portraying assassin Beatrix Kiddo, out for revenge against her former lover. Tarantino wrote the part specifically for her. He cited Thurman as his
muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...
while writing the film, and gave her joint credit for the character, whom the two conceived on the set of ''Pulp Fiction'' from the sole image of a bride covered in blood. Thurman's main inspiration for the role was the title character of ''
Coffy ''Coffy'' is a 1973 American blaxploitation film written and directed by Jack Hill. The story is about a black female vigilante played by Pam Grier who seeks violent revenge against a heroin dealer responsible for her sister's addiction.Gary A. ...
'' (played by
Pam Grier Pamela Suzette Grier (born May 26, 1949) is an American actress and singer. Described by Quentin Tarantino as cinema's first female action star (although, there are some who dispute that claim and believe Cheng Pei-pei actually holds that distin ...
) and the character of Gloria Swenson from ''
Gloria Gloria may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Christian liturgy and music * Gloria in excelsis Deo, the Greater Doxology, a hymn of praise * Gloria Patri, the Lesser Doxology, a short hymn of praise ** Gloria (Handel) ** Gloria (Jenkins) ...
'' (played by
Gena Rowlands Virginia Cathryn "Gena" Rowlands (born June 19, 1930) is an American retired actress, whose career in film, stage, and television has spanned seven decades. A four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner, she is known for her collaborations ...
). She said that both of them are "two of the only women I've ever seen be truly women
hile Hile ( ne, हिले) is a hill town located in the Eastern Part of Nepal, 13 km north of the regional center of Dhankuta Bazar. At an elevation of 1948 meters, it is the main route to other hilly districts like Bhojpur and Sankhuwasab ...
holding a weapon". Production was delayed for several months after Thurman became pregnant and Tarantino refused to recast the part.Kill Bill Vol. 1, DVD bonus featurette The film took nine months to shoot, and was filmed in five different countries. The role was also her most demanding, and she spent three months training in
martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
,
swordsmanship Swordsmanship or sword fighting refers to the skills and techniques used in combat and training with any type of sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to smallsword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to a ...
, and
Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
. ''Kill Bill'' was originally set to be released as one film, however, due to its long running time, it was ultimately released in two parts. Both volumes scored highly with critics and audiences, subsequently developing a
cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
. ''Rolling Stone'' likened Thurman to "an avenging angel out of a 1940s Hollywood melodrama". She was nominated for two Golden Globes for both entries, plus three
MTV Movie Awards The MTV Movie & TV Awards (formerly the MTV Movie Awards) is a film and television awards show presented annually on MTV. The first MTV Movie Awards were presented in 1992. The ceremony was renamed the MTV Movie & TV Awards for its 26th editi ...
for Best Female Performance and two for Best Fight. By 2005, Thurman had a reported asking price of $12.5 million per film. Besides the children's film '' The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie'', in which Thurman had a cameo, she had three other major film releases throughout 2005. Her first film in the year was the crime-comedy ''
Be Cool ''Be Cool'' is a 2005 American crime- comedy film based on Elmore Leonard's 1999 novel of the same name and the sequel to Leonard's 1990 novel ''Get Shorty'' (itself adapted into a 1995 film of the same name) about mobster Chili Palmer's entra ...
'', the sequel to 1995's ''
Get Shorty ''Get Shorty'' is a 1990 novel by American novelist Elmore Leonard. In 1995, the novel was adapted into a film of the same name, and in 2017 it was adapted into a television series of the same name. Plot summary The story centers on Ernesto ...
'', which reunited her with her ''Pulp Fiction'' co-star
John Travolta John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes ''Carrie'' (19 ...
. Despite a lukewarm critical reception, the film grossed $95 million. She next starred in the romantic comedy ''
Prime A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime because the only ways ...
'' with
Meryl Streep Mary Louise Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is particularly known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throu ...
, playing a divorced and lonesome business-woman who enters a relationship with a much younger man (
Bryan Greenberg Bryan Greenberg (born May 24, 1978) is an American actor and singer, known for his starring role as Ben Epstein in the HBO original series ''How to Make It in America'' as well as a recurring role as Jake Jagielski in the WB series ''One Tree H ...
). A modest mainstream success, it eventually grossed $67.9 million internationally. In the remake '' The Producers'' (her last 2005 film), Thurman played
Ulla Ulla is a given name. It is short for Ursula in German-speaking countries and Ulrika/Ulrikke in Scandinavian countries. As of 31 December 2011, there were 61,043 females named Ulla in Sweden, with the name being most popular during the 1930s a ...
, a Swedish stage actress hoping to win a part in a new
Broadway musical Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...
. The producers of the film originally planned to have another singer dub in her musical numbers, but Thurman was eager to do her own vocals; she is credited for her songs in the film. While box office receipts were modest, Thurman garnered acclaim from critics; A. O. Scott of ''The New York Times'' stated: "Thurman as a would-be actress is the one bit of genuine radiance in this aggressively and pointlessly shiny, noisy spectacle."


Commercial fluctuations (2006–2011)

In 2006, Thurman starred opposite
Luke Wilson Luke Cunningham Wilson (born September 21, 1971) is an American actor known for his roles in films such as '' Bottle Rocket'' (1996), '' Rushmore'' (1998), ''My Dog Skip'' (2000), ''Legally Blonde'' (2001), ''The Royal Tenenbaums'' (2001), ''Id ...
in ''
My Super Ex-Girlfriend ''My Super Ex-Girlfriend'' is a 2006 American superhero romantic comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and starring Uma Thurman and Luke Wilson with Anna Faris, Eddie Izzard, Rainn Wilson and Wanda Sykes in supporting roles. The film received mixe ...
'', playing a superhero who is dumped by her boyfriend and then takes her revenge upon him. She received $14 million for the role, but the film was panned by critics and made a modest $61 million worldwide. ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' felt that it was a "miscalculation to make Thurman the antagonist. She does a sprightly satiric turn, but
t is T, or t, is the twentieth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''tee'' (pronounced ), plural ''tees''. It is deri ...
wasted in a movie that would rather tweak male paranoia than liberate a nerdette terrified of her powers". In the 2007 film ''
The Life Before Her Eyes ''The Life Before Her Eyes'' is a 2007 American thriller film directed by Vadim Perelman. The screenplay was adapted by Emil Stern from the Laura Kasischke novel of the same name. The film stars Uma Thurman and Evan Rachel Wood. It was released on ...
'', Thurman starred as an accident survivor whose guilt causes her present-day life to fall apart. It received a limited theatrical release and was dismissed by critics as "a confusing, painfully overwrought melodrama". In 2008, Thurman starred with
Colin Firth Colin Andrew Firth (born 10 September 1960) is an English actor and producer. He was identified in the mid-1980s with the " Brit Pack" of rising young British actors, undertaking a challenging series of roles, including leading roles in '' A M ...
and
Jeffrey Dean Morgan Jeffrey Dean Morgan (born April 22, 1966) is an American actor of television and film, best known for playing the character Negan in the AMC horror drama series '' The Walking Dead'' (2016–2022), for which he has received critical acclaim. He ...
in ''
The Accidental Husband ''The Accidental Husband'' is a 2008 American romantic comedy film directed by Griffin Dunne and starring Uma Thurman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Colin Firth, Isabella Rossellini, and Sam Shepard. The film was written by Mimi Hare, Clare Naylor and Bon ...
'', a romantic comedy where she played a woman who finds herself married while engaged to another man. Despite theatrical runs abroad, the film was released on DVD in North America due to financial problems with its distributor. She also took on the role of a cocaine addict in the British television drama '' My Zinc Bed'', which garnered what was considered poor ratings, especially given her involvement. In 2009's ''
Motherhood ] A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of gesta ...
'', she starred as a
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
mother whose dilemmas of marriage, work, and self are shown in the trials and tribulations of one pivotal day. "I've never really played a realistic mom before," she said. Distributed for a limited release to certain parts of the United States only, the independent dramedy garnered just $93,388 in three weeks of release. ''The New York Times'' critic A. O. Scott felt that Thurman's character is "scattered, ambivalent, flaky and inconsistent—all of which is fine, and energetically conveyed by Ms. Thurman. But what are tolerable quirks in a person can be deadly to a narrative ..the movie stumbles from loose and scruffy naturalism to sitcom tidiness". Thurman filmed a brief role in the fantasy adaptation '' Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief'' (2010), appearing as
Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; Ancient Greek: Μέδουσα "guardian, protectress"), also called Gorgo, was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Those ...
, a
gorgon A Gorgon (Help:IPA/English, /ˈɡɔːrɡən/; plural: Gorgons, Ancient Greek language, Ancient Greek: Γοργών/Γοργώ ''Gorgṓn/Gorgṓ'') is a creature in Greek mythology. Gorgons occur in the earliest examples of Greek literature. W ...
cursed by Athena. In 2011, she was a member of the jury for the main competition at the
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
, and her only film in the year—''
Ceremony A ceremony (, ) is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan origin, via the Latin '' caerimonia''. Church and civil (secular) ...
''—was released for VOD and selected theaters after its initial screening at the
2010 Toronto International Film Festival The 35th annual Toronto International Film Festival, (TIFF) was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada between September 9 and September 19, 2010. The opening night gala presented '' Score: A Hockey Musical'', a Canadian comedy-drama musical film. '' La ...
. In the independent comedy, she starred as woman on the eve of her wedding who re-connects with an old fling (played by Michael Angarano). By that time, she had taken on the roles of a powerful and wealthy mistress in the period drama ''Bel Ami (2011 film), Bel Ami'' (2012), a trophy wife in the romantic comedy ''Playing for Keeps (2012 film), Playing for Keeps'' (2012), and that of Lois Lane in a segment of the anthology film ''Movie 43'' (2013); all films were panned by critics and flopped at the box office. Writing for the ''New York Daily News'' in her review for ''Ceremony'', Elizabeth Weitzman noted: "She gets stuck in so many small, undeserving projects, one has to wonder who's mapping out her career".


Transition to television and Broadway debut (2012–2018)

Thurman ventured into television in 2012, when she joined the cast of the drama series '' Smash'' in its first season, portraying the five-episode role of Rebecca Duvall, a Hollywood actress who wants to star in a new Broadway musical, despite having limited musical ability. Her performance garnered critical acclaim, with ''The A.V. Club'' writing: "Uma Thurman is a lot of fun. She gives that character some pop, playing both the shallow, demanding side of celebrity ..and the sincere, talented side [...]". She earned a
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. Thurman appeared in the ''Volume I'' of
Lars von Trier Lars von Trier (''né'' Trier; 30 April 1956) is a Danish filmmaker, actor, and lyricist. Having garnered a reputation as a highly ambitious, polarizing filmmaker, he has been the subject of several controversies: Cannes, in addition to nominat ...
's two-part ensemble art drama ''
Nymphomaniac Hypersexuality is extremely frequent or suddenly increased libido. It is controversial whether it should be included as a clinical diagnosis used by mental healthcare professionals. Nymphomania and satyriasis were terms previously used for the c ...
'' (2013) as Mrs. H, a rejected wife who confronts her estranged husband. Despite her limited screen time in the film, ''Rolling Stone'' remarked that she was "sensational" in a role that defies "[von Trier]'s mixed feelings about female power", while ''Vanity Fair (magazine), Vanity Fair'' found her to be "downright terrific", noting that she "lends the character ..a good deal of dignity". For her part, she received a Bodil Awards, Bodil Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and in 2014, she won the Bambi Awards, BAMBI Award for Best International Actress. In 2015, Thurman starred on the NBC miniseries '' The Slap'', the American adaptation of the Australian series of the The Slap (Australian TV series), same name about the fallout after a man slaps another couple's misbehaving child, and played a famed restaurant critic named Simone in the drama ''Burnt (film), Burnt'', starring Bradley Cooper. In 2017, Thurman took on the recurring role of a fixer on the Bravo (American TV network), Bravo dark comedy series '' Imposters'', which ran for two seasons, and was named president of Cannes Film Festival "Un Certain Regard" jury for "works which offer a unique perspective and aesthetic". Thurman made her Broadway debut in ''
The Parisian Woman ''The Parisian Woman'' is a 2013 play by Beau Willimon. It premiered at the South Coast Repertory in April 2013 and centers on Chloe, a socialite armed with charm and wit, coming to terms with politics, her past, her marriage and an uncertain fu ...
'', a play written by Beau Willimon. Set in Washington, D.C., the production saw her star as a socialite coming to terms with politics, her past, her marriage and an uncertain future. The play ran for 141 performances, including previews, between November 2017 and March 2018, garnering a mixed critical response and what was described as "strong" box-office returns by ''Playbill''. ''The New York Times'' remarked: "Unlike many actors whose expertise derives from movies, [Thurman] has no trouble fully inhabiting, and projecting, even a jury-rigged character like [hers]. Her intelligence and, it has to be said, her innate glamour, make it possible to care about someone you do not believe in". For her role, she won the Broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite Leading Actress in a Play. ''The Con Is On'', an independent heist comedy Thurman filmed in 2015, opposite Tim Roth, was released on May 4, 2018. Both actors played a con-artist couple planning a jewel heist in Los Angeles, after escaping from a notorious Russian gangster. She reunited with director Lars von Trier to play the first victim of a serial killer during the 1980s in his psychological horror film '' The House That Jack Built'', which premiered on May 14, 2018, at the Cannes Film Festival. In her next film, the supernatural thriller ''Down a Dark Hall (film), Down a Dark Hall'' (2018), directed by Rodrigo Cortés, Uma portrayed the role of Madame Duret, the eccentric headmistress of a mysterious school for troubled girls. In its review for the latter film, ''Variety'' noted that she "cuts an elegant figure ..but her somewhat unconvincing villain could have used more notes of mystery and wit".


Continued television roles and film career resurgence (2019–present)

Thurman played a grieving mother in the Netflix supernatural horror series ''
Chambers Chambers may refer to: Places Canada: *Chambers Township, Ontario United States: *Chambers County, Alabama * Chambers, Arizona, an unincorporated community in Apache County * Chambers, Nebraska * Chambers, West Virginia * Chambers Township, Hol ...
'', which was released on April 26, 2019. Alex McLevy, for '' The A.V. Club'', felt that she sold "the hell out of [her] often absurd role", which he found to be "over-written", as part of an overall mixed response. In 2019, Thurman also received a career honorary award at the David di Donatello Film Awards in Italy, and performed the role of Helene Alving in a revival of Henrik Ibsen's ''Ghosts (play), Ghosts'' at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Thurman reunited with Robert DeNiro, her co-star in ''Mad Dog and Glory'', for the family comedy ''The War with Grandpa'', in which she portrayed the daughter of his recently widowed character. Originally filmed in May 2017, the film had a lengthy post-production due to the closure of The Weinstein Company, the original distributor, but was eventually released theatrically in North America on October 9, 2020, by 101 Studios. Despite negative reviews, ''The War with Grandpa'' made US$40 million worldwide, which was deemed a success amid the COVID-19 pandemic. She served as the narrator of ''The Age of Nature'', a three-part documentary series, which aired on PBS in October 2020. The Apple TV+ thriller series ''Suspicion (2022 TV series), Suspicion'', which premiered on February 4, 2022, featured Thurman as an American media mogul whose son is kidnapped. The production received mixed reviews from critics, who collectively noted that she "was barely in it at all", despite being heavily promoted. She next portrayed Arianna Huffington, the co-founder of ''The Huffington Post'', in ''The Battle For Uber'', the first season of '' Super Pumped'', an anthology drama television series created by Brian Koppelman and David Levien, which debuted on Showtime (TV network), Showtime on February 27, 2022. While Bryan Lowry of ''CNN'' praised Thurman's efforts at a Greek language, Greek accent, Adrian Horton of ''The Guardian'' described her portrayal as "a cringey caricature" of Huffington. Thurman made a return to film, starring as Roxanne Martel in the Disney+ original film ''
Hollywood Stargirl ''Hollywood Stargirl'' is a 2022 American teen romantic drama film directed by Julia Hart from a screenplay that she co-wrote with Jordan Horowitz. The film is a sequel to the 2020 film '' Stargirl'', which was in turn based on Jerry Spinelli' ...
'', which was released on June 3, 2022, on the streaming platform. She is currently filming a role as an art dealer in the upcoming crime thriller ''The Kill Room'' alongside ''
Pulp Fiction ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Vin ...
'' co-star Samuel L. Jackson. In June 2022, it was announced she would portray fictional US president Ellen Claremont in the Amazon Prime romantic-comedy film ''Red White & Royal Blue''. Later that same month, it was confirmed that she joined the cast of the sequel to ''The Old Guard (2020 film), The Old Guard'' alongside Charlize Theron.


Public image


General

''Empire (film magazine), Empire'' included Thurman among "The 100 Sexiest Stars in Film History" in 1995 as well as "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" in 1997. A regular feature on ''FHM''s "FHM's 100 Sexiest Women (UK), 100 Sexiest Women in the World" from the late 1990s to the early 2000s, she also ranked at No. 34, No. 21 and No. 30 on the ''Maxim (magazine), Maxim'' Hot 100 in 2004, 2005 and 2006 respectively. In 2013, Thurman was named one of the "100 Hottest Women of the 21st Century" by ''GQ''. On February 7, 2006, Thurman was awarded and named a knight of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France for outstanding achievement in the field of art and literature, and for her work and importance as an actress. The American rock band Fall Out Boy released a song titled "Uma Thurman (song), Uma Thurman" in 2015, celebrating the actress and her roles in ''Pulp Fiction'' and ''Kill Bill''. She gave permission for the band to use her name, and during an interview on the ''Today (American TV program), Today Show'', stated: "It's very, like unbelievably polite and gracious of them. So sweet. I'm so happy for their big success". In 2020, scientists named a new species of fringe-toed lizard from southwest Arizona (''Mohawk Dunes fringe-toed lizard, Uma thurmanae'') after Thurman.


Fashion

The Lavender Prada dress of Uma Thurman, lavender Prada dress Thurman wore to the 67th Academy Awards on March 27, 1995, was admired by the media. Stylecaster.com stated that, as a result, "Thurman became known for her stellar fashion sense, while Prada got a huge boost from instant name recognition the world over." Similarly, her Crimson Alberta Ferretti dress of Uma Thurman, crimson Alberta Ferretti dress at the 72nd Academy Awards on March 26, 2000, remains among her most notable, with ''The Daily Telegraph'' voting it the 20th greatest red carpet gown of all time. Thurman has been a face and spokeswoman of Lancôme, TAG Heuer, Louis Vuitton, and Parfums Givenchy. She posed for the 2014 Campari Calendar and was among the actresses photographed by Peter Lindbergh for the 2017 Pirelli Calendar.


Personal life


Relationships

Thurman met English actor
Gary Oldman Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility and intense acting style, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and three British Academy ...
on the set of ''State of Grace (1990 film), State of Grace''; they married in 1990 and divorced in 1992. On May 1, 1998, she married American actor
Ethan Hawke Ethan Green Hawke (born November 6, 1970) is an American actor and film director. He has been nominated for four Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award. Hawke has directed three feature films, three off-Broadway plays, and a doc ...
, whom she met on the set of the 1997 film ''
Gattaca ''Gattaca'' is a 1997 American dystopian science fiction thriller film written and directed by Andrew Niccol in his filmmaking debut. It stars Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman with Jude Law, Loren Dean, Ernest Borgnine, Gore Vidal, and Alan Arkin ap ...
''. Hawke's novel ''Ash Wednesday'' is dedicated to "Karuna", Thurman's middle name. Together, Thurman and Hawke have two children, a daughter, Maya Hawke, Maya (born in 1998), and a son, Levon (born in 2002). The couple separated in 2003, and the divorce was finalized in August 2005. Thurman began dating London-based French financier Arpad Busson in 2007, and they announced their engagement in June 2008. In late 2009, they called off their engagement, but reconciled soon after. The couple called off the engagement for the second time in April 2014. Thurman and Busson have a daughter, Luna Thurman-Busson, born in July 2012. In January 2017, Thurman and Busson began child custody negotiations in relation to their daughter, which resulted in Thurman receiving primary physical custody later that month.


Stalking incidents and sexual assaults

Thurman was the target of a stalker, Jack Jordan, from about 2004 to 2011. He was arrested in October 2007 and, following a trial in which Thurman testified as a witness, was convicted of stalking and harassment charges the following May. Sentenced to three years' probation, Jordan was arrested again in 2010 on charges of violating a restraining order by attempting to contact her. He pleaded guilty in November 2011 after spending 11 months in jail in lieu of bail, and was released with time served. In 2017, in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations, Thurman was interviewed, and, when asked about the scandal, she replied, "no comment," stating she was too angry to talk about the case. A few weeks later, through an Instagram post, she joined the "Me Too (hashtag), Me Too" hashtag, confirming that she had suffered sexual harassment and expressing disgust for Harvey Weinstein. In a 2018 interview with ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', Thurman revealed that Weinstein had sexually assaulted her in 1994 at the Savoy Hotel in London. She also revealed that she had been sexually assaulted at age 16 by an actor nearly 20 years her senior.


''Kill Bill'' car crash

In the same 2018 ''New York Times'' interview, Thurman described how she had been in a serious car accident back in 2003 on the set of ''Kill Bill'', because Tarantino had insisted she perform her own driving stunts. Two weeks after the crash, she tried to see footage of the incident. Thurman stated that Miramax would only agree to show her the footage if she signed a contract "releasing them of any consequences of my future pain and suffering", which she refused. As a result of the crash, she sustained permanent injuries to her neck and knees. Tarantino later called this incident "the biggest regret of his life". Thurman later clarified on Instagram that Tarantino had apologized to her for the incident and that she has since forgiven him, being open to working with him again.


Activism and political views

Thurman has been involved in various philanthropic and activist causes. She is a supporter of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, and has given money to the campaigns of John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, and Joseph R. Driscoll. She supports gun control laws, and in 2000 participated in ''Marie Claire''s "End Gun Violence Now" campaign. She is a member of the board of Room to Grow, a charitable organization providing aid to families and children suffering poverty. She serves on the board of the Tibet House US. In 2007, she hosted the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway, with actor Kevin Spacey. In February 2008, ahead of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, Thurman talked about human rights in China alongside Steven Spielberg and others, describing actions and policies carried out by the government of China as "horrible" and "unspeakable crimes against humanity". In 2011, Thurman was one of several celebrities associated with the United States Agency for International Development, USAID and Ad Council's United States Agency for International Development, FWD campaign, an awareness initiative tied to that year's East Africa drought. She joined Geena Davis, Chanel Iman and Josh Hartnett in TV and internet ads to "forward the facts" about the crisis. During the same year, she also participated at Human Rights Campaign for LGBT Civil and political rights, civil rights, saying "We're fighting for a conservative value: the right to make a lifelong commitment to someone you love". In 2015, Thurman joined "Rhino Rescue Project" and traveled to Southern Africa to assist and help relocate the threatened species of black rhinoceros; being in close contact with rhinos, Thurman defined her experience with those animals to be "spiritual, surreal". In December 2017, during the Roy Moore sexual misconduct allegations, allegations of sexual misconduct against Roy Moore, Thurman voiced her disapproval of his candidacy in the 2017 United States Senate special election in Alabama, United States Senate special election in Alabama. In September 2021, Thurman wrote an op-ed in ''The Washington Post'' criticizing the Texas Heartbeat Act, an abortion ban that went into effect earlier that month. She called the law a "human rights crisis for American women", and discussed her experience of having an abortion as a teenager after being "accidentally impregnated by a much older man." She described the abortion as "the hardest decision of my life," but maintained that it "allowed me to grow up and become the mother I wanted and needed to be."


Filmography


Awards and nominations


References


Further reading

* Bina, Roxanna.
Interview with Uma Thurman.
''Independent Film Quarterly''. December 8, 2003, accessed January 5, 2006.
Biography
''Uma Thurman biography'', accessed January 5, 2006. * Brett, Anwar
"Uma Thurman interview– ''Kill Bill Vol.2''
. April 2004, accessed January 5, 2006. * Chavel, Sean.
Uma Thurman interview.
''UGO''. October 2003, accessed January 6, 2006. * Felperin, Leslie

''The Independent'', April 16, 2004. * Fischer, Paul.

''Film Monthly''. September 22, 2003, accessed January 5, 2006. * Russell, Jamie
"Uma Thurman interview– ''Kill Bill Vol.1
. October 2003, accessed January 5, 2006. * Sutherland, Bryon, Ellis, Lucy. ''Uma Thurman, the Biography''. Aurum Press, 2004.


External links

* *
Uma Thurman
at Models.com * *
First 30 Years of Tibet House
' video
Tibet House US ChannelUma Thurman
at the Internet Broadway Database {{DEFAULTSORT:Thurman, Uma 1970 births 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Boston Actresses from Massachusetts Actresses from New York (state) American film actresses American people of German descent American people of Swedish descent Best Miniseries or Television Movie Actress Golden Globe winners Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres David di Donatello Career Award winners Female models from Massachusetts Living people Massachusetts Democrats Muses New York (state) Democrats Northfield Mount Hermon School alumni People from Almora district People from Amherst, Massachusetts People from Woodstock, New York