Oscar-Winner Julianne Moore Isn't Afraid To Tell It Like It Is

From gay rights to Alzheimer’s, Oscar-winner Julianne Moore doesn’t shy away from challenging characters. And when it comes to real life, she’s not afraid to tell it like it is either. Yael Kohen meets a refreshingly upfront Hollywood icon.

- Yael Kohen

Nestled on a picturesque corner in Manhattan’s hip West Village is a cosy little bistro called Cafe Cluny. The decor is a bit twee: distressed mirrors, shelves lined with naturalistic tchotchkes, walls adorned in delicately framed autumn leaves and butterfly wings. The patrons, at breakfast anyway, look like well-to-do creative types – men in beige and grey-toned cable-knit sweaters, and women in cream or black. Each person is mildly recognisable, as if any one of them could be a character actor from an indie film, which is probably because this is exactly the kind of place where celebrities go to blend in – including Julianne Moore, who is a regular. In here, Moore doesn’t look like an Oscar-winning actress who regularly walks the red carpet. Her famous fiery hair is a more muted auburn, swept up into a messy bun. Her trousers are off-black and slouchy, her top is navy with small polka dots. As she settles into her spot on a warm-taupe banquette, she looks just like everyone else: an actress who requires a double take just to place her.

This seems to suit her just fine. ‘Hi, I’m Julie,’ she says by way of introduction, and she smiles, taking my hand. It’s warm and friendly, and any anxiety I feel about interviewing one of the greatest actresses of a generation melts away. Moore is a woman who is at ease with herself, and she wants me to feel easy, too. ‘I’m going to eat. Do you want to eat?’ she asks. When the waiter arrives, she proceeds to order two courses: berries and cream to start, then an egg-white omelette with spinach and cheddar, plus zucchini fries; a special request, since they are not on the menu at this hour. Moore’s positivity feels like a stark contrast to the deeply conflicted characters that she so often plays in her films – the most recent example being Laurel Hester in