Julianne Moore on the Role Todd Haynes Wrote Just for Her

Having a part specifically crafted for you is one of the highest forms of recognition in the film industry. It's a rare privilege that many performers dream of, and for Julianne Moore, that dream became a reality. After gaining widespread attention in the 1990s, she delivered a standout performance in Todd Haynes’s film Safe. The movie, which follows a woman battling a bizarre illness that makes her seemingly allergic to modern life, showcased Moore's incredible talent as a leading lady. Their successful first project together set the stage for a future reunion, though she never imagined it would be for a screenplay he had penned with her as his muse.

A Script Arrives Out of the Blue

Moore was eager for another opportunity to work with the filmmaker, so turning him down was out of the question. “Oh, I was so excited. Todd had called me,” she recounted to Terry Keefe. “You know, we had been in contact over the years after Safe. And one day, he just called me out of the blue and said, ‘Hey! It’s me. How are you? Listen, I’ve just finished a script that I kind of wrote with you in mind. Can I send it?’ And I was like, ‘Send it! Send it!’ I got it on a Saturday morning, and I read it on the subway going to the gym”.

Embracing a Complex Character

The screenplay was for Far From Heaven, a drama set in the 1950s. Moore was cast as a suburban housewife whose picture-perfect life begins to shatter after she discovers her husband, played by Dennis Quaid, kissing another man. The film is a powerful examination of social pressures, gender dynamics, sexuality, and race. Haynes masterfully explores the hidden taboos that threaten the facade of a flawless society, and the celebrated performer knew instantly that she had to be a part of it.

A Partnership Built on Trust

“A funny thing happens to you when you read a script like that,” Moore explained. “You’re thrilled in your bones or something. Just the idea that there was material like that out there, and he wanted me to do it. It moved me so tremendousely. And he was like, ‘Do you like it?’ I said, ‘I’m in! I am so on board with this!’ It’s an incredible honour to have something written for you that way. I’ve had a couple of parts written for me before, but I’ve never had a whole movie written for me”.

Her work in Far From Heaven earned her a ‘Best Actress’ nomination at the Oscars, though she ultimately lost to Nicole Kidman for The Hours. It was far from their last project together; they would team up again for I’m Not There, Wonderstruck, and May December. Moore has often spoken about her deep appreciation for their creative relationship. “I’m so honoured to be kind of in a partnership with him because he’s such a tremendous talent,” she said, noting how their work methods and preparation styles mesh perfectly. She also praised his unique vision, which she feels enhances her own work. “When you look at Todd’s lens, he communicates so much emotion in a shot, in a frame. So for me to work with someone like that who is so careful, so nuanced, so completed in a sense, gives me tremendous freedom to do my own emotional stuff.”