Julianne Moore (Fort Liberty, North Carolina; 63 years old) has been seen in recent days in Madrid, where she is preparing the filming of Pedro Almodóvar's new film,
The Room Next Door
,
the La Mancha director's first feature film in English .
“I can't say anything, but it is very exciting for me, a dream come true.
“I have always, always, always wanted to work with Pedro,” the actress emphasized in a video call interview with EL PAÍS on February 28.
“It's wonderful to be in the cast of her first feature in English.
I feel very lucky to work with him, in Spain, in Madrid, and to work with Tilda Swinton [co-star of the film].
He is a master, an original and extraordinary voice.”
That will be Julianne Moore's next project, but first, the 2015 Oscar winner for
Always Alice
stars in the provocative series
Mary & George
(on SkyShowtime with new episodes every Friday).
Historical drama, palace intrigues, sex and black comedy are the ingredients of a combination that has already demonstrated its good fit in titles such as the series
The Great
or the film
The Favorite
and which here has as a backdrop a surprising true story: that of a woman who raised one of her sons to become the lover of King James I of England.
Mary Villers sent her second son to be trained in France with the intention that, upon her return to England, she would rise up the social ladder.
He ended up being one of the most influential and respected men in early 17th century England and the first Duke of Buckingham thanks to his relationship with the monarch.
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Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore will star in 'The Room Next Door', Pedro Almodóvar's new film
“I didn't know anything about her and very, very little about Jacobin history, to be honest.
But I read the script for the first episode and saw that the character started with so much energy and was so incredibly interesting that it grabbed me.
“Then I was surprised to discover that it was actually based on a historical figure who achieved so much in her life that she got buried in Westminster Abbey,” says Moore, recalling how he came to the character.
Written by DC Moore, one of the screenwriters of
Killing Eve
, the miniseries is based on Benjamin Woolley's book
The King's Assassin
, about the court of James I and how the young George Villers (in fiction, played by Nicholas Galitzine) He became the monarch's favorite.
“I was especially interested in how someone like Mary, who had no autonomy or independence, who had no property or power, managed to exercise that power through the men she married and her sons,” summarizes the actress.
Julianne Moore plays Mary Villers in 'Mary & George'.Rory Mulvey
The series posed several challenges for Julianne Moore.
She was the only American actress in an all-British cast.
“It was the biggest challenge for me, but also the most fun of this project.
Every time I have the opportunity to challenge myself and put myself in a very different situation, on the one hand it is intimidating, but at the same time it is exhilarating.”
It was also one of her few times in a historical drama.
“There was a lot to learn.
There was a lot of behavior and ways of doing things that I had to learn when it came to the culture of that time and those particular people.
The dresses were extraordinary.
As it is a relatively short period in British history, there are not many films about that time and there was no previous material to draw on.
Normally, in period films there are costume houses with previous material, but our costume designer, Annie Simmons, had to build everything from scratch,” she highlights.
Although palace intrigues (sex through) predominate in the story, humor constantly sneaks into the acidic dialogues.
“It is a humor that arises from the intelligence with which the script is written, very lively and very modern, I think.
I like it because you are offering people entertainment but also historical fiction, and a very modern look is being directed at history, so that we see ourselves and our desires and hierarchies reflected in them," highlights the actress. .
At
Mary & George
Moore she is also an executive producer: “For those of us who have been in this industry for a while, it's nice to be able to have our own voice in certain decisions and get involved in the things that matter to you,” she explains about the other side of her.
Julianne Moore and Nicholas Galitzine are mother and son in 'Mary & George'.Rory Mulvey
With
Mary & George,
Julianne Moore returns to a medium that she has not frequented (with the exception of the miniseries
Lisey's Story
, in 2021, and specific participations) but in which she took her first steps as an actress, forging herself in the school that are the daily series, in his case, in
As the World Turns,
which aired between 1985 and 2010 and where he participated in 126 episodes.
“I pay attention to the material more than the place where it is broadcast.
I have not avoided something just because of where it will be seen, I look for interesting material.
And yes, I think in recent years there has been an explosion of really fantastic material on television and
Mary & George
is among those stories,” she answers.
A common complaint among actresses as they age is the lack of interesting characters available to them.
What is Julianne Moore's experience?
“I've been asked that question since I started working in the film industry when I was in my twenties.
I think it's hard for everyone to find good roles.
There is a part of the industry that produces things that they believe will make money and that will achieve commercial success, they do not produce things because they think they will be great roles for actors.
No matter where you are in your career, it will always be a challenge to find really good things to do.
That said, I feel very lucky that I have found interesting jobs.
This business is like that, you go from job to job, you finish one and you never know what the next one is going to be.”
'Mary & George' is set in the reign of James I of England and VI of Scotland.Rory Mulvey
We invite Julianne Moore to look back at her career and try to define what her journey as an actress has been like.
“It is a very complicated question.
It's funny, because when I think about it, I always surprise myself.
Sometimes I forget and suddenly it's like 'oh, I did that, and that!'.
I would describe my career as extremely fortunate.
I've been very lucky to work with incredibly talented filmmakers, screenwriters and actors.
I have been guided above all by the material, and when I look back and think about the choices I have made, it has always been in response to the stories that came to me.”
And any regrets?
“Movies I wish I hadn't made?
You know, every once in a while you find yourself in a situation where you suddenly think, 'this wasn't what I expected.'
But even in those moments you can learn, and there are things you don't know you can do until you try,” she concludes.
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