She’s Cool with Aging: Julianne Moore

You might be interested to know there is more to this woman than a beautiful face. She’s got a brain, too. And a healthy dose of attitude. In a recent interview in More Magazine, JM revealed that she is aging thoughtfully and with confidence. For one thing, she is moving away from acting in dark movies. “I used to think, ‘Life’s really challenging. Things are tough, so they should be tough in a book, in a movie. They should be sad.’ But the older I get, the more I like happy endings.”

So she has decided to forego negativity, to a certain extent, because – hello – it’s not necessarily productive. At our age, we’ve dealt with a lot of pain in our lives. So why torture yourself with depressing novels, stories, and movies? I don’t mean stick your head in the sand, but be mindful of what you expose yourself to.

For that reason, Bill and I have decided to stop watching the news. We were fast-forwarding more and more. A story would come up about a dog biting off the ear of a 1-year-old, and I’d speed past it. Then a drunk driver plowing into another car, killing the whole family. I swear to God, I used to shout at the TV, “Why the hell do I need to know this?” and I’d hit fast forward, foaming at the mouth. Stupid, gratuitous, heartbreaking “news.” One night I realized we were basically just watching the weather. Like I can’t just tap my smart phone for that tidbit. And I can read about current events on my computer.

Julianne also said, “When you’re starting out in this business, you feel like you’re not in charge, that you’re still looking to the world for a kind of validation. But as you get older, you realize that direction comes from yourself, from your own desires and responsibilities. You choose your work. You choose your life. That’s where your power comes from-and that’s a great feeling.”

She seems to have a sense of humor, and when asked to complete the More questionnaire, she gave these somewhat testy responses.

What is more important to you today than 20 years ago? – Being alive.
What’s more terrifying than failure? – Broken bones.
More women seek to age gracefully. What’s your advice? – What’s the alternative? To not age?

I think she’s cool with whatever time is going to do with her face and body. If Hollywood’s obsession with taut skin and perky boobs ends up sinking Julianne’s career, she’ll shrug and do something else. No big deal. As Bill Maher said in the video, “You’re beautiful when you’re young and you’re wise when you’re old. Duh. Get over it.”

Have a great Thanksgiving.