The first time Uma Thurman felt like a real actor: “Most of the time, I feel I haven’t”
It is often a dangerous thing for actors to express pride within their work, as both the film community and professional critics can be quite scathing when assessing their abilities, which makes it hard to be a working actor, especially when even Uma Thurman has struggled to feel like a real actor, with a career as impressive as hers.
Her résumé of credits is quite amazing when considering how young she was when she kicked off her career, as she was only 18 when she co-starred opposite John Malkovich and Glenn Close in the Oscar-nominated period drama Dangerous Liaisons. However, it was ultimately her working relationship with Quentin Tarantino that ascended her to stardom when her scene-stealing performance in his masterpiece Pulp Fiction earned her an Academy Award for ‘Best Supporting Actress’.
While Thurman admitted to struggling to find the right roles in the direct aftermath, she earned another comeback thanks to Tarantino when he cast her as ‘The Bride’ in his two-part revenge epic Kill Bill, wherein the two riveting action films pushed her to her physical and emotional limits while she completely redefined what a female action star could be.
Although she has been primarily associated with action and genre roles, that perspective was challenged with Motherhood, which allowed her to show her abilities with dramatic realism, and while it is hardly the most famous film that the actor has ever appeared in, it may be the most personal. Written and directed by Katherine Dieckmann, the film stars Thurman as a stressed-out mother who tries to deliver the best birthday party possible for her young daughter.
Even though reviews for Motherhood were respectful, if not exactly raves, Thurman’s contentment may have been the result of the award, which honoured her for the achievements she’s made throughout her entire career.
Considering how often actors feel like their work is unsatisfying or overlooked, it’s understandable why being honoured in a public venue meant a lot to her, and while Kill Bill may be the type of film that will be remembered for generations, it wasn’t until she received a career achievement award at the 2009 Chicago International Film Festival that she allowed herself to take pride in her success.
“I hope I achieved something,” Thurman said during the ceremony, “Sometimes, I feel I have. Most of the time, I feel I haven’t. Being here now is my greatest achievement. You look at the hazing process of the acting community, and it’s worse than any college sorority.”
The unfortunate reality is that Hollywood has historically had an issue with giving great roles to women after they reach a certain age, and even an actress as beloved as Thurman might have found their options dwindling. Kill Bill should’ve kicked off a revival in her career, but it didn’t lead to another period of instant success, as many of the subsequent projects she appeared in were more obscure.
Thankfully, she has always defied the odds and has landed a few impressive roles recently that have brought her back into the spotlight, and although Dexter: Resurrections and The Old Guard 2 might not have the same pop culture impact as Pulp Fiction or the same personal touch as Motherhood, they at least indicate that Thurman isn’t giving up and knows her worth now.
