The “miraculous performer” Uma Thurman was dying to work with: “A very powerful individual”
Female action heroes are still a rare feature in modern cinema, but they have come a long way in a relatively short space of time. One person to thank for this transformation is Uma Thurman.
As the sword-wielding, revenge-seeking ‘Bride’ in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill movies, the star set a template for badass women that still holds up over two decades later. You could argue that Carrie-Anne Moss deserves the credit for The Matrix, but in truth, both women’s work helped propel the genre forward.
It might have nearly killed her, but the blood-stained duology catapulted Thurman to new heights of celebrity, securing her legacy forevermore. Though the film takes its lead heavily from the 1970s exploitation movies that Tarantino loves, Thurman’s performance was seen by many more people and has had a far larger impact on culture as a whole. The Bride’s iconic yellow and black jumpsuit alone is one of the most memorable movie costumes of all time.
Perhaps in an effort to preserve her status as an action heroine, Thurman hasn’t really returned to the genre since her Kill Bill fame. She was in a John Woo movie called Paycheck in 2003 – the same year as the first Kill Bill came out – but other than that, she’s managed to keep her distance. That was, until she signed on to appear in The Old Guard 2.
The sequel to its 2020 original, The Old Guard, was released on Netflix in 2025. Based on a series of graphic novels, the films follow a group of immortal warriors as they wage a never-ending war to protect humanity from evil forces. Thurman joins the franchise as a character called Discord, the very first immortal who has used her infinite lifespan to become a successful arms dealer. “I thought that first movie was really unusual,” she told The Times of her reason for taking the part. “A superb female-led action film that had depth, drama and really beautiful, naturalistic acting.”
The series is led by Charlize Theron. Her character, Andy, is the leader of the group, and another reason why Thurman was so keen to appear in the sequel. “Charlize is a miraculous performer,” she opined. “Very powerful individual and as charismatic in person as on screen. And I liked the idea of playing a supporting role to another actress who I thought had done really significant work in the drama/action field.”
Like Thurman, Theron is also a pivotal figure in the evolution of female action stars. Also rising to prominence in the noughties, the South African played key roles in films like The Italian Job, Hancock, and Reindeer Games. In contrast to her future co-star, however, Theron has continued to work in the field.
Her performance in Mad Max: Fury Road, widely regarded as one of the greatest action films ever, was so strong that it inspired a spin-off based on her character, Imperator Furiosa. In recent years, she has become a part of the Fast and Furious franchise, in addition to leading the aforementioned Old Guard.
It’s insane that it took until 2025 for these two icons of their field to share the screen. Both Thurman and Theron have done incredible work in the action genre, which hasn’t gone unnoticed by either star.
