Julie Anne Smith (born December 3, 1960), known professionally as Julianne Moore, is an American actress and children's author. Prolific in film since the early 1990s, she is known for her portrayals of emotionally troubled women in independent films and her roles in blockbusters. She has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and two Emmy Awards. In 2015, Timenamed her one of the 100 most influential people in the world; in 2020, The New York Times named her one of the greatest actors of the 21st century. After studying theatre at Boston University, Moore began acting in television. From 1985 to 1988, she was a regular in the soap opera As the World Turns, earning a Daytime Emmy Award. Moore made her breakthrough with Robert Altman's ensemble film Short Cuts (1993...