SimplyCity - Summer 2000
THE SLASHING, SMASHING JULIA
FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE MOVING TO L.A. WITH NEW HUSBAND JOHN, JULIA ORMOND SEEKS OUT ABOUT HER NEED FOR BALANCE, PRIVACY, SIMPLICITY.
DANIELLE CHANG SPOKE TO THE SABRINA STARLET ABOUT FINDING THE BALANCE BETWEEN HER ACTOR/PRODUCER, PUBLIC/PRIVATE LIVES. JULIA CAN BE SEEN NEXT IN THE PRIME GIG, A DARK COMEDY CO-STARRING VINCE VAUGHN AND ED HARRIS, DIRECTED BY GREGORY MOSHER, AND IN THE VARIAN'S WAR , IN WHICH SHE PLAYS A GUTSY RESISTANCE WORKER OPPOSITE WILLIAM HURT. HER CONTRIBUTION TO THE BIG SCREEN DOESN'T END THERE; HER PRODUCTION COMPANY INDICAN (A PHONETIC PUN ON "IN THE CAN"), WHICH HAS EXECUTIVE PRODUCED INDEPENDENT TITLES SUCH AS CALLING THE GHOSTS (A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT TWO WOMEN WHO SURVIVED OMARSKA) IS CURRENTLY PRODUCING THE DREAMING CHILD, A HAROLD PINTER ADAPTATION OF AN ISAK DINESON SHORT STORY.
WHAT DOES SIMPLICITY MEAN YOU?
Balance. Less is more. Efficiency. I feel simplicity when I just go with the flow and have an understanding how the universe works - whatever that means. Certainly simplicity is something I constantly yearn for but don't always achieve.
WHAT DO YOU DO TO MAINTAIN A BALANCE LIFESTYLE?
I think it's a matter of constantly prioritizing, and really understanding which area of your life needs attention at a particular moment. For instance, I spent a whole year in Russia and Prague to film The Barber of Siberia. When we finished shooting, I needed to balance my life by working on the production company and on my home life for quite long time before I felt ready to jump into acting again.
BUT CAN WE HAVE IT ALL? FAMILY, CAREER, FRIENDS. . . . I THINK EVEN THOUGH WE GREW UP BELIEVING WE WERE GOING TO BE THE FIRST GENERATION OF WOMEN TO REALLY HAVE IT ALL, IN REALITY WE'RE STILL MAKING SOME DIFFICULT COMPROMISES.
I'm a great believer that if you are to have a family, then you should have a strong sense of self. I've also spent a lot of time on my own outside of a relationship and that was a great thing to do. Even though women do have more opportunities today, they are still the ones who seem pushed to make the choice between work and family because they're the ones actually give birth. I see women who juggle and succeed at the juggling, but I do think it's about prioritizing and making smart choices and being aware when one thing needs attention.
I haven't had children yet but there's only so much time when your children are at a certain age when they really need their parents. There are bound to be certain sacrifices you have to make as a parent but your given so much in return by them. All the mothers I know say having children is just the greatest thing that's ever happened to them and that they get and learn so much from their children. It's important to remember that. I think we're very lucky we're living in a generation where you can be looking at having children in your 30's and even in your 40's, so you can have lived life in a different way and can have gotten some of that out of your system.
BUT I'M MEETING OR WITHIN THE STATES WOULD OWN WALL THAT HAD CHILDREN AND SOCIETY STILL THOSE THAN A FUNNY WAY . . .
True. I think the women who have made that choice are very brave. The whole birth thing is so incredible that to go through life as a woman and not have that experience would be - for me at least - unfulfilling. However, I'm not judgmental about people who don't want to have children. After all, we live in a hugely over-populated planet. And I think breaking the stigma of being a woman and not having children is very important - it's a personal choice and if you don't think you are cut out to be a mother, you shouldn't be a mother.
IS THE PRODUCTION COMPANY A STRATEGIC DECISION TO MOVE AWAY FROM ACTING?
No, there are certain aspects of acting and I really love. For instance, getting under someone else's skin and exploring someone else's psyche and someone else's choices. But the production company has given me a lot of opportunities to explore and to take risks. I've found that is actually helped me as an actor to follow a project from start to completion. It's given me great respect for the process and people who are involved in it.
In fact, the time I've spent at the production company has released me in some ways that acting didn't. For instance, I really enjoy working with writers. The schlepping around and looking for money part I can do without - that's the part of producing that I don't really enjoy - but the rest of it I really love, and have been yearning for throughout my acting career. It's released me as actor as well.
IS THERE AND IDEAL AGE TO CAN BE AN ACTOR? IS IT IN ONE'S MID-30'S?
I think being my age opens up some stuff and closes up others. Right now there's a lot work for those than their late teens, but that's always been the case with actors. I know that in my early 20's I was yearning to play parts with more breadth and depth, which are basically older parts. Given the right opportunity, there is no ideal age, look at Judy Dench!
BUT HOW MUCH OF A ROLE DO BEAUTY AND YOUTH PLAY IN TERMS OF BEING CAST FOR PARTS?
Well, in order for a film to work the audience has to be able to relate to the person of the screen and watching someone that is attractive, whatever that means, is something that can't be ignored. I do worry, though, about how our industry influences young girls in terms of their self esteem being tied to their appearance. Unfortunately, we live in a culture that celebrates beauty to such a degree that we're still led to believe that beauty is the most paramount thing in life.
THAT MAY BE THE CASE, BUT THERE'S REALLY NOTHING WRONG ABOUT APPRECIATING GENUINE BEAUTY, IS THERE?
I think it's very important for every woman to appreciate her attributes, particularly what has been passed along genetically. There's a lot of mixed prejudice for women: the prejudice against being fat, but also the prejudice against real, natural beauty. We still have a lot of work to do in terms of not being negative toward someone for being beautiful and for thinking that beautiful people don't have a lot brain cells. There's a backlash against beautiful women and supermodels that's really unfair.
ANOTHER HUGE STIGMA I THINK WE NEED TO BREAK OUT OF IS THE ABILITY TO SAY TO OTHERS THAT WE WANT TO SPEND PERSONAL TIME ALONE, AND THAT WE SHOULDN'T FEEL GUILTY ABOUT TAKING THAT NECESSARY INDULGENCE.
It's always first to go, isn't it!
WHAT DO YOU DO TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF?
Working out makes the feel more energized, more together. Diet is also very important. Basically all of the things that keep us on track as human beings are fairly obvious, eating fresh vegetables and fruits, drinking lots of water, not drinking coffee, not smoking, not drinking alcohol, getting enough sleep, laughing and meditating, all of those are things that lead to a much more balanced life. That's my ideal, but it's hard to stick to it.
WHICH DO YOU PREFER? A QUIET NIGHT IN OR LOUD NIGHT OUT?
A night in . . . basically doing anything with John. Definitely doing anything with John! Taking the dog for a walk . . . the simple things. I don't need the other trappings to have a good time; in fact, one of the things I had to confront about being an actress and having a certain amount of fame is that you all of a sudden have to throw yourself into the whole premiere thing, and some of that can be quite frightening. I found it terrifying to face the crowds and the paparazzi. It's taken me a while to adjust and have a certain understanding of it.
ARE YOU REALLY PUBLIC SHY OR JUST PRIVATE BY CHOICE?
One of the ways I stay grounded is to keep my personal life private. Also, as an actor, so much of your inner life is projected onto the screen and I have found that the way for me to deal is to be private with my home life. There's Julia of the professional, the actor, who the press relates to one way. Then there's Julia, me, the real person, who is disconnected from that. It's a complicit dance, in a way, that's part of the job.
PEOPLE SAY IN HOLLYWOOD ONE SPEAKS TO THEIR AGENT MORE THAN THEIR BEST FRIEND. WHO ARE YOUR CLOSE FRIENDS?
My husband, some girlfriends in Britain - very good friends, from years ago, friends from drama school - and then I have a whole slew of friends out here. Girlfriends are very important to me.