Podcast Summary: This Life of Mine with James Corden

Episode: Julianne Moore (Released October 21, 2025)

Overview

In this insightful and personal episode, James Corden sits down with Oscar-winning actress Julianne Moore to explore the places, people, possessions, music, and memories that have defined her remarkable life and career. Moore brings candor, warmth, and humor to stories about her Scottish heritage, childhood on military bases, formative creative influences, and reflections on her professional journey—from soap operas to Hollywood's biggest stages. The conversation features poignant recollections about family, mentors, and the unexpected turns that shaped her both as an actor and a person.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Scottish Heritage and Family Immigration (01:24–04:20)

• Moore describes her mother’s immigration from Scotland and the complexities of dual citizenship, including emotional anecdotes about her mother becoming an American citizen.

  • On her mother's citizenship:

    "She came home holding a little American flag, crying...they made her renounce her British citizenship back in the day." (01:59, Julianne Moore)

• The significance of heritage comes full circle when Moore discusses securing her own UK passport shortly before her mother's death, making the process especially meaningful.

• Iron Bru Anecdote: Moore shares a humorous family story involving her Aunt Sissy in Scotland, who mistakenly bought the local soda Iron Bru thinking young Julianne wanted it instead of orange juice.

  "My Aunt Sissy brought this home in lieu of orange juice because she thought I meant Iron Bru." (04:02, Julianne Moore)

2. Formative Place: The Library (04:24–06:39)

• Libraries as a Constant:

  • Having moved often due to her father’s military career, Moore recalls how libraries represented stability and comfort throughout her unsettled childhood.

    "It's a place of like, learning. It's a place that is communal but also private." (04:58, Julianne Moore)

  • Moore draws a direct connection between early reading and her later interest in acting, finding both to be rooted in imagination and the exploration of possibility.

• Reading Scripts & Tastes:

  • Early in her career, Moore was known to read every script sent her way, sharpening her taste and decision-making. Now, experience allows her to make faster judgments.

• On missing an opportunity because someone else discounted a script:

  "It was a Paddy Chayefsky script...That really made me realize, oh, I need to look at everything. Like, I have to." (07:40, Julianne Moore)

3. Life-Changing Memories: Juneau, Alaska and Onward (08:09–14:15)

• Moving to Juneau, Alaska at age 10:

  • Describes it as an “exotic” and formative year, unlike anything she had experienced, complete with stark natural beauty and cultural learning via a native Alaskan summer program.
  • On cultural immersion:

    "It was all kind of native. We went berry picking...made whale blubber bubble gum, and we planted and we smoked fish and... I had a tremendous amount of freedom." (10:15, Julianne Moore)

  • Watching movies alone in a small town exposed her to cinema’s breadth, citing seeing a Cassavetes film at age 10.

• Discovery of Acting:

  • A sequence of moves (back to the continental U.S., then to Germany) placed her in situations where she wasn't chosen for sports or other activities, but found affirmation and opportunity in school plays.

    "I couldn't make anything, the two of us...So we both tried out for the play...suddenly I was succeeding." (12:36, Julianne Moore)

• Pivotal Mentor:

  • A drama teacher in Germany, Robi Taylor, encouraged her ambitions and presented her with crucial information on acting schools.

• Parental Reaction:

  • Moore’s parents, especially her mother, were resistant—worrying she was “too smart” for an acting career. Agreement: If she got into specialist schools, she could pursue acting.

4. Wildcard: The Power of Cinema—Robert Altman’s "Three Women" (16:44–20:54)

• A Turning Point in Film Appreciation:

  • The enigmatic and female-centered film “Three Women” was the first time Moore recognized a director’s point of view and decided to pursue movies, not just theatre.

    “It was the first time in my life I noticed a directorial point of view, right?...I thought to myself, who made that? Who told that story? And then I saw the kind of style of acting, and I was like, that’s what I want to do.” (18:09, Julianne Moore)

• Dreams Realized:

  • Years later, working with Robert Altman on "Shortcuts" brought things “full circle”—a realization of a much-desired artistic collaboration.

• Soap Opera Roots:

  • Discusses early big break in "As the World Turns,” touching on the pace and intensity of soap acting and the underappreciated skills it requires.

    "You have to be so prepared...you might have 30 pages of dialogue that day...You have to imbue it with feeling and humanity." (22:11, Julianne Moore)

5. Musical Memory: "Don’t Pull Your Love Out on Me" by Hamilton, Joe Frank, and Reynolds (23:39–26:23)

• Music & Its Personal Effect:

  • Moore doesn’t see herself as a music person—preferring curation over curation—but this one-hit-wonder song has always been a sign of good luck for her.

    "Whenever I would hear it, I would be sure that I was gonna be lucky." (25:53, Julianne Moore)

• The quirky name of the band sparks amusement and banter between Moore and Corden.

6. Artistic Collaboration & Magnolia Reflections (26:52–30:47)

• On Paul Thomas Anderson:

  • “Boogie Nights” and “Magnolia” were both instant “yes” moments for Moore, noting Anderson’s talent and the power she felt in those scripts.

    "I was like, oh, absolutely. I'm going to be in this." (27:52, Julianne Moore)

• On the success of "Magnolia":

  • Working with Philip Seymour Hoffman: “He was filled with so much compassion and patience and love and presence...an extraordinarily sensitive actor.” (29:14, Julianne Moore)

• On awards season and winning for "Still Alice":

  • The difficult, solitary nature of awards campaigns and the intense pressure brought by expectations.

    “You know, what was hardest? Being by myself at the beginning...That was hard.” (31:24, Julianne Moore) "You’re gonna win tonight, or else it’s gonna be the biggest upset in Oscar history." (32:49, Julianne Moore)

  • She reflects on the absurdity of the idea of “best” in art.

7. Influential Person: Charlotte Perriand, Furniture Designer (33:20–35:28)

• Moore celebrates the French designer's creativity, tenacity, and philosophies on egalitarian and accessible design.

  • Personal hobby: Collecting and appreciating design furniture.

    "The older I get, the more and more interested I am in it. And she's someone who's so admirable because she also believed in design as a way for a better way of life, you know, and that it should be an egalitarian pursuit and that [design should] be accessible to everyone." (34:24, Julianne Moore)

• Corden notes her life-long attraction to storytellers and creators, linking Moore’s picks throughout the conversation.

8. Cherished Possession: Her Mother’s Locket (36:09–39:06)

• The sentimental value rests in its connection to her mother, whom Moore lost in 2009.

  “My father gave this to my mother when they were in high school...It’s nice to have something of hers that I wear all the time...It's like evidence, you know, like evidence of a life.” (36:09 & 37:22, Julianne Moore)

• Reflects on her mother’s influence, particularly in nurturing Julianne’s love of reading and independence.

  "She was the one who taught me to read...She made it very clear...that it's important for you to take your opportunities and...to chase what you want to chase...Choose your life. Your life doesn't have to choose you." (37:42–39:06, Julianne Moore)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On libraries and acting:

  "It's a place of like, learning. It's a place that is communal but also private." (04:58, Julianne Moore)

• On casting and missed opportunities:

  "I need to look at everything." (07:40, Julianne Moore)

• On feeling like an outsider and finding her place:

  "We couldn't make anything, the two of us...We both tried out for the play. And suddenly I was succeeding." (12:36, Julianne Moore)

• On the impact of Charlotte Perriand:

  "She believed in design as a way for a better way of life...an egalitarian pursuit." (34:24, Julianne Moore)

• On her mother's influence:

  "Choose your life. Your life doesn't have to choose you." (39:05, Julianne Moore)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Scottish Heritage & Family: 01:24–04:20
• Libraries & Foundation for Acting: 04:24–06:39
• Script Choices & Career Philosophy: 06:46–07:27
• Juneau, Alaska & Childhood Freedom: 08:09–14:15
• Discovery of Acting & Parental Debate: 12:36–15:00
• Wild Card (Three Women, Altman): 16:44–20:54
• Soap Opera Beginnings: 21:12–23:35
• Music Selection: 23:39–26:23
• Magnolia/Paul Thomas Anderson/Philip Seymour Hoffman: 26:51–30:47
• Awards & Solitude During Success: 30:47–33:07
• Charlotte Perriand: 33:20–35:28
• Mother’s Locket: 36:09–39:06

Tone and Language

Throughout the episode, Julianne Moore is candid, reflective, and occasionally self-deprecating, revealing vulnerability and gentle humor. James Corden maintains his characteristic warmth and inquisitiveness, eliciting thoughtful stories and genuine laughter. The conversation is accessible, deeply human, and marked by Moore's humility and passion for storytelling and creation.

This episode is especially rich for listeners interested in the intersections of family, creativity, resilience, and the quiet moments that shape a public career.