Los Angeles

Calling Gloria: Julianne Moore on the Delight of Tackling ‘Gloria Bell'

The director, who was asked why re-imagine his own foreign film with an American cast, says the answer was quite simple ... Julianne Moore.

Over the course of dozens of films, Academy Award winner Julianne Moore has shown no hesitation in peeling back the layers and revealing her character's innermost vulnerabilities and desires. 

It doesn't matter if she's assuming the mantle of Clarice Starling from Jodie Foster in 2001's "Hannibal," or her Oscar-winning turn as Alice Howland in 2014's "Still Alice."  She's now just as well known to a younger generation of movie goers after diving into more recent action-oriented fare like "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" portraying the president in "The Hunger Games" franchise.

In her new film "Gloria Bell," Moore takes on the role of a free-spirited divorcee who spends her days in a straight-laced office jobs and her nights on the dance floor of clubs around Los Angeles. Her word is turned upside down after a chance encounter with John Turturro that brings unexpected delights, comedy and heartache.

The film, from Academy Award-winning director Sebastian Lelio, is a nearly scene-for-scene remake of his 2013 foreign language film "Gloria." 

"When I saw "Gloria," I just flipped out for her. I felt so drawn to her as a woman and so incredibly entranced and moved," Moore says. "I love that she sees her life as hr own, that she does things because they're pleasurable, because they make her feel good."

Lelio, who was asked why re-imagine his own film with an American cast, says the answer was quite simple: "Because of my admiration for Julianne Moore."

Moore and Lelio spoke to NBC Digital Entertainment Editor Eric Hinton about why the film taps into an audience starved for stories told from the perspective of mature, complex female leads.

Contact Us