Childhood & Early Life
Uma Thurman was born on 29 April 1970, in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, to Robert Thurman, a professor and author, and Nena von Schlebrugge, a model. She is of mixed descent which explains her exotic looks.
She attended ‘Amherst Regional Middle School.’ As a child, she was an introvert and others made fun of her lanky frame and large feet.
She attended ‘Northfield Mount Hermon School,’ a preparatory school in Massachusetts. However, she dropped out when she was 15 to pursue an acting career.
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Career
She began modeling when she was just 15; she has appeared on the covers of ‘Glamour’ and ‘Vogue.’
She began receiving minor movie roles by the late-1980s. She appeared in the teen thriller ‘Kiss Daddy Goodnight’ in 1987. In 1988, she appeared nude in one of the scenes of the movie ‘The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.’
She played the character of ‘Cecile de Volanges’ in the 1988 historical drama ‘Dangerous Liaisons.’ The movie was critically acclaimed and got nominated for several ‘Academy Awards.’
In 1990, she played a sexually provocative role in the biographical drama ‘Henry & June’ which also starred Fred Ward and Maria de Medeiros. The movie was released with an ‘NC-17’ rating because of its sexual content and Thurman became an overnight sex symbol.
She was cast as the main character ‘Sissy’ in the 1993 movie ‘Even Cowgirls Get the Blues’ which was based on a novel of the same name by Tom Robbins. The movie was a critical and commercial failure.
She received her big break in 1994 when she was selected to play ‘Mia Wallace’ in the dark comedy film ‘Pulp Fiction.’ The movie was a huge commercial as well as critical success, and Thurman was appreciated for her role.
Throughout the 1990s, she starred in several movies, such as ‘Beautiful Girls’ (1996), ‘The Avengers’ (1998), and ‘Sweet and Lowdown’ (1999). When her daughter Maya was born in 1998, she took a two-year break from taking up major film roles to focus on her family.
She played ‘The Bride’ in ‘Kill Bill: Volume 1’ (2003) in which she portrayed a woman seeking revenge on those who massacred the members of her wedding party. She earned several awards and nominations for her role.
She reprised her role as ‘The Bride’ in ‘Kill Bill: Volume 2’ in 2004. This movie too was a huge hit like its predecessor.
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In 2008, she appeared alongside Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Colin Firth, and Sam Shepard in the romantic comedy film ‘The Accidental Husband.’ The movie was a big box office success.
Her other movies in the early-2010s include ‘Ceremony’ (2010) and ‘Movie 43’ (2013).
In 2015, Thurman appeared alongside Bradley Cooper in the drama film ‘Burnt’ which fared quite well at the box-office. She then played the recurring role of ‘Anouk Latham’ in the ‘NBC’ miniseries ‘The Slap’ for which she received rave reviews.
In 2017, she made her Broadway debut with the production of ‘The Parisian Woman,’ written by Beau Willimon. The play ran for 141 performances and received mixed reviews. The same year, she was also seen in the dark comedy series ‘Imposters.’
In 2018, she was seen in three movies, namely ‘The Con is On,’ ‘The House That Jack Built,’ and ‘Down a Dark Hall.’ The following year, she became part of the main cast in the ‘Netflix’ series ‘Chambers.’ The show was canceled after a season.
Awards & Achievements
In 2003, she won the ‘Golden Globe Award’ for ‘Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film’ for the ‘HBO’ series ‘Hysterical Blindness.’
She won the ‘Saturn Award’ for ‘Best Actress’ for ‘Kill Bill Volume 1’ in 2004.
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In 2017, she was named the president of ‘Cannes Film Festival.’
She has also won the Broadway.com ‘Audience Award’ for her role in the play ‘The Parisian Woman.’
On March 2019, she became the recipient of honorary ‘Special David Award,’ which is given at the ‘David de Donatello’ awards ceremony.
Personal Life & Legacy
She married actor Gary Oldman in 1990, and divorced him two years later.
She married Ethan Hawke in 1998, and had two children with him. Thurman and Hawke divorced in 2005.
She then began a relationship with French financier Arpad Busson with whom she has a daughter. Thurman and Busson parted ways on April 2014.
Through a social media post in 2017, Thurman confirmed that she was sexually abused by former film producer Harvey Weinstein, who was accused of rape, sexual assault, and abuse by other women too.
She is a staunch human rights activist, associating herself with the ‘USAID’ campaign and fighting for LGBT civil rights. She also supports the protection of animals that are on the verge of extinction.
