Julianne Moore: Playing Sarah Palin Was "a Big Challenge"

Julianne Moore: Playing Sarah Palin Was "a Big Challenge"

When we first saw the photo of Julianne Moore dressed as Sarah Palin for the new HBO movie Game Change, we did a double take. She looked so believable as the former Alaskan governor that even Tina Fey would be impressed! But Moore, 50, tells iVillage that getting into character wasn't as easy as it looks.

"This is the first time I have played an actual person who is living," she said. "It's very, very challenging when somebody is so present in people's minds and is on television frequently."

When iVillage caught up with the actress, she revealed how she delved into the mindset of the would-be vice president. Plus, Moore (who has two kids -- Caleb, 13, and Liv, 9 -- with hubby Bart Freundlich) also dished about her upcoming comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love (in theaters July 29), her theory on soul mates and why being a working mom can be "super, super hard."

The concept of soul mates is a major theme in Crazy, Stupid, Love. Do you believe in the idea?

I think it's rare to fall in love with someone and to meet someone that you want to spend the rest of your life with. I think that's one of the challenges that people talk about in the dating world. It's not like there's one opportunity after another. When you do meet someone I think we all know that it's a big deal and it usually is meaningful, and that's why we end up marrying someone. In terms of longevity, we all want that, I think everyone wants that. But it's a challenge for us all. It takes work and commitment and desire and I don't think it makes a difference whether you're in Hollywood or not, really.

How do you balance work and being a mom?

It's hard. It's really super, super hard. We all were in L.A. yesterday because my husband has a job out there. Then I came back here with the kids. And then because I have this junket this weekend, the kids went out to our little house with their grandmother. And their uncle's there, so they're with them for the weekend. We manage it, but sort of the same way everybody does it, I think.

By the skin of their teeth.

Yeah, that's right, exactly!

You recently said your theory on plastic surgery is, "Live and let live." Is that hard to do in Hollywood?

I think aging is hard for everybody. You think like, "Ugh, I don't like how I look." I do think that that's the human condition. I kind of break things down when I talk about this, but really I think fear of wrinkles and fear of age is really about death. None of us wants to look at that, but we kind of have to. That's just sort of where we are.

You’re playing Sarah Palin in the upcoming Game Change, but you’re pretty liberal in your politics. How did you get into the mindset?

I looked at a tremendous amount of footage. There's stuff all over YouTube of just about everything that she did and interviews. I listened to her book on tape and read all the books written about her and just basically immersed myself in as much stuff as I could. This is the first time I have played an actual person who is living. It's very, very challenging when somebody is so present in people's minds and is on television frequently. It was a big challenge.

Have you met her?

No, I haven’t.

Do you want to?

If the opportunity presented itself, sure. I've finished (shooting the movie) now, so in a way it could be interesting. But I don't know if the opportunity is going to present itself.

Ashley Tisdale Georgina Grenville Amanda Detmer Missy Peregrym

Miley Cyrus? Marine Corps Ball Invitation: Ignored?

This is getting out of hand. Miley Cyrus? Marine Corps Ball invite was sent via Youtube late this week ? but did she totally ignore it? It all seemingly started with a Marine who decided to invite former That 70?s Show star Mila Kunis, who actually agreed to go. From there, another invite went out to a celebrity, but this time it was for Betty White. It was not a joke or prank, a Marine named Ray Lewis apparently genuinely wants her to attend with him. Too bad for him, because she actually declined. Taking a queue from Betty, it looks like Miley might snub the guy who asked her as well. PFC Hart put together a nifty little video invite for the young singer, which fittingly includes clips of her song ?Party In The USA.? The only problem is that so far, there is absolutely no word from Miley or her people. Sure, we could be jumping the gun here, but normally there would at least be some sort of response in a situation like this. Yes, the press is terribly critical of her, myself included. There?s nothing more satisfying than making fun of her ridiculously nonsensical quotes, or [...]

Milla Jovovich Patricia Velásquez Estella Warren Cheryl Burke

Report: Kristin Cavallari & Jay Cutler Call Off Engagement

Looking as if a long life of happiness together wasn't in the cards, Kristin Cavallari is reportedly no longer engaged to marry Jay Cutler.

With the pair having gotten engaged back in April while having been together for ten months, an insider tells People magazine that the reality star and her Chicago Bears QB beau have pulled the plug on their marital plans.

Of the news, the People source dished, "She was hanging out at a table with Nicky Hilton and Alessandra Ambrosio. She was telling friends how she called off the engagement."

The nixed engagement comes after Jay was alongside Kristin to offer support as she walked the runway during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week SWIM in Miami just last weekend.

Michael Michele Anna Kournikova Grace Park Ashlee Simpson

HGTV, LA and Dining Room Tables

I've been watching a lot of HGTV since coming to LA. My favorite shows are House Hunters and House Hunters International. There's also another show I like to watch called For Rent, but only because it makes me angry.

When it comes to apartments/homes, I think living in New York for the past eleven years has made me bitter because there was this whiny broad on For Rent a few nights ago who was looking at a huge place—A HUGE PLACE—and was like, "There's no place for a dining room table..."

B*TCH, YOU'RE LUCKY TO GET A KITCHEN IN NEW YORK.

I hated her.

Now there's some stupid lady on House Hunters who wants a townhouse with a fireplace that she can turn on with a light switch. IT HAS TO BE A LIGHT SWITCH because she doesn't want to bend down and flip a switch on the floor.

WHO DO THESE PEOPLE THINK THEY ARE?

Anyway, I know my LA update is WAY overdue (and truth be told I wrote a long one last week but for some reason it didn't save so I lost the whole thing and I was so angry that I just said, "Ah, f*ck it," and closed the computer instead of rewriting) but to give you a quick update, I AM SO HAPPY HERE. I MEAN, I'M REALLY, REALLY HAPPY. And I think living here and watching HGTV—both of these things combined—has made me realize that New York was just beating me down. I mean, the fireplace lady—yes, she's an idiot. But there's nothing wrong with wanting a dining room table. Why did I get so mad at that lady?

Since being here, at least once a day I ask myself why I have lived in New York for so long. (It's like I had Stockholm Syndrome or something.) CALIFORNIA IS AWESOME. It's like the promised land. It's sunny all the time and there are birds and flowers everywhere. I have space out here. I have a sofa on the patio out here. I HAVE A SOFA OUTSIDE. I haven't seen one rat since I've been here. But hummingbirds? THEY ZIP BY MY HEAD EVERY DAY. I am so happy.

I'm supposed to go back to New York in November, but truth be told, I'm not sure I will.

Mandy Moore Jessica Cauffiel Jessica White Michelle Rodriguez

EXCLUSIVE: Rhys Ifans Not In 'Bond 23,' But Does 'Have A License To Kill'

Rumor squashing alert, Movies Blog readers: Rhys Ifans is not going to be in the upcoming James Bond movie. The rumored casting hit the web last week, floating the notion that Ifans had come on board "Bond 23" in an unspecified role. We were busy speculating what role Ifans could have possibly been playing, but apparently [...]

Milla Jovovich Patricia Velásquez Estella Warren Cheryl Burke