I remember being, like, ten, and my mother asking me what I wanted to do,”
Uma Thurman told Reader’s Digest. “I said, I want to be an actress–She said, Everybody does. Say something else. You’ve been watching too much TV.”
Thurman’s father was the first Western Tibetan Buddhist monk to be ordained by the Dali Lama, himself, in 1965. Her birth name is representative of the Hindu goddess of light and beauty. Uma, roughly translates to “the one who bestows blessing,” and her middle name, Karuna, means compassion.
Thurman began her career in 1984, and at the age of 18, would claim the role of Cecile de Volanges, opposite of John Malkovich and Glenn Close, in the film, Dangerous Liaisons (1988). She is known for her portrayal of Mia Wallace in Pulp Fiction (1994), Poison Ivy in Batman & Robin (1997), and particularly for “The Bride” in Kill Bill Vol.1 (2003), Vol. 2 (2004), and the rumored third installment.
Uma initially worked with Quentin Tarantino in Pulp Fiction, and would eventually earn the title as his official muse to the Kill Bill series. “(We) cooked up the character of The Bride together,” Thurman told Today.com. She is given subtle recognition in the film’s final credits, with the phrase, “Based on the character of ‘The Bride’ created by Q & U.”
As if talking smack with Tarantino isn’t enough, she is also six-foot tall, and wears size 12 shoes. Her feet would become quite an infatuation for Tarantino, who would give them their own screen time in two of their films together.
A few years ago, Uma took on a role in the Lars von Trier’s film, appropriately titled, Nymphomaniac (2013). It also featured the likes of Charlotte Gainsbourg, Shia LeBeouf, Christian Slater, and Jamie Bell in real-life sex scenes.
Some audiences may have been shocked to find Thurman in this film. However, she does have two marriages under her belt, including Gary Oldman (1990-1992) and Ethan Hawke (1998-2004). Most of all… she seems to have a rather open view of the institution, considering this quote:
It is better to have a relationship with someone who cheats—than with someone who does not flush the toilet.”
Don’t get your hopes too high for the film if you haven’t seen it yet. Actor, Stellan Skarsgard, says it best, “The film is sexually explicit, but believe me–it will be a very, very bad wanking movie.”
However, this is how most of us will remember Thurman most:
About Dr. Eric J. Leech
Eric has written for over a decade. Then one day he created Urbasm.com, a site for every guy.
About Dr. Eric J. Leech