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Uma Thurman is one of the most well-known and respected actresses in Hollywood. She first gained prominence with a small role in Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 film Pulp Fiction, but she soon became an international sensation when she reunited with this director to play the lead role in Kill Bill: Volume 1 and its sequel.
In addition to these cult classic films, Thurman has almost 70 acting credits in many other films and television series.
Although she has appeared in many critically and commercially successful films not every project Uma Thurman has starred in has been successful. In fact, around 2010, Thurman was set to star in the children’s movie Eloise in Paris but the project came to an abrupt end before filming even started.
Turns out that Thurman’s list of demands, which included “favorable dressing facilities” for the actress, played a big role in killing this movie before it even saw the light.
Uma Thurman Had Chosen This Career Path Before Becoming An Actress
Uma Thurman’s career began when she was only 15 years old. Believe it or not, her first job was not as an actress but rather as a model. Thurman signed up with the agency Click Models when she was still in high school. Her early modeling credits include appearances in magazines like Glamour and two covers of British Vogue.
Despite making a name for herself in the modeling industry, Thurman always wanted to become an actress. She finally made the transition to acting with her film debut in the 1987 teen thriller Kiss Daddy Goodnight. Thurman’s performance was so great that she was cast in three films the following year: Johnny Be Good, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, and one of her most notable works, Dangerous Liaisons, co-starring Glenn Close and John Malkovich.
This period romantic drama would go on to win three Academy Awards, including the Oscar for Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. It would also help solidify Thurman’s status as an actress.
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Uma Thurman Rose To Prominence Thanks To This Quentin Tarantino Film
In the early 90s, Uma Thurman began landing more leading roles in a variety of films, such as the 1990 drama Henry & June, the 1991 British adventure film Robin Hood, and the 1993 adaptation of Tom Robbins’ novel Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. But she wouldn’t gain international stardom until 1994 when she was cast in Quentin Tarantino’s neo-noir comedy film Pulp Fiction.
Although several well-known actresses were considered for the role of Mia Wallace, the wife of a Los Angeles mobster, Tarantino ultimately cast Thurman after their first meeting. This ended up being a great decision. Pulp Fiction grossed out more than $213 million worldwide and her performance won Thurman tons of praise from the critics, nominations for a Golden Globe and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and an A-list status in Hollywood.
Following the success of this movie, Thurman chose not to star in any big-budget film for the following three years. During this time, the actress appeared in a wide variety of movies, including the romantic dramedy Beautiful Girls, the comedy The Truth About Cats & Dogs, and the 1997 sci-fi flick Gattaca, co-starring Ethan Hawke.
During the early 2000s, Thurman’s career took a turn for the best when she reunited with Quentin Tarantino for the two-part martial arts action film Kill Bill (2003–2004). Both movies went on to become huge box office hits once they were released in theaters. According to Box Office Mojo, Kill Bill: Volume 1 grossed more than $180 million worldwide, while its sequel made over $154 million. Kill Bill would then go on to become a cult classic, and Uma Thurman became one of the most well-known and prominent actresses in Hollywood thanks to this.
Uma Thurman Had A Long List Of Demands For Her Role In Eloise In Paris
In 2010, Uma Thurman was set to star in Eloise in Paris, a children’s movie based on the classic 1950s children’s book by Kay Thompson. However, the project kept to an end before the shooting had even wrapped. Filming for this movie had to be suspended because of a breach of contract dispute brought by Thurman’s legal team, Karuna Dream, Inc company.
Thurman’s contract for Eloise in Paris was leaked online that same year. It then became clear that there were plenty of potential clauses to breach, thanks to Thurman’s long list of demands.
Among her demands were a $4.5 million salary, first-class air travel to all filming locations, a “three-bedroom hotel suite”, and three cell phones she could use for the duration of the production. In addition to this, Thurman’s contact stated that she had to get “more favorable dressing facilities” than her castmates and that the actress would be allowed to purchase any costumes or wigs used in the movie with a 50 percent discount.
Ultimately, the Handmade Films production company ended up canceling the project. Thurman was paid a $1.5 million cancelation fee, but the actress eventually sued and settled for the amount of money she expected to make from this movie, which was around $10 million.
