Uma Thurman appeared on the Today show Thursday for a sit-down interview to discuss her new eight-episode series, The Slap . Showing up on live television proved one thing: Uma Thurman does not look that different after all.
On Monday, Thurman was photographed at the red-carpet premiere of The Slap , and her dark-lipped, dramatically smooth skin was a contrast to the image many people remember of the actress. Thurman, whom Time reported had her last leading role in 2006, was compared to Renee Zellweger. Zellweger, who had also dropped from the spotlight, was accused of dramatically altering her face when she made an appearance in October.
Thurman, when asked on Today about the speculation, was unconcerned about tabloid headlines.
“I honestly have to tell you, I don’t know what people were talking about. I don’t know, I guess nobody liked my makeup. I’ve been doing this for years and years and years. People say things nice and they say things mean. So, whatever… You know, you take the good with the bad.”
You can watch Uma’s Today interview below. Uma Thurman’s makeup artist, Troy Surratt, told Jezebel how he created Uma’s look that night, using a bold lip colour and brow lines as well as a creamy foundation. He also worked creatively with her eyes.
“The way I shaded her eyebrows with the pencil, I created an uplifting effect. Then, I finished with a shimmering, silky-beige shadow on her lids, and went with no mascara at all…sort of a reaction against all the fake lashes we’ve been seeing on the red carpet.”
Jezebel went on to editorialize on the controversy itself, which included headlines as blunt as The Daily Mail ‘s “Now What Has Uma Thurman Done To Her Face?”
“Just because a woman is over 40 doesn’t mean she’s skipping off to get Botox. And, even if she did have a close, personal relationship with her plastic surgeon, it is not our prerogative to judge her for that.”
Time had a different take, saying the Thurman and Zellweger controversies highlight how few roles there are for actresses. Both Thurman and Zellweger were sought after at the height of their careers. With less active film work, the public has seen them less, and the change in their appearances comes as a shock. Had they been around more, Time argues, the public would see the slow, gradual, and natural changes that come with age.
Thurman is making a name for herself in another way — Fall Out Boy has a hit with “Uma Thurman,” inspired by her role in Pulp Fiction .
[Uma Thurman image: Getty]
