Julianne Moore: Vintage Year

Julianne Moore made five movies in 1999, and they all generated Oscar buzz. But the role that has won her a nomination for Actress in a Leading Role was that of Sarah in the drama The End of the Affair.

Back in January, she talked to Early Show Entertainment Reporter Mark McEwen about Sarah, a character described as an ordinary woman living a compromised life.

"Through her love for this man (played by Ralph Fiennes), she's transformed," explained the actress. "So I think, for me, it's about how love transforms you."

In that context, she defines love as "an extreme connection to another human being, something that means more to her than her own well being."1999, which she says was the second-best year of her life.

On the other hand, the character she played in An Ideal Husband "wants a relationship, but she's not really able to go down that path, because material stuff is more important to her."

These are the roles that brought her two Golden Globe nominations this year. She lost to Hilary Swank (Boys Don't Cry) and Janet McTeer (Tumbleweeds) both of whom are also nominated for Oscars.

But Moore told McEwen she was more interested in attending the Golden Globes ceremony than anything else.

"It's a fun party," she said.

With so much movie success, one might think that 1999 was the best year of Moore's life. But, actually, it was 1997. "My son was born that year," she explained. But she admits that 1999 runs a pretty close second.

Having a child has made her feel happier and more fulfilled, she said. "Children just bring you everything. And (parenthood) has broadened my sense of myself as a person."

Moore herself grew up as a military brat. Because she was always moving to new places, she read a great deal and learned to adapt to new groups of people. Both are skills that have proved useful in her career.

She also worked for a time as a waitress. "I was a really good waitress," she recalls. "I was fast, and I was pleasant, and I had a good memory."

Initial recognition as an actress came in 1988 with an Emmy Award for her dual role as twins Franny and Sabrina Hughes in the daytime drama As the World Turns. In 1990, she made her big-screen debut in Tales From the Darkside: The Movie. Two years later, she appeared in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and the comedy The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag. This paved the way for more parts in big-budget films.

"I feel really lucky," she says. "I think, when you're starting out, you don't know how hard it's going to be. You're young and pretty naive about it. I don't know that I understood what the odds were. So I feel that I have surpassed what I was supposed to get. I really feel very fortunate."

Here is a list of some of Moore's best-known pictures, according to Hollywood.com: