Juliana Margulies: Lost in Time

Beautiful, dark-haired former E.R. actress Juliana Margulies is larger than life. She swept into our interview with a big smile and wearing a soft blue ruffled blouse. "I got it on sale at Saks". Whether she's the over-worked nurse Hathaway on "E.R." or the regal star of the "Mists of Avalon" mini-series or a tough broad fighting spooky specters in Ghost Ship, Juliana is always commanding and breathtaking on screen. But, when we talked with her about her role in the family drama Evelyn, in which she co-stars with Pierce Brosnan, she told us she was amazed that she's recognized in the middle of nowhere.

TeenHollywood: Are you aware that E.R. is seen all over the world?

Juliana: Until I'm in a different country, I don't realize how huge E.R. was. You sort of live in a bubble, or I do. If I think about it I'll never leave the house. I flew to the Isle of Skye (off Scotland) to a friend's wedding and I mean literally, I'd never heard of the town we landed in and the plane maybe sat four people and when I got to the airport there were paparazzi there. I was, 'you're kidding?'. I was sure there must be someone bigger on the plane. It's a global show and I'm grateful for it because it allows me to do things like this movie.

TeenHollywood: Do you keep in touch with George Clooney?

Juliana: Oh yeah, I was at his premiere last week for Solaris and we're in touch probably once a week at least. He can't come to mine tonight...busy...whatever (laughs). No, he's in New York busy promoting.

TeenHollywood: You play Bernadette, a spunky Irish gal in Evelyn. The Irish can be superstitious. Are you?

Juliana: You know, I'm not like that. No rabbit's feet on me, no. As long as I have my head in the right place (I'm okay). I've never been a lucky underwear kind of girl. I don't do new year's resolutions either. I feel like you have to live that stuff daily or you're always going to be disappointed.

TeenHollywood: Did you base Bernadette on anyone your know or how did you research that character?

Juliana: I tried to base her on the woman in real life...her name is Jessie. I pretty much tried to base her on the facts I had in front of me which were, it's 1953, [she's] not married, no one telling her what to do, very ahead of her time, educated, getting more of an education, going to have a career and falling in love with a man but saying huh uh, not until you stop drinking. I hate to say behind every man is a strong woman, but, in this case, it's kinda true. This was a woman who said, 'stop moaning. Stop drinking beer. Get off your [butt]. Get your kids back. If this is what you want then do it'.

TeenHollywood: You are producing now as well. What is a pet project?

Juliana: A project [for t.v.] based on the life of Vera Atkins who was a spymaster in World War Two. Eisenhower pretty much declared that she single-handedly ended World War two six months early. She trained beautiful young women to go into France and Germany and spy. Not many people know about her. Most World War Two stories are about men. Thirteen of her women didn't come back and she single-handedly had each Nazi that was involved in their deaths hung. So it's quite a remarkable story.

TeenHollywood: So you'll be playing her?

Juliana: Yeah. The reason I was so taken with her story is that she was born in Romania. I'm half Romanian, a Romanian Jew and she emigrated to England which is where I grew up. She spoke fluent French. French was my first language, so there are all these similarities and we look alike so I'm very excited to play her.

TeenHollywood: You play a lot of really strong women. Is that because a vulnerable person is less challenging?

Juliana: No. I think people don't see me as vulnerable so they don't cast me as vulnerable. I think just my presence comes off a bit strong and there just hasn't been the right role. A lot of times, when I have to audition for these things I walk in as that person because I know if I walk in as me, they immediately see that [strength] so I have to sort of go in and be crazy.

TeenHollywood: You were great in "Mists of Avalon". Did you grow up reading fantasy?

Juliana: The Aurthurian Legends are much more prevalent in England where I grew up. My father read his King Arthur every night. I lived in the world of the hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and all the C.S. Lewis stories. "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" was my favorite book as a kid. Those mystical stories..."The Mists of Avalon", which I had read in college, was a dream to do. That job was a fantasy job. Dresses, long hair, riding horses. I was in heaven. And on top of it, you get paid!

TeenHollywood: Do you feel you were born in the wrong era?

Juliana: Totally. I remember when I did Bruce Beresford's Paradise Road, it was so easy to be in that era because we had these big, period faces. Everything is so modern and sleek now and I always feel like I'm this big face. I love period pieces. I think I suit them better because I have crazy hair and a big face. You can mold and shape it any way you like!

TeenHollywood: Do you have any plans for New Year's?

Juliana: (excited) I do! This is the first time in nine years I haven't had work so usually I just want to be home because I'm always traveling. So I'm going to Paris for New Years. I'm taking French again and I'm so excited. I love cold weather. Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and for the past five years, I've only been there in the summer. I just want to go and be. I have a whole bunch of friends who are coming so it's going to be so much fun.

TeenHollywood: Do you have a checklist of things to do while you're there?

Juliana: I've pretty much done Paris by foot five times already so I'm going to just take my time. I've never actually gone to the opera. I've never gone to see a French play. Pretty much what I want to do is sit at cafes and look at people. The French don't care who you are. No one stares at you.

TeenHollywood: Do you plan to direct some day?

Juliana: Unlike most actors, I don't have any aspirations to direct. It's not my thing, the idea of being in charge of all those people...I really admire directors. I couldn't do it. But I do have a tenacity for finding great material and I love to read. When you have great material it's easy to produce. You bring it to the studio and say 'this is great. I want to produce it' and they say 'great'.

TeenHollywood: Is it really hard to get the studios to do good material?

Juliana: I can't imagine bringing a story about a woman in World War Two to a big studio and have them jump onboard. They don't seem to do very well. It isn't easy. It's amazing what gets made today and it's sad so that's why I think it's also important to produce. It's all about money and, unfortunately, things like Jackass make money. Where you don't need any script and any actors so then what do you do?

TeenHollywood: You've been busy. Ever going to take a break?

Juliana: I'm not working right now except for press and I'm loving my life. I walk to Yoga in the morning. I have time to cook and go to the grocery store. I'm doing my French lessons. I play instruments and I just finally have time to practice. This has been the first five months I haven't worked in nine years and I'm enjoying it. I'm sure the bubble's gonna burst but, right now, I'm having a ball.

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Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.