NEW YORK CITY — Julianne Moore is a four-time Oscar nominee who’s just coming off of the critically acclaimed “The Kids Are All Right.” Her best-known movies are all thoughtful, often heavy dramas, so playing opposite Steve Carell in the new comedy “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” was a nice change.
Q: Is it more fun to do movies like this or the heavy, serious ones?
A: It really depends on the people in the movie. Every movie depends on the mixture of the people — the directors, the actors and the tone that everyone sets. On this one it was a particularly nice tone. I love our directors, Glenn (Ficarra) and John (Requa); the cast members were phenomenal; and the script was great, so the atmosphere on set was terrific.
Q: You and Steve Carell play a longtime married couple who separate and struggle with dating others. Is the point of this movie to remind you to appreciate what you might have?
A: (Laughs) Well, I’ve done marriages and falling in love and all that stuff, yeah. Love is tricky and it’s also our No. 1 priority. That’s one of the interesting things about the movie. It kind of reminds you of what Freud said … that you need love and work, and without one of them, you’ll always feel kind of out of balance. It’s not a lot of fun for those of us who have been married for a long time and then find themselves single. You just don’t fall in love that often. … I mean, really, truly fall in love with somebody, so when you do, it’s a big deal. It’s hard.
Q: You’ve played so many different types of characters in your career. Are available roles for women getting better or worse?
A: I think it depends on where you’re looking and what you’re looking for. The movie business is a business. They’re not in the business of finding great roles for actors; they’re in the business of selling movies around the world and making as much money as they possibly can. … Substantive roles for everybody are not necessarily the priority but then there are smaller movies, independent film and television to fill the void.
Q: Your TV movie “Game Change” is coming soon, in which you play Sarah Palin. Is it difficult to play a nonfictional, very public person?
A: It was really, really hard. She’s obviously a very real, idiosyncratic, very well-known woman. She’s also well-documented and right in the forefront of our minds. I think if you’re playing somebody who is deceased or has spent a lot of time out of the public eye, it might be a little bit easier, but because this was so present, it was pretty challenging.
Q: Did you ask Tina Fey for tips?
A: I looked at a lot of YouTube and a lot of videotape. I looked at the actual footage.
Expenses paid for by Warner Brothers Pictures and WGN-TV. Watch my interviews 5 to 9 a.m. Monday through Friday on WGN-Ch. 9 Morning News. My radio show airs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays on WGN-AM 720 and wgnradio.com. You can also go to wgntv.com/deanslist
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