Julianne Moore Plays Grace Coddington, Shot by Craig McDean in Document Journal

Hollywood Reporter wrote in September 2016 that Grace Coddington listed the actors who should play her in ‘Grace’, a movie about her life optioned in 2015 by independent production company A24. “In my head, I’d like it to be focused on the early years, so it’s not the me you know, it’s more in the 1970s. It has to be someone quite young, and maybe we haven’t found them yet, because first we have to write the movie, and the movie is a very long winded thing to do, you know. I’ve been talking about it for three, four years now. I love all the young British people like Saoirse [Ronan] and Kiera Knightley and Carey Mulligan, she’s in there,” she added. “I would like it to be a British person and an English director would be great, because I’d like to keep an English sense.

The Guardian does include Julianne Moore on Grace’s list. And her daughter can play Grace as a young woman.

You’re forgiven for doing a double-take seeing esteemed red-head actor and activist Julianne Moore, styled by Coddington, in the pages of Document Journal’s Summer/pre-Fall 2021. Craig McDean photographs Moore, who shares an interview with Document’s editor, creative director and co-founder Nick Vogelson and the former, famous, fashion-show front-row Vogue stylist and storyteller.

For her part, Julianne Moore is so nice in this interview.

JM: I first saw you at fashion shows, and I’d smile at you. You always looked so amazing. And you have red hair! With redheads, when we see each other, we always have to acknowledge each other.

I certainly knew [of] you and your extraordinary work in Vogue. But you never like to work with actresses. [Laughs] When I shot for Vogue, I never shot with you.

GC: It’s true! I never would work with actresses. [Quick deflection, says Anne]. Did you always know you wanted to be an actor, even as a child?

We learn that the two women share a passion for hospitals, and they spend much time comparing notes on their hospital experiences. LOL — then we get back to Grace and her movie, a point of order that dominates the interview. The quote is blown up big:

“My friend David Sims said, ‘Grace, when they make your memoir, it has to be a musical.’ I did think that was terribly funny. I’m part Welsh. I sing totally out of tune. It’s very unusual that Welsh people can’t sing.”

For goddesses sake! LOL. Julianne Moore — THE Julianne Moore — is total chopped liver in this interview in the presence of the very grandiose Grace Coddington.

It occurs to me that if Hollywood — or Apple TV — was dying for a movie about Grace Coddington, it would be in the hopper. But what do I know! More about Grace’s movie.

NV: Grace, you once said, if you wanted anyone to play you in a film, you would want it to be Julianne. And if you wanted it to be a younger version of you—

GC: Then I wanted it to be her daughter. It made perfect sense to me.

NV: Would you see it as a drama? Comedy?

GC: [Insert David Sims comment from above.]

NV: How would you get into the character of Grace, Julianne?

The always gracious Julianne Moore answers how she would prepare tp play the famously-great Grace Coddington. You’re surely dying to know, so read on at Document Journal.

Julianne Moore Is Working with A24

Interesting. Moore has multiple exposures in AOC, especially for her work as founding chair on [Mike Bloomberg’s] Everytown for Gun Safety Creative Council. With this interview being more about Grace Coddington and her must-be-made movie, I just searched for an update on Julianne Moore.

Apple and A24 [who holds the option on Coddington’s movie] are working on a new film ‘Sharper’, in which Moore will play a con artist in Manhattan’s billionaire class.

What a coincidence!

In a Google anytime search “A24 option on Grace Coddington movie”, exactly 1.5 pages of 19 results are returned, including the last time Document Journal took up the topic in May, 2016.

Do we think this entire fashion story and interview were a setup for Grace’s must-have movie? Hmmmm. Anne does have superb instincts.

I’m fascinated with Julianne Moore’s comments about waving to Grace at fashion shows and how redheads must take care of their sisters. We don’t read that Grace waved back. By her own admission, she had no time for female actors and that included Julianne Moore being shot for Vogue. I actually don’t understand why Coddington would think that Moore would even be interested in her. Moore’s got a stellar resume of her own.

This little revelation about Moore and A24 reminds me of Salma Hayek’s comment about making her way in the fashion world in her new Vogue India interview:

Now comes Hayek’s subversive humor: "I'm Mexican. I'm also very short, which doesn't help with the weight and doesn't help with the design," she says candidly. "But you know, I was ingenious. I took chances. I met someone at Hugo Boss, who was the only connection I had, so I wore man suits for a while. Another time, I had on a very simple black dress and I knew all the other girls were going to have fabulous dresses, beautiful jewelry. And can I tell you something? Instead of giving me a complex and saying that I don't have the best dress or they don't know who I am...I was like, I am fabulous. I painted some butterfly tattoos on myself and I felt happy about myself."

Today the world's leading labels are delighted to take care of Salma Hayek, who says. "What did I tell you? I make everything work for me, I married the owner of a fashion company. Now they have to make me the clothes. Karma for them," she laughs, that big laugh again, falling back against the armchair.

Craig McDean’s images of Julianne Moore playing Grace Coddington are terrific. When I first saw them, I did think it was Grace. ~ Anne