10. Uma Thurman is no stranger to playing superheroes. After all, her Beatrix Kiddo character in Kill Bill 1 and 2 was definitely of superhero caliber. In her new movie, Uma’s character Jenny meets Matt (Luke Wilson) and they fall in love. The fun starts when Matt breaks up with Jenny and her alter-ego superhero character G-Girl takes over.
9. Uma’s breakthrough role was in 1988’s Dangerous Liasons. But, it was her role as Mia Wallace in Pulp Fiction that won her her only Academy Award nomination, for Best Supporting Actress.
8. In 1997, Uma starred in Gattaca. On that set, she met future husband Ethan Hawke. Before Hawke, Uma was briefly married to actor Gary Oldman (from 1990-1992). Uma and Ethan divorced in 2004.
7. Uma’s real name is Uma Karuna Thurman. Uma is named after the Hindu goddess of beauty and light. Her middle name means compassion.
6. Uma’s Swedish mother, Nena von Schlebrugg, was briefly married to Timothy Leary before marrying Uma’s father Robert in 1967.
5. Quentin Tarantino wrote the role of Beatrix Kiddo specifically for Uma. He offered her the role on her 30th birthday, but filming was delayed because she was pregnant with her second child at the time. Uma received joint credit for the creation of the Beatrix character.
4. Uma is 6 foot tall and wears a size 12 shoe.
3. There is a nude statue of Uma’s maternal grandmother in the Swedish town of Trelleborg. She posed for it during the 1920’s.
2. Uma was nominated for a Golden Globe for her roles in both Kill Bill 1 and 2. She did not win however, until she was nominated for playing Debby Miller in the HBO movie Hysterical Blindness.
1. Uma’s father Robert is a professor at Columbia University’s School of Religion. He specializes in Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies and is considered one of the foremost Buddhist scholars in the U.S. He was also the first westerner to become a Tibetan Buddhist monk. When Uma was younger, the Dalai Lama was an occasional visitor to their home.