# The 1988 co-star who gave Uma Thurman a harsh lesson on how Hollywood works: “Telling me the truth”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-1988-co-star-who-gave-uma-thurman-a-harsh-lesson-on-how-hollywood-works-telling-me-the-truth/
- Published: 2026-11-14T21:15:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-14T22:36:19+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/1988-co-star-gave-uma-thurman-harsh-lesson-how-hollywood-works/
- Topics: Celebrity, Entertainment, Film

## Key points

- Thurman felt insecure acting alongside the cast of *Dangerous Liaisons*.
- Glenn Close advised her to “try less hard”.
- Thurman later found major success in *Pulp Fiction*.

## Summary

When Uma Thurman was a young actor filming *Dangerous Liaisons* in 1988, she felt out of her depth alongside an accomplished cast and worried she could not convey emotion. She asked co-star Glenn Close for advice, and Close told her to “try less hard”, a lesson Thurman said helped her approach acting with more confidence.

The film also marked a significant moment in Close’s career: she had received four Oscar nominations by then and earned another for her role. Thurman went on to gain wider recognition in *Henry and June* and *Pulp Fiction*, where a more restrained performance helped shape her portrayal of Mia Wallace.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.