There will always be parts, says Julianne Moore

The actress, 49, finds balancing acting and motherhood can be difficult but denies Hollywood puts older women out to pasture.

dj_18Oct2010_Film Festival_Julianna Moore

Julianne Moore admitted yesterday that balancing acting and motherhood can be difficult, but denied Hollywood was prejudiced against older women.

The star of Boogie Nights and A Single Man was speaking to an audience of hundreds at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival.

In attendance was her husband, the writer and director Bartholomew Freundlich (The Rebound).

"We have two children, an eight-year-old and a 12-year-old," said Moore. "When they were very young they came with us everywhere, and now I try to just work outside the school year, or in New York City, where I live."

"I take [my children] to school, I pick them up after and I take them to ice skating or basketball. Whole periods of life are like that.

"When we made The Kids Are Alright my husband, the kids and the dog all went to LA and stayed there for the month and a half it took to make the film."

Moore, 49, who has starred in more than 50 films and been nominated for four Oscars, rejected claims made by some film stars that Hollywood has few parts for women over 40."You're not going to be the romantic lead after a while - you're not going to be the prettiest kitty in the litter," she said. "But there are other parts. The great thing about being an actor is that no matter how young or old you are, there is always a part somewhere."

She said she had never had cosmetic surgery, crediting "sunscreen and hats" for keeping her looking young.

She also praised Clive Owen, who appeared at the festival's gala opening on Thursday and with whom she co-starred in the 2006 film Children of Men.

Before making her appearance at the festival, Moore visited the capital's Saadiyat Island, which, she said, was "extraordinary" and will be "a cultural paradise when finished".

The actress said she also planned to visit Abu Dhabi's sustainable city, Masdar, and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque before she leaves the UAE.