My local paper had a neat article about Julianna Marguiles this past weekend. Thought I would share it. Ithas some interesting info in it. Julianna Margulies discovers prehistoric pulse in 'Dinosaur' Playing an 'ER' nurse couldn't compensate for need to advance career. By Bonnie Britton Indianapolis Star May 28, 2000 For most people, being able to walk away from a $27 million, two-year paycheck is as farfetched a pipe dream as providing the voice of a dinosaur in a Disney movie.

Not for Julianna Margulies, who's been there, done that.

On the phone from Prague, where she's filming a TV movie called The Mists of Avalon with Anjelica Huston, Margulies talked about her decision to leave NBC's ER, where she played Nurse Carol Hathaway for six seasons. She also talked about giving voice to Neera, a computer-animated iguanodon in the film Dinosaur.

Already in Prague when her bow from the popular medical drama aired, Margulies hadn't seen the show. In her departing episode, she left to be with Doug Ross, George Clooney's character, by whom she had twins in the Thanksgiving episode.

"I've gotten phone calls from my mom and my dad and people telling me they were completely surprised George showed up," said Margulies, 33. "It's been mostly positive feedback. But I think people are kind of sad. I'm glad I didn't see it yet. I think it would make me sad, too." About turning down the chance to become one of the most highly paid actresses in television history, Margulies said, "It wasn't about me being unhappy with the role. I think it was one of the greatest roles I'll play in my lifetime. I was always taught it's when you leave, not how you leave, and leave them wanting more.

"I knew there was not a lot much more I could give to that character without phoning in a performance, and I vowed to myself that I would never do that. I understand people have these angry reactions, like 'Who does she she is to turn down this kind of money?' That's fine. But it's not their life. I need to move on and find other things to play while I'm at a great age to do that."

After The Mists of Avalon, in which she plays Morgaine, half sister to King Arthur, Margulies will tackle The Ten Unknowns on Broadway with Jason Robards. She plays a character sent to study endangered frogs in Mexico, where she meets a reclusive artist (Robards) and becomes his lover and muse.

Dinosaur was released a little over a week ago, but Margulies auditioned for her voice role in the film three years ago. She vied for the role of Neera, one of the more feminine-looking dinos in the film, just as she would a live-action part, but said the big difference is: "You have absolutely no idea if you did well or not.

Neera is a three-ton dinosaur with a domineering brother and a growing affection for an iguanodon named Aladar (D.B. Sweeney) raised by lemurs.

"You really don't know what they're looking for. You have to trust them when they say, 'OK, here's the outline, here's a small scene we put together.' " She was shown sketches and drawings, but that wasn't a lot of help. "They weren't interested in me being a character and over the top. They just wanted to hear me normal." Normal for Margulies is a seductively husky I've-got-a-cold sound.

While recording her voice, Margulies said, she had little or no contact with the other voice actors.

"D.B. Sweeney and I once had a session together. I passed Alfre Woodard one day going into a session, when she was coming out." It's the second movie they've made "together" without working together -- they're both in What's Cooking?, a multistory Thanksgiving parable that screened at Sundance 2000.

After seeing Dinosaur for the first time three weeks ago, "I was blown away. It was the most realistic animation I've ever seen." How did an actress who usually plays a human being take direction from the director -- in this case, two, Ralph Zondag and Eric Leighton? "Basically, he would just say, 'You've just been attacked by carnivores and you're running, and try to remember that you're 25 feet long and you'd have great impact when you smash into the rock.' You just trust what they're saying and telling you what to do." Then, there was the added bonus of being animated -- not having to sit through makeup. "You don't have to worry if you have a pimple that day. No one's going to see it."

The article also had "The Lowdown on Marguiles" Born June 8, 1966 in Spring Valley NY, youngest of three sisters. Parents divorced, Mother a former American Ballet Theater dancer; father, ad exec. who wrote the "Plop Plop Fizz Fizz" Alka Seltzer jingle. Toddler years spent with sibling and mother in London and Paris; returned when she was 5. Bachelors in art history and minor in theater from Sarah Lawrence Moved to FL after graduation did local theater Headed to Hollywood; played LT Mendoza in Law and ORder,had a recurring role in HLOTS, played a reformed prostitute in Out for Justice, a Steven Seagal film (and is no fan of the action star). Other films include: Paradise Road, Traveller, A Price above Rubies, The Newton Boys.

OK this is me now. I found it very interesting that JM's family didn;t even know that GC returned in her final epi. And that she has not seen it yet because she thinks it would be too sad! I really respect her alot to turn down that kind of money and move on. That say a lot about her character. Also, to think of her being Jason Robards lover...yuck!

Sorry that this is so long everybody. But I knew many of you are big JM fans and might like to read the above article.

-- amanda (amanda.rehm@home.com), May 31, 2000

Answers

I didn't know her dad wrote "Plop Plop Fizz Fizz!" Paradise Road was a good, but sad, movie.

Thought I'd throw in a little George Clooney news on this thread (hope you don't mind, Amanda!). Per Yahoo! News, GC is in talks to star in "Unfaithful," a drama inspired by French suspense director Claude Chabrol's 1968 film "La Femme Infidel." It's to be directed by Adrian Lyne ("Indecent Proposal" and "Fatal Attraction")with shooting set to begin early this fall. Clooney would play a man who learns that his wife is cheating on him. The picture studies the ramifications of his discovery, and what adversity does to a loving relationship. Clooney is also part of a remake of the Rat Pack heist "Ocean's Eleven" to be directed by Steven Soderbergh. Also in negotiations for that film are Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, and Julia Roberts. He's also booked to star for director Danny DeVito in "Relevation," a drama about an internal affairs officer who takes a bullet during the attempted assassination of a cardinal and whose search for the assassin parallels his own religious journey. Upcoming releases are "The Perfect Storm" (June 30) and the Coen brothers' recent Cannes screener "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" Thought you GC fans might like to know. Wonder how he found time to do the shoot for SSS, but I'm glad he did!!!!!!!!

-- Diana (dilynne@juno.com), May 31, 2000.

I thought it was weird she didn't see it yet but she should still know how it turns out since she filmed it. I guess she left to film her new movie after the "Today" show because that episode was on the next day.

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), May 31, 2000.

Wow, CG has been busy! Can't wait to see Perfect Storm (awesome book BTW !) and Ocean's Eleven sounds like it will be really great -- what a cast! I too am glad he was able to squeeze in a few minutes or hours to do SSS!!

Can you imagine being Julianna -- she probably went around the house singing "Plop Plop Fizz Fizz oh what a relief it is fast, fast, fast?" all the time. She probably got really sick of it! LOL!

-- amanda (amanda.rehm@home.com), May 31, 2000.