Life Lessons: Julianne Moore

The Hollywood actress Julianne Moore shares her philosophies on life.

Julianna Moore "in conversations" at Emirates Palace during the Abu Dhabi Film Festival in November 2010. Delores Johnson/ The National

Julianne Moore, 50, known for her nuanced performances, is one of Hollywood’s most famous redheads. Nominated for two Oscars in 2003, the private actress and author visited the Emirates Palace hotel in October to promote her latest film, Let Me In.

1. Family is the most important thing. Maybe you don't understand this when you're 21, but it is something that you come to appreciate. The trick is not to take relationships for granted and to make time for one another.

2. Don't worry about ageing.I just turned 50 and I'm embracing it. I feel lucky because some people do not get the luxury of even making it to 50. The thing about age is to be where you are and to learn to be comfortable in your own skin. I eat healthily, practise yoga and live life to the full.

3. Look beyond the surface. In school I was a bookworm, and very skinny with big, thick glasses. I never went on dates and guys were afraid of me because I was smart. So I got contact lenses, started to dress a little better and tried not to talk about Plato with boys. It worked!

4. Embrace what you have. As a child I hated my red hair as I really stood out. But I didn't realise how recognisable I was until I had to dye it white-blonde for a film role. I got stared at so much I thought I had lights on my head. I did not like it at all. I didn't know how much I would appreciate something until it went away.

5. Be good at what you love. I'm afraid of skiing, I'm afraid of diving. There are physical things that I'm really afraid of. Acting is not one of those things. Acting is something I truly enjoy and believe that this has been one of the secrets of my success.

As told to Jemma Nicholls