Trivia

Last Update:

• Uma dropped out of school at the age of 15
• Uma’s shoe-size is 12
• Uma used to be a model
• Uma has shades of Lancome lipsticks named after her (available only in Asia)
• Uma was employed by the French cosmetics firm Lancome as a spokesmodel for their line in June 2000
• Uma’s middle name, Karuna, is one of the four sublime abodes in Buddhism. It means “compassion.” The other 3 sublime abodes are Metta (Loving kindness), Mudita (Sympathetic joy), and Upekkha (Equanimity)
• Uma was ranked #67 in FHM’s “100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005″ special supplement in 2005
• Uma was ranked #21 on the Maxim magazine ‘Hot 100′ in 2005
• Uma was ranked #99 in Empire (UK) magazine’s “The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time” list in October 1997
• Uma was ranked #20 in Empire (UK) magazine’s “100 Sexiest Stars in film history” in 1995
• Uma is on the Board of Directors of Room to Grow, a non-profit organization founded by Rob Reiner, dedicated to enriching the lives of babies born into poverty throughout their critical first 3 years of development
• Uma is named after the goddess of light and beauty in Indian Mythology
• Uma supported the Junior Senator (John Kerry) from her native state (Massachusetts) for President of the United States
• Was made a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters (Commandeur Dans Ordre Des Arts Et Des Lettres) by France in February 2006. Presenting the prize on behalf of the French Ministry of Culture, Cannes Film Festival President Gilles Jacob told Thurman she was “admired throughout the world” and that her career would “make her the favorite actress of an entire generation.” The Order of Arts and Letters is given out twice annually to a few hundred people worldwide
• Uma had a Siamese cat for 21 years which was called Chi Chi and Uma still has the ashes left in a box
• Uma was originally cast for the part of Eowyn in the The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
• Uma dated Andre Balazs (owner of the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles) from 2004 to 2007
• Uma attended ‘Amherst Regional Middle School’, Massachusetts, for grade 7 and 8 and she later visited that school to contribute to the Women’s History assembly
• Uma is currently dating banker Arpad ‘Arki’ Busson
• Uma didn’t not learn how to drive until she was 23 years old
• Uma never reads her own press, but will look at pictures of herself in magazines
• Uma says she hates seeing herself on screen, and will usually try to find ways not to attend her own films premieres
• Uma attended the Northfield Mount Hermon boarding school in Massachusetts, but dropped out at age 15. She later graduated from NY Professional School
• Uma as an IQ measured at 183 ~ 186
&
bull; Uma didn’t have a SAG card untill 1993, by that time she had already made 10 films
• Uma announced in 2001 that she plans to donate over $4 million dollars to the The National Children’s Foundation, in light of the September 11th attacks. She said that children need guidance and comfort during these hard times
• Uma’s name means “one” in Portuguese and “kiss” in Polynesian

Family related:

• Granddaughter of Baron Karl von Schlebrugg and Brigit Holmquist both live in Trelleborg, Sweden
• Uma has two children with ex-husband Ethan Hawke, daughter; Maya Ray Thurman-Hawke (born July 8, 1998) and son; Levon Roan Thurman-Hawke (born January 15, 2002)
• Uma is rumoured to have dated film director Phil Joanou (1989-1990) and actors Richard Gere (1992-1993), Robert de Niro (1993), Timothy Hutton (1995-1996)
• Uma’s mother and grandmother both modelled when they were young
• Uma used to be married to Ethan Hawke (dated from 1996-98 and married May 1, 1998 until July 20, 2004)
• Uma was married to Gary Oldman from September 1990 to 1992
• Uma’s uncle John Thurman, is a professional concert cellist who performs with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
• Uma’s ex-husband Ethan Hawke dedicated his book to her (“For Karuna”)
• Uma has three brothers Ganden (born 1971, who works at the Tibet House cultural center), Dechen (born January 18, 1973, who is an actor and director) and Mipam (born 1978, who is a model) and a half-sister called Taya Thurman (born 1960)
• Uma’s father Robert Alexander Farrar Thurman (born August 3, 1941) is a professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University School of Religion
• Uma’s mother Nena Birgitte Caroline von Schlebrügge Holmquist (born January 8, 1941) who is an ex model and nowadays works as a psychotherapist
• Uma’s father Robert was the first westerner to become a Tibetan Buddhist monk
• Uma’s mother, Nena was once married to LSD proponent Timothy Leary. The marriage lasted less than a year (1964-1965). Their marriage, which took place in Nepal, was the subject of a 15-minute documentary entitled “You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You”
• Uma’s mother, Nena who was discovered at age 16 in Stockholm, Sweden by photographer Norman Parkinson
• Uma’s grandmother, Brigit Holmquist is a famous beauty and baroness in Sweden and has her own nude statue in the port town of Trelleborg, Sweden
• Umas mother, Nena was introduced to her first husband Timothy Leary by Salvador Dalí