Julianne Moore is a performer who approaches her work with versatility. She is active in film and TV; commercial and independent sectors; diverse genres; and plays supporting and lead roles despite her stardom, which was solidified in 2015 with her Academy Award for Still Alice (Westmoreland/ Glatzer, 2014), a triumph after four previous nominations. This makes her a particularly interesting subject for star image study. Christine Geraghty draws attention to the importance of studying female stars as operating differently than male stars both in the industry and in discourse (Geraghty). She argues that women have historically been denied recognition for their acting and have found an alternative way to stardom through celebrity, which places its focus not on skill and talent, but on the investigation of the star’s private life (Geraghty 196-197). This is enforced due to “the common association in popular culture between women and the private sphere of personal relationships and domesticity” (Geraghty 196). Following another association with femininity, Karen Hollinger notes that female stars tend to be approached in relation to their beauty and image rather than their craft (4). Although Julianne Moore does not escape these trends entirely, I argue that the construction of her star image both on and off-screen has allowed her to inhabit them in a subversive rather than affirmative manner. This essay explores how Moore opposes Geraghty’s argument through her status as an actress as well as the meanings of her star image, proving to be a role model that women can safely look up to.