15 Best Uma Thurman Movies

The black bob, the cigarette and that unforgettable barefoot twist with John Travolta to Chuck Berry's 'You Never Can Tell'. As Mia Wallace, the mysterious wife of gangster boss Marsellus, Thurman became the face of '90s pop culture. The terrifying adrenaline shot to the heart earned her a well-deserved Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

In her yellow Bruce Lee tracksuit and armed with a Hattori Hanzo sword, Thurman created one of the most iconic action characters ever. Her revenge mission against the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad culminates in the unmatched House of Blue Leaves fight, in which she single-handedly cuts down dozens of yakuza fighters. Pure visual fireworks full of virtuoso martial arts.

Where Vol. 1 was a bloody action film, Vol. 2 is a simmering, emotional spaghetti western. Thurman shows the deep vulnerability of a mother who discovers her daughter is alive. Her brutal training under master Pai Mei and her escape from being buried alive are pure movie magic.

In Andrew Niccol's stylish dystopian sci-fi, Thurman plays Irene, a genetically 'superior' woman who falls in love with a man (Ethan Hawke) hiding his natural, flawed DNA to become an astronaut. Her character's cool elegance and quiet longing suit the film's timeless retro-futuristic atmosphere perfectly.

Her first big Hollywood success, at just eighteen. As the pious, naive convent girl Cécile, she becomes a pawn in the cynical seduction games of the Marquise de Merteuil (Glenn Close) and the Vicomte de Valmont (John Malkovich). Thurman masterfully captures the confusion between innocence and awakening passion.

Terry Gilliam's wild fantasy classic contains one of the most breathtaking entrances in film history: Thurman as the goddess Venus rising from a giant shell, like a living Botticelli painting. A visually stunning spectacle that immediately established her as a classic beauty.

In Mel Brooks' musical comedy, Thurman shines as Ulla, the Swedish secretary with an impossibly long surname who becomes the receptionist and star for Broadway producers Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. With the festive number 'When You Got It, Flaunt It', she proved she had great comic talent.

The film may be infamous for its neon sets and bat-nipples, but Uma Thurman as eco-terrorist Poison Ivy stole the show with gusto. Wrapped in poison-green leaves, she delivered her campy one-liners with such theatrical delight that her performance has become a beloved cult favorite.

Philip Kaufman's steamy erotic drama about 1930s Paris made history as the first film ever to receive the American NC-17 rating. Thurman plays June, the mysterious wife of writer Henry Miller, who sweeps writer Anaïs Nin into a whirlwind of desire and jealousy. A daring, magnetic performance.

In Ted Demme's wintry ensemble film, Thurman arrives in a small New England town as Andera. As the stylish, wise visitor, she becomes the ultimate dream woman for a group of indecisive thirty-something men, bringing disarming warmth and down-to-earth sense to a role that forces the men to grow up.

Thurman has only one scene in Lars von Trier's provocative two-parter, but it's among the best of her career. As betrayed wife Mrs. H, she shows up with her three young children at her husband's lover's apartment to 'thank' her. Her mix of hysterical grief, vicious sarcasm and utter shock is virtuoso acting.

A charming romantic comedy in which Thurman plays a recently divorced 37-year-old businesswoman who falls in love with a 23-year-old painter. The twist? Her new lover turns out to be the son of her own therapist (Meryl Streep). The dynamic between Thurman and Streep makes for sharp humor and sincere emotion.

Again for Lars von Trier, Thurman plays the very first victim of serial killer Jack (Matt Dillon). As an irritating, provocative woman with car trouble, she goads him in his van until she seals her own fate. A pitch-black, macabre scene in which Thurman clearly enjoys pushing boundaries.

Eleven years after Pulp Fiction, Uma Thurman and John Travolta reunited on the dance floor in this sequel to Get Shorty. As Edie Athens, widow of a murdered record label boss, she runs a label with Chili Palmer. The film is light and breezy, and the chemistry between the two stars is still alive.

In John Woo's sci-fi action thriller based on a Philip K. Dick story, Thurman plays brilliant biologist Rachel Porter, who helps her memory-wiped boyfriend (Ben Affleck) unravel a high-tech conspiracy. With trademark John Woo doves and fast motorcycle chases, Thurman delivers solid action.