in my fantasy life

i am an international action movie star. i am, in fact, umma thurman, which gives me the advantage of being beautiful, tall, and slender, and, of course, in incredible shape. which i am, because i secretly consider myself more of an action movie star than simply an actress. well, really, i am an artist most of all. this is why i live in paris. well, the paris suburbs, where i am relatively unknown.

generally, i wake at 6:30, drink a bracing cup of exquisite, rare tea, and jete un coup d'oeil sur le monde, my favorite newspaper.

then i change into my workout clothes and walk the short way to my yoga studio for the two hour session that maintains my movie-ready flexibility and the core body strength that gives me such grace in front of the camera. then it's off to my daily workout session. i meet my personal trainer outside the studio where he surprises me daily with different martial arts, sometimes with sports and games, and occasionally with a good, bracing, long trail run in the autumn air. today it's fencing.

afterwards, i head back to my perfectly-appointed apartment for a shower and a change of clothes. this season, it's texture. i've had it fitted with all manner of gilt and falderol and have painted it all white. the furnishings are minimal, all white as well. a florist comes by and fills it with a rotating supply of seasonal flowers. they seem to float against the colorlessness and the place has such a fresh, green smell.

my stylist has chosen a quiet, neutral ensemble for today. as frequently as i am photographed, it is also an opportunity. i've asked him to draw from the smallest of design houses, people who would be happy and surprised to see him at their door, shopping for me. he really keeps the fashion bloggers busy. he also keeps up with them-- apparently they are tired of seeing my mustard alexader mcqueen novak bag, but it's my favorite and it's hard to give up such a good, old friend. he has, however, not only laid out but also filled an exquisite, tiny clutch for today from a designer i have never heard of. a pop of surprisingly vivid blue adds something to the outfit it can't quite do without, i think, so with me it goes.

my personal chef, bernard, has left another one of his avant garde vegan raw creations on the pristine kitchen counter, with a list of the major ingredients, which i like to read, as his creations tend to be complex and ever-changing. he has been chosen for his endless variety. weight-obsessed hollywood and its press are not easily convinced that one's naturally slender figure is, as advertised, natural and not, as they suspect, the result of a terrible eating disorder. my solution to this, and to the craft tables at the shoots, is to make it known that i eat a raw, vegan diet. it is equally well-known that i cheat on it endlessly with my two vices-- tea and tomato soup. in hollywood, it is a good idea to have acceptable and well-known vices. if you are female, these should be food-related and, among guilty pleasures, i think everyone can understand good tea and tomato soup.

the afternoons are for art, which is my true passion. i am meticulous about my attendance at the constantly rotating exhibitions of paris' legendary museums. the murikami at the louvre is my current favorite, but there are so many more to see. i try to make it to the debuts. today, comme d'habitude, i'm meeting two old friends, gallery owners and artists themselves-- such a different way of looking at the work they have.

in between gigs, i spend the evenings at the theater. i choose performances at tiny theaters and sit in the back. you never know what is going to happen in these shoebo theaters. the material is fresh, the actors are committed, everyone in the room is there for the love of that moment, that one moment of communicating, of reaching into another person's heart and placing your hope, your fear, your inimitable uniqueness there.

next month won't be so easy. i'm off to new york for my broadway debut. it's a moliere-- a huge foreign language gamble for the great white way. and soon it will be time to immerse myself in the time period. for tonight, voltaire's candide, again. a few chapters of my favorite before bed.