Julianne Moore Reveals Commitment That Went Into Playing Sarah Palin In HBO’s ‘Game Change’

Julianne Moore was committed to portraying Sarah Palin in a way she felt was as truthful as possible in HBO’s “Game Change,” which premieres Saturday at 9 PM on HBO.

“You want to be as accurate as possible… It was only four years ago, so people remember everything. So when you’re playing somebody who’s a living figure and culturally significant figure, you better try to get it right,” Julianne told Access Hollywood correspondent Jill Martin at the film’s premiere in New York City on Tuesday night.

Julianne said the research involved in both the book and the movie, about the Presidential election of 2008, was extensive.

“The book… is very heavily researched and sourced and so is the script,” she told Jill.

“Everything in the movie has a source, so that was very, very important to me, because if we’re just making something up then I have nothing to hang my hat on,” she added.

In order to get her portrayal of the former Vice Presidential candidate just right, Julianne said she spent months with just Sarah’s voice in her head.

“I used to watch it at night,” she said of tuning into Sarah’s reality show, “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” on TLC. “I did everything I could, absolutely everything I could. I only had two months to prepare. It was pretty brief preparation time, so I listened to her book on tape…

“Everything’s on YouTube,” Julianne continued. “Everything’s documented, so all of her media appearances, all of her speeches, the debate — I’d listen to it when I was running, I’d listen to it inside the car, I’d work with a vocal coach. It was pretty intense. I did nothing else for those two months.”

“Game Change,” also starring Ed Harris as John McCain and Woody Harrelson as Steve Schmidt, McCain’s senior campaign strategist, premieres March 10 at 9 PM on HBO.