When my sister and I had the chance to watch Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, I can’t help but rave about how Uma Thurman depicted Medusa.. was really amazing! She’s been one of my admired actors since time immemorial along with Catherine Zeta-Jones, Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, Salma Hayek and Julie Andrews to name a few). The CG effects will not be effective if the actor is not that prepared for the role. From Gattaca (1997) to Poison Ivy (1997) to Kill Bill (2003) to Medusa (2010).. each time she’s fabulous!

*Here are excerpts from the flicks production notes regarding the Medusa character:

Chris Columbus (“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” “Home Alone”) directed the epic fantasy-adventure: “I thought Uma would make a fascinating Medusa,” Columbus recalls.  “She is one of the most beautiful women in the world, yet at the same time she can create a real sense of fear and terror. I needed that combination for Medusa, someone who could entice you to look into her eyes because she was so hypnotic.”

“Medusa is both a contemporary and classical figure,” says Thurman of her role. “She has a very modern attitude and style, but her head is covered with the traditional vision of Medusa: writhing snakes, which will turn an unfortunate onlooker into stone.”

Thurman notes that Medusa is a complex character, whose abilities are both empowering and a curse. “I liked the idea that she is really being tormented by her loneliness, which is her punishment,” Thurman explains.  “You know, you can live forever, but it’s not much of a life if every time you look someone in the eye, they turn to stone.  Medusa is kind of a mad, lonely person wandering around in the museum of her life.”

While Thurman’s mane of snakes is computer generated, Columbus arranged for a wrangler to bring in some live snakes for Thurman to handle during rehearsals. “I really enjoyed relating to the snakes,” Thurman recalls. “I played Medusa like she’s always alone, and so has only her snakes to talk to.  The live snakes enabled me to figure out how to move  and to embrace the crazed, monstrous aspects of the character.”

Thurman’s coiffure of computer generated snakes is one of many CG enhancements provided by visual effects supervisor Kevin Scott Mack.