Batman & Robin’s Uma Thurman Reflects on Poison Ivy Role 25 Years Later

This year marks 25 years since Batman & Robin opened in theaters, the fourth and final installment of Warner Bros.’ initial Batman film series. The film starred George Clooney as Batman and Chris O’Donnell as Dick Grayson/Robin and saw the pair — along with Alicia Silverstone’s Barbara Wilson/Batgirl — face off with not only Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze, but Uma Thurman’s Dr. Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy. While the film wasn’t exactly well-received — the film was widely panned by critics and is considered by some to be one of the worst superhero films of all time — one bright spot in Batman & Robin was Thurman’s Ivy. Thurman’s performance received critical praise and it seems like Thurman herself has only fond memories of making Batman & Robin. 

During a recent interview with ET, Thurman reflected on her time making Batman & Robin, telling the outlet that making the superhero film was a wonderful experience, and even though she had to wear “lots of rubber suits” she didn’t have to wear any masks, a big deal since the actress isn’t exactly fond of masks in general. She also spoke highly of director Joel Schumacher, who died in 2020 at the age of 80.

“Oh my goodness, that’s amazing,” Thurman said about the film’s upcoming 25th anniversary. “I was just talking about Joel Schumacher, the director who is a friend I love so much … I loved Joel Schumacher.”

She continued, “That was a fantastic experience. I had to wear lots of rubber suits. I did not have a rubber mask. I had my own face, but I had some rubber appliances on my face sometimes. That was about as much rubber as I’ve ever worked with, personally.”

Released on June 20, 1997, Batman & Robin was Schumacher’s final Batman film and was the only film in that Batman series to be made without the involvement of Tim Burton, who kicked the whole series off with 1989’s Batman starring Michael Keaton. The film follows Batman and Robin, along with the help of Batgirl, as they try to prevent Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy from taking over the world. While the film didn’t perform especially well, Thurman went on to star in Gattaca and the Kill Bill films among many other major projects.  And while Thurman’s Poison Ivy isn’t the only live-action take on the character — versions of the character have appeared on television’s Gotham and most recently on The CW’s Batwoman — Thurman’s Ivy remains the only live-action film version of the character.

What do you think about Thurman’s comments? Did you enjoy Batman & Robin? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section!