Julianne Moore leans on circle of female friends

At age 64, Julianne Moore has homed in on what’s important. She says one of the secrets of life is honoring female friendships.

“These women have been the witnesses to my life,” the Hollywood star says. “We’ve been there for each other when it comes to jobs, men, children. We have lunch, share books and take those long walks. We’ve said, ‘No, you’re not crazy.’

“It’s about showing up and witnessing someone’s life and keeping someone company. I see women do that for each other again and again. It’s that ancient bond of honesty and acceptance, if you’re very lucky.”

And she figures she has been just that … very lucky. Moore, who didn’t begin her acting career until she was in her early 30s, has done more than 75 films, garnering five Oscar nominations and one gold statue.

Her hits include “Boogie Nights,” “The Big Lebowski,” “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay,” “The Hours,” “The End of the Affair” and “Still Alive.”

These days, she stars in the dark comedy “Sirens,” streaming on Netflix. Devon (Meghann Fahy) worries her sister Simone (Milly Alcock) has developed an unhealthy relationship with her boss, a mysterious socialite named Michaela (Moore) who lives an almost cultlike life of opulence. She decides it’s time for an intervention.

The limited series, which explores themes of power and class, unfolds during an explosive weekend at a lavish island estate.

Next up for Moore will be the film festival hit “The Room Next Door,” directed by Pedro Almodovar. She also just wrapped Jesse Eisenberg’s upcoming musical. (“Yes, I’m singing,” she shares. “We’re all singing in it. Why not challenge yourself always?”)

Moore, mother to Liv, 23, and Cal, 27, lives in New York with her husband, writer-director Bart Freundlich. Her good life tips:

See the drama

Moore looks for inspiration in seemingly unlikely places. “I like to play women that people don’t generally see,” she says. “The lady next to you on the subway. The woman at the grocery store. I want to see the drama of everyday life. It inspires me.”

Unraveling a role

“She’s pretty mysterious,” Moore says of her character in “Sirens.” “We really don’t know a lot about her when the show starts. All we are told is that she’s incredibly wealthy, and it appears she’s living a life of incredible privilege. There is also isolation on this summer island. … She has a close relationship with her young assistant. It’s darkly comic and satirical,” Moore observes, adding the limited series “has things to say about our class system and our culture and feminism.”

Remember when

“Sirens” explores how the rich live, which is a far cry from how Moore started out while playing Frannie Hughes and her twin on the soap “As the World Turns.” “I began my career living in a small walk-up apartment in New York City,” she recalls. “It didn’t have a kitchen. I had a half fridge with two burners on top of the fridge. If you cooked anything, it melted the ice.”

Honor your mentors

Moore, born Julie Smith, grew up all over the world as a military brat. “My dad was in the army, and we lived in Germany. Acting was my after-school thing because I couldn’t do sports. I didn’t make the drill or cheerleading teams. And you had to do something,” she recalls. “When I got to Germany, there was a wonderful acting teacher. I began to do all of these plays, and after a year, she handed me a list of theater schools. She said, ‘I think you can be an actor.’ I came home and told my parents, ‘I think I’m going to be an actor,’ and I did. It goes to show that teachers are so important.”

Take the candles

“We talk about aging like it’s this alien thing. It’s simply a fact of life. You don’t have to fight it. Just accept it,” Moore says, adding, “I’ll take the birthday candles. It seems silly to talk about something like aging as a negative when it’s a privilege to continue to age.”

Her best tips on aging gracefully include avoiding too much sun. “As a redhead, I wear that hat, sunglasses and long sleeves,” she says. “My mother’s advice, and it works. It makes a big difference.”

Yes to no

Moore insists one of the perks of getting older is learning to say no. “I can do what makes me happy and not feel guilty for turning things down,” she says. “There’s a clarity there that comes from wanting to find your own joy.”

What’s next?

Like any actor, Moore wonders about her next job — and she says it’s a healthy way to approach an artistic life. “Actors will tell you that, for us, we work in a gig economy, where you go from one job to another. The minute you hear final cut, then you’re wondering, ‘What’s next?’ … It keeps you on your toes. And you can’t worry. I’m here to say that persistence and hard work is the key to everything.”

Not kids anymore

Moore says she loves having adult children. “It’s all about how you look at life,” she says. “Kids grow up, but you should look at what you love as you move through different states in life,” she says with a smile. “You get all this time back with the empty nest and you do miss the kids. But then you’re all sitting around the dinner table again, and it’s so wonderful. I’m very proud of my family.”