Minnie Driver at the New York City press junket for "Motherhood"
When Minnie Driver was filming the dramedy "Motherhood," she was very pregnant with her son Henry, who was born in September 2008. But you won’t hear Driver telling any sentimental drivel about how wonderful and rosy it was for her to do a movie while she was pregnant. The reality is, she says, pregnancy was very uncomfortable for her during filming — especially since many of her "Motherhood" scenes were shot outdoors in the blistering heat of a New York City summer. But Driver isn’t complaining about being a successful entertainer; she’s just someone who tells it like it is — which is refreshing, because in interviews, so many actors describe their work experiences in such gushing terms of perfection that you know it’s just too good to be true.
And Driver certainly isn’t complaining about parenthood, because she’s never looked or felt happier since becoming a mother. Driver’s pregnancy was written into the "Motherhood" script so that Driver’s impending motherhood could mirror that of her character Sheila, a sassy Brit preparing for life as a single mom in New York City. Sheila is the best friend of writer Eliza Welch (played by Uma Thurman), who has a website where Eliza blogs about motherhood. Being a first-time mom was very much on Driver’s mind when I caught up with her at the "Motherhood" press junket in New York City, where she opened up what her life has been like since giving birth, what her are plans for her next album, and how she feels about paparazzi who target children.
If you could blog about anything, what would it be and why?
Whoa! Well, I’m actually writing at the moment this thing. Sometimes when you see these pictures, like when you’re followed by paparazzi. I would love people to know really what the history is behind an actual photograph: what was going on, like what actually preceded it, what went before the kind of day you were having, to sort of humanize that experience so that people go, "It’s not just that kind of oh, they shouldn’t whine about being photographed." But somehow to go, "I’d actually had five stitches in my foot that day, my son had fallen over and we were on our way to the pediatrician, and I was running and the paparazzi wouldn’t get out of the way."
Whatever it is, like whatever things that sort of go on. I always thought that’d be kind of interesting to blog about just cause it’s an angle that people, you read one of those hellish magazines and you’re sort of like, "Oh look, she got kind of fat!" And that’s sort of it and it’s like, "Wait a minute, there’s a person in here and a story and a life and a human being." And I like the idea of humanizing this rather than cannibalizing celebrity.
Minnie Driver in "Motherhood"
Would you do that on a personal website?
No, I’m going to do it in a book, I think, which I might publish electronically. I don’t know. It’s tying in with sort of a bigger thing, but that’s one aspect of it. So, yeah, I think I’d blog about that. I probably end up will be blogging about that quite soon. That seems how books are done these days.
It’s a great way to test the material and see how people react.
I think so. Definitely get very immediate. People leave comments. "This sucks! I don’t care! What are you wearing to the Oscars?" [She laughs.]
What’s the one thing about parenting that has just thrown you?
The love. The unquantifiable love. It just takes my breath away. My son’s face in the morning, or if I hear him [say], "Mama, Mama, Mama!" And I go and he’s just sitting there in his crib in the dark, because often he wakes up early and it’s still dark outside. When I turn the lights on he’s like "Mama!" And it feels like Christmas. It's the thing of loving something more than you can [imagine] … It’s sometimes terrifying and … you can’t go there thinking of the absence of that. It’s so extraordinary, and everyone tells you that and everyone says that. You can’t know until you have it. It just blows your mind. Yeah. Henry.
Minnie Driver (center) and Uma Thurman (far right) in "Motherhood"
How was it acting in this movie while you were pregnant?
It was horrible. I don’t recommend it. It was really sort of a great idea. It was me in my previous incarnation thinking, "Oh, it’ll be fun!" I’d just been on tour and that had been a bit tough but I was like "Oh, it’ll be fine. It’s a small part." You forget, like, it was a heat wave in New York. It was 100 degrees. You’re on New York City streets, the stink, I’m in a long-sleeve T-shirt with overalls. I was so hot and uncomfortable and waiting around. You should just be at home.
How pregnant were you?
I was seven-and-a-half months.
Anthony Edwards, Uma Thurman and Minnie Driver at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival
That wasn’t even a very small part. You’re in a lot of the movie.
Really? That’s good. I think that she had a big impact but I don’t think I did. I hung around more than I worked, which is usually fine if you’re not that’s part and parcel. I rarely noticed it because I was so pregnant. And we went over [the production schedule] a little bit and I had to stay longer than I’d anticipated. And I remember I was close to tears one evening and I was on the phone with my mom and I was like, "I just want to go home and iron onesies. I just want to do laundry, Mom!" She was laughing and she goes, "You’ll have plenty of time to do laundry, love. Don’t worry. There’s loads coming."
But I did want to be nesting. I’m glad I did it … The whole of my adult working life has been chronicled on film, and I didn’t want this part to be an exception. I’m really glad that I made it — selfishly … for my own history.
Do you have anything to say about your TV series "The Riches"?
Oh yeah, it was totally eighty-sixed, 100 percent. Yeah, it was devastating. Really sad. Really, really awful. It’s just terrible when a great show is canceled. But I’ve made a couple of really beautiful films this year. Really amazing. I just finished one; that’ll be great.
Can you tell us more?
I just finished this movie ["Barney’s Version"] in Montreal with Dustin Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, which will be, I truly believe, kind of epic and wonderful. And then the one before that was ["Betty Anne Waters"] with Hilary Swank — she was absolutely incredible — and Sam Rockwell and Juliette Lewis — just beyond amazing actors — and Peter Gallagher, and that’s going to be great. Those will be out in [2010].
Minnie Driver at the Los Angeles premiere of "Four Christmases," 2008
Do you have anything else coming up?
I’m just about to make another record. I’ve worked back to back and had a baby. [She laughs.] I’ve got to have break! Hold on! Stuff usually comes up but I need to do the record. I need to do this cause it needs to be done before I think next year it’s going to be busy.
How is your next album going to sound? And will the lyrics be influenced by you becoming a mother since your previous record?
I’m actually doing a covers record. I think there’ll be one original [song] on there, and it’ll be a bonus track. This [album] has been in the works. The stuff that I’m writing … is interesting. You have to be careful that you don’t get terribly sappy. [She jokes in a sing-song voice] "I love everything."
Do you think you’ll have another child?
I want to. I really want to. I’m 39. A part of me wishes I started 10 years ago, but I know where I was 10 years ago. Ten years ago, I was getting nominated for an Academy Award, and the whole thing was just sort of beginning and roiling and boiling — and there was no way! I’m expecting to have another baby at some point. And if I don’t, it’ll be fine, because I’ve got my Henry. So we’ll see.
Minnie Driver and Anthony Edwards at the New York City premiere of "Motherhood"
How has motherhood affected how you want to choose projects. Anthony Edwards says that being on a series like "ER" helped him be home more often for his kids …
It’s kind of what I want to do. I want to get a show so I can be home. That’s my plan.
You’ve done a tour for every album you’ve done. Will you take Henry on tour?
Oh yeah. He goes everywhere I go.
What would you say if Henry wants to be an actor when he grows up?
I would say, "Good luck! Good luck and I’ll always cook for you when you’re totally broke." [She laughs.]
Jodie Foster, Uma Thurman and Minnie Driver at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival premiere of "Motherhood" in Park City, Utah
You’ve been able to maintain your dignity in dealing with the paparazzi and how they literally stalk celebrities …
I have it easier than a lot of people. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t know how you would live in the world of Angelina Jolie or Jennifer Aniston and being stalked. It’s just brutal.
So what do you wish would change about how celebrities are covered by the media?
There should be legislation about children. In England, we have laws where [the paparazzi] can’t take pictures of children, because of things that can be done on the Internet — and that should be addressed in this country … That is legislation that should categorically be passed. And when you children get frightened, when [the paparazzi] are up in your face, with flashing light bulbs, it’s scary for them … There’s something rabid about those photographers as well, because they’re not seeing you as humanity; they’re seeing you as what they can sell to magazines.
And those editors [who use paparazzi photos] have a responsibility that they’re not taking. They say, "Well, the public has an appetite [for these photos]." Well, the public didn’t have an appetite before. They [the editors] can say, "We’re not going to publishing photographs of such-and-such, endless photographs of babies on the swings in parks and on play dates." It’s gross! Those poor children have done nothing to deserve it to be born to famous parents. I don’t think a public has a right to [intrude on] a childhood. What I chose to do is my business. My son didn’t choose it.
That’s where I stand on it, and it’s hard, because I haven’t gotten in trouble with those guys [the paparazzi] yet, but God knows, if they did anything to come near my kid and do something … If you see me in jail, come and support me with a banner. Get moms together!
Photo credits: Photo #1: Carla Hay. Photos #2, 3: Freestyle Releasing. Photo #4, 5: Getty Images. Photos #6, 7: AP.
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