Alex Kingston "Hurts" When Separated From Daughter

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Being in Glasgow as she shoots the BBC1 drama Hope Springs has been bittersweet for Alex Kingston. The British-born 45-year-old actress moved full-time to California 12 years ago and admits that she sometimes finds the state "odd," so the return trip to the UK provides a welcome break. California is also where her husband Florian Haertel and 7-year-old daughter Salome Violetta call home, however. Being separated from her daughter is something Alex says she finds exceedingly difficult. "I feel this tie with my daughter, and it’s almost as if it’s a piece of skin that’s being really, really stretched right now because she’s so far away," Alex explains, "It hurts." When they can’t be together due to her professional commitments — like most moms — Alex says she wonders if she’s made the right decision.

"There is a part of me that thinks, ‘Should I stop? Should I stop all of this and be a mum, and we’ll reduce our lifestyle and live simply off my husband’s earnings?’ But I don’t know if that would make me happy because I’m a creative person and I’d need to do something."

Alex says that working moms "have to find the best balance in the world" they’ve created for themselves. "I’m at a point in my life where I need to think about how I live and where we live and how we make it work, if we can," she adds.

Source: Guardian

Comments

Working moms do have tough decisions to make but leaving your 7 year old daughter thousands of miles away while you work on a movie is just plain ridiculous!! To say nothing of leaving your husband behind. Asking for trouble . . . in both areas.

That’s all I have to say.

- mslewis on September 5th, 2008

Well then I guess all actresses who are moms should just go away, huh? This isn’t 1952, moms work, the end.

Didn’t Alex almost die giving birth to her daughter, or something to the extreme? I vaguely remember her mentioning it on Conan years ago. So I figure that would make it even double harder to leave, with such a strong bond. Alex is so cool.

- Anais on September 6th, 2008

Lots of actress moms and athlete moms have to be away from their kids for awhile in order to work. It comes with the job. I don’t judge her for it. She’s not going to be gone more than couple of months to film a TV movie, not unlike Dara Torres having to be in China for 2 months from her daughter. I think it’s silly to insinuate she’s going to mess up her marriage for working. I think it sets a postive example to children when a mother makes the choice about working that is going to make her happy. Your life doesn’t stop when you become a mother. Women now have the opportunity to work and that’s ok. Women also have the opportunity to be SAHMs and that’s ok too. I don’t think we should criticize women for whichever choice they make.

- MB on September 6th, 2008

This article is a little misleading because of how they cut out what they wanted. I’m pretty sure the full article mentions how she makes sure that she calls her daughter at least once a day and also keeps in contact through IM.
Also, her going away to the UK to work is not something she does all the time. And the only reason she doesn’t take her daughter with her? She doesn’t want to disrupt her schooling. Wow, a hollywood mother being sensible for one.

- Elizabeth on September 8th, 2008

Anais, I remember that Conan too. She said the baby was the one whose health was in danger … she had the cord wrapped around her neck several times. AK said she was convinced it was because the baby had been dancing and moving so much, and it was part of the reason they named her Salome.

- Tayfilly on September 9th, 2008