Although she’s in an enviable position to pick and choose roles, 24-year-old Kate Hudson prefers to play mother to her son
As one of Hollywood’s most sought-after young actresses — and especially after the success of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days — Kate Hudson is in the envious position of being able to pick and choose her roles. But the 24-year-old actress says she made a snap decision about Raising Helen, a romantic comedy from Pretty Woman director Garry Marshall, about a rising executive at a top Manhattan modelling agency who suddenly finds herself having to care for her sister’s three young children. “I simply connected with the script emotionally,” says the Oscar-nominated actress, who gave birth to a son, Ryder Russell Robinson. It’s the first child for Hudson and her husband of four years, Chris Robinson, front man for the music group the Black Crowes. “I always wanted to be a mom,” says the Los Angeles native, who admits she’s inspired by the close relationship she enjoys with her mother, actress Goldie Hawn, and Hawn’s longtime partner, actor Kurt Russell, whom Hudson affectionately refers to as “Pa.” Balancing career and family is an opportunity relished by the upbeat, golden-haired actress, who talks about her movies and her family.
In your film Raising Helen, your character suddenly finds herself raising three young children. As a new mom, the timing couldn’t be better, could it?
It came at a time when I was thinking about having kids, so it kind of perfectly matched my mindset at the time. But there were moments when we were filming when the three kids were all talking to me at the same time and there was all this craziness and I just thought, is this what my life is going to be like? But truthfully, I think actors should be attracted to things that challenge them. I feel very fortunate to be 24 years-old and play a character like this. Complicated roles like this don’t typically come around until you’re in your mid-30s. And part of the comic appeal of Helen is her lack of preparedness and understanding of what it takes to be a parent.
And how prepared were you when your baby arrived?
It’s incredible. Nobody ever tells you how hard it’s going to be. It’s like everybody keeps all the hard stuff away from you. When I was pregnant I got so much advice that I just started tuning out. But I have such great parents and I look to them when it comes to family issues. I was lucky enough to watch them raise my younger brother, Wyatt, and I can only hope that when Ryder gets older and when we have more kids, that they like me as much as I like my mom.
So you’re definitely planning to have more kids?
We’re just playing it by ear. I need a break to go out and have a couple of drinks before I go and do this all over again! It has been a long time since I’ve been able to go out and have a nice night with my husband.
How’s Chris at changing diapers?
He’s great! He doesn’t change too many diapers. He says it’s because everybody gets so excited when the baby poops that he doesn’t even get a chance to get close to him.
How does your mom feel about being a grandmother?
She’s very happy. Both she and Kurt were just so thrilled. I remember being rolled out of the surgery room right after I had the baby and I looked up at pa and said, “Did you meet Ryder Russell?” It was the first time he heard his name. That was a great, great moment for me and for him.
How did you arrive at the name Ryder?
Ah, that’s a good story! Actually, there are two reasons why we picked Ryder. First, Chris was on tour and I was on the road with him during my third trimester. Every night he ended the
show with a song called “Ride.” And Ryder would go insane in my stomach every time that song was played — it had to be the bass line. Anyway, I made a joke and said, “Wouldn’t it be funny if we called him Ride?” Also, we’re fans of the Grateful Dead and their song I Know You Rider and I said, “What about Ryder?” It sounded great and it fits him perfectly because he never stopped moving in my stomach.
You were being stalked? By paparazzi?
Yes. Guys were actually dressing up as scrubs in order to get into the hospital and security guards had to be outside my room. It was kind of hurtful. It’s just really sad that that part of your life can’t be yours, especially when I’ve been so open to the media. But I guess that’s the nature of celebrity today.
Has loss of privacy been an ongoing issue for you and Chris?
It has been pretty bad for a while now for a lot of people. Occasionally a few people go by your house and they say, “So-and-so lives there,” and I wonder, is that really interesting? Granted, I’m in a different position, but the work that people do is interesting. Seeing a film that’s exciting and bigger than life — that’s interesting. The celebrity aspect of an actor’s life is not interesting to me.
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