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Michelle Williams: “I’m So Good” at Raising Daughter Matilda “When I’m Not Working”

Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams

Solo and strong. Since Heath Ledger‘s untimely death in 2008, Michelle Williams has been acting as a single mother to the couple’s daughter Matilda — a challenge she says she has been up for in the new issue of Elle UK.

“I feel like I’m so good at raising a kid when I’m not working,” the Oscar-nominated actress, 34, dished of raising her 9-year-old daughter. “I don’t forget anything. I’ve got everything covered. It’s a real luxury to have a moment when I’m not scrambling.” 

Related: PHOTOS: Michelle Williams' Sophisticated Style Moments

Michelle Williams Elle UK

“I feel like most of my life, I’m trying to do two things at once, both to the best of my abilities,” continued Williams, who took the stage in the Broadway revival of Cabaret last year. “So that leaves me feeling pretty exhausted. I’m the person who falls asleep all the time. You invite me over for dinner or to a party, and there’s a whole scrapbook of pictures of me napping. I’ve even been given a nickname because of my snoring.”

The busy star welcomed Matilda with then-boyfriend Ledger in October 2005. The two stars parted ways in late 2007, continuing to co-parent their little girl until the Brokeback Mountain actor died of an accidental overdose in January 2008.

Related: PHOTOS: Stars Gone Too Soon

Michelle Williams Elle UK Cover

Williams, who met Ledger on the set of Brokeback, has since juggled single parenting with her ever-busy acting career. She also spoke to Elle UK about her recent roles and what inspires her. 

“[It’s always just been] an instantaneous response that happened while I was reading a script,” she said of finding roles. “It’s the only thing I ever went off — not advice, not some picture in terms of placement or strategy — but just a feeling that came off of the page and into my heart. It suits me best to work with friends, and to make something that feels really homemade.”

Related: PHOTOS: Hollywood's Most Powerful Women of 2014

Decades after she starred in Dawson’s Creek with BFF Busy Philipps, Williams has some exciting projects. This month, she’ll hit theaters in the UK in the war drama Suite Française with Margot Robbie and Ruth Wilson. The celebrated star also booked a part in the upcoming film Manchester-by-the-Sea with Casey Affleck

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