First comes babies, then comes marriage — at least in Julianne Moore's case.
Still, the 50-year-old Golden Globe nominee tells The Guardian that if it weren't for the advice of her therapist, she may never have married director Bart Freundlich.
"The only reason I got married in 2003 was for my children," the Kids Are All Right star confesses. "I had a therapist who said marriage is really a container for a family and that made sense to me. Bart and I have been together for years. We have Caleb, 13, and our daughter Liv, who is eight."
And though many Hollywood moms rely on nannies to help raise their children, being an involved parent is Moore's No. 1 priority. "I want to be with my husband and kids as much as I can," she says.
Moore also refuses to uproot her children when she takes on a new film project. Instead, she's scaled back her career to allow for more time at home.
"Some celebrities take their children everywhere with them, despite having to pull them away from school and friends," the actress says. "Because of my own childhood experiences, I try to work in New York or during the summer when my family can come with me. The days of doing a film where I need to be away for months during the school year are over."
So how does Moore — whose Kids Are All Right costars Annette Bening and Mark Ruffalo are current Oscar contenders — keep the spark alive with Freundlich, 41?
"Bart and I try to spend time alone, but it is hard because the kids go, 'Why are you going out? You went out last night," she says. "But we endeavor to make time for each other, take trips together. I wouldn't call it a struggle. I wouldn't say that it was easy. I think it's what anybody I know who has a family and a career deals with. It's a challenging balance. I feel fortunate that I've had both: and I work really hard to maintain both of them."
