Jennifer Connelly didn’t want more than 3 children: ‘That’s enough for us’

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We rarely cover Jennifer Connelly, which is a shame. She’s an interesting person and she’s been acting for something like three decades. I also wish Jennifer’s husband Paul Bettany was around more often, because he’s beautiful and I love him. But they live a relatively quiet life in NYC with their three children (the oldest, Kai, is from Jennifer’s previous relationship) and everything seems very low-key with them these days. Jennifer has a supporting part in Winter’s Tale (that fairy-tale looking film with Colin Farrell and Russell Crowe) and that was enough to get her the cover of Allure. You can see one of the Allure slideshows here, and here are some highlights from the interview:

At 43, she’s done with having babies: “I knew that we were going to be done after number three. That’s enough for us.”

Her 16-year-old son Kai: “It sounds like I’m bragging terribly but he’s well rounded, and he’s interested in sciences, and he’s also a great writer and interested in history and he plays guitar.”

Being directed by Bettany in Shelter: “One couldn’t feel more safe as an actor than knowing that the director’s your husband. It’s like, oh, if I really make a fool of myself, I can just say, “Honey, can you please not put that in the movie?” That was a great perk.’

The roles she goes for: “Anything that feels like it has integrity, in which one can be really invested, is cathartic. I don’t think it has to necessarily be tragic in content, but I have had more experience playing those characters. There are plenty of comedies and light hearted films with that same substance as well that are just as important and are just as meaningful. I haven’t come across many of them in scripts that I’ve been offered. I’d love to find something that’s a bit more light hearted. That might be a nice change of tempo.”

What matters: “The thing that really matters to me is well-being and happiness. Maybe it comes from knowing people who have tortured themselves trying to meet these strangely narrow and rigorous definitions of what our culture thinks is beautiful.”

Working with David Bowie in Labyrinth: “David Bowie was so generous and lovely with me, and I remember thinking that dress was very, very fancy. I think it was made out of Saran Wrap.”

Meeting Princess Diana in 1986 at a film premiere: “This was such a big deal. I was very excited to meet her, such an icon. There was lots of protocol. I was nervous. But she was lovely, as I remember. She was very kind and sweet to me. She was a princess!”

Working with Drew Barrymore & Jennifer Aniston: “They were both really lovely. I don’t think I had any scenes with Drew, but Jennifer was great—I loved her. The reality of those things is everyone comes in and does their part and then flies off. I said, ‘Oh, it will be so great. We’ll all work together,’ and the most time we actually got to spend socializing was at the premiere.”

[From Allure & The Mail]

OK, so she’s a little boring. But that’s why we like her, right? We wouldn’t like her if she gave interview after interview about Paul Bettany’s hotness (God, he’s hot) or all of her famous friends. I get the feeling that Jennifer really doesn’t go in for that kind of thing – she’s not all about fancy parties and networking and all of that. She’d rather be in Manhattan with her family.

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Photos courtesy of Allure.

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47 Responses to “Jennifer Connelly didn’t want more than 3 children: ‘That’s enough for us’”

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  1. bns says:

    Gorgeous. It’s a shame that Allure covers are better than Vogue these days.

  2. smee says:

    I don’t find her boring – she’s just reserved. Doesn’t feel the need to open a vein for attention. I have always found her interesting and compelling as an actress. She’s also quite beautiful in a subtler way. Her choice in a husband says a lot about her. AND I love her leopard print palazzo pants!

    • Sumodo1 says:

      “…open a vein…” Love it! Naw, Jennifer Connelly is very real, with no airs. The interviewer came across as a little fangirl-ish: tell me about Princess Di, tell me about Drew and Jen. Wasn’t Jennifer Connelly supposed to be the “face” of Shiseido? I never saw any ads.

      • Sammy says:

        She is Shiseido’s face – they’ve just done a crappy job at promoting her. She’s done a few interviews for beauty sites but they’re just your standard PR pieces.

    • Kiddo says:

      I don’t have much of an opinion on her, I don’t know if she’s made an impression on me, I can’t conjure up any of her prior films, but I like the entire ensemble. It looks classic, like something Katherine Hepburn would have worn when she was young.

      • AG-UK says:

        She was really good in Requiem for a Dream. It doesn’t seem like the same person.. because she was out there but that film was out there. Also she played the young girl in that DeNiro mafia film Once Upon a Time in America

      • Kiddo says:

        Thanks AG.

      • bella bella says:

        She won an Academy award for her part in A Beautiful Mind.

        Also, Kaiser, she lives in Brooklyn, not NYC.

    • carol says:

      the pants look so comfy!

  3. SonjaMarmeladova says:

    I love her.
    And just like Amy Adams, just because someone is not attention seeking and in your face all the time doesn’t mean they’re boring.
    And, I love that they named their daughter Agnes. Such a strong and normal name.

    • Zadie says:

      This.
      I’m not too fond of the name Agnes. Sounds like an old lady name.

    • Kate says:

      I’ve become more than a little irritated that the trend now is to call classy, quiet women “boring.” It actually insults me that our culture has evolved to where we treat some women that way.

    • lucy2 says:

      I completely agree. She does her work, does a bit of promotion, and then steps back into her private life. We have no idea what that life is like, because she (wisely, IMO) keeps it private. That doesn’t make her boring, it makes her smart, I think. Most people who get a ton of attention are asking for it, and she simply isn’t.

      I haven’t seen any films of hers in a while, but she is a talented actress. I also think she is stunningly beautiful, her face is amazing.

  4. Sullivan says:

    She is lovely. Gifted with beauty and brains.

    • Suzen says:

      Yes. My first thought also. Not boring at all, she sounds quite intelligent. And I have always thought she was gorgeous. Her husband… gah so hot 🙂 They are a lovely couple.

  5. Anna says:

    I love her brows

  6. eliza says:

    I find her normal and lovely.

  7. blue marie says:

    I love photos of her and Bettany, both such lovely people/actors.

  8. Sisi says:

    I like that she doesn’t reveal too much, she doesn’t seek any validation through media statements, and she does’t have to

  9. Mimz says:

    I agree with you Kaiser, she’s boring but we love her. She doesn’t have scandals to write about , she turned out OK in this hollywood life and that’s great. Still a good interview and nice pictures.

    • ncmagnolia says:

      Don’t think she’s boring at ALL. She’s suffered the death of her beloved father, which she chose not to ‘work out’ in the press, while suffering silently. She and husband Paul Bettany appear to adore and revere each other, and that doesn’t play ‘sexy’ to the media. LOVE this woman, her family and her natural inclination to not pimp their lives out to the press. <3

  10. harpreet says:

    I am surprised they are not promoting Jessica Brown Findlay, as she is the lead in the film (opposite Colin). This film is the reason she left Downton.

  11. Anna says:

    I’ve always really liked her, but she sometimes becomes incredibly thin, to the point where it doesn’t look healthy. Anyone know what that’s about?

    • Zadie says:

      She lost weight for Shelter.

    • mmtahoe says:

      She also lost weight when she lost her father a couple of years ago, she had a very, very difficult time getting through it. There were some pieces about it in the papers.

      • Virgilia Coriolanus says:

        There’s a post about it in CB archives–Paul Bettany was at some film festival (maybe Sundance?), and they asked him about how skinny Jennifer was, and he said that he had to defend her, because her father had just died, and she was taking it really hard. I figure that she’s one of those people that has a hard time putting on weight, so it probably took her a couple of years.

    • Hannah says:

      She looked grossly thin in “He’s not that into you.” I just rewatched it on cable.

    • amilu says:

      I loved her when I was little (Labyrinth!), but she does nothing for me these days. I love boobs, and she had some of the best boobs in the business. So I think I’m just sad that her glorious boobs disappeared when she lost so much weight so long ago. Yes, everyone’s body changes as they age, but…I miss the Jennifer Connelly of Labyrinth/Career Opportunities/The Rocketeer!

  12. Kate says:

    Classy woman. I’ve always liked her.

  13. minime says:

    yey!!! Jennifer Connely!! She should really be covered more times. I don’t find her boring at all, but with more substance than the average “star” that gets covered in magazines nowadays. She is a great actress: Requiem for a Dream, The house of sand and fog, Reservation road…just to name a few. And the same goes for Paul Bettany…it would be nice to read about them (more what they have to say or what they are doing) every now and then.

  14. Lexie says:

    I agree she’s refreshingly low-key, but if she said the word “lovely” one more time I was going to click on to the next item. It’s frustrating when someone uses vague adjectives rather than really describing a person or experience.

  15. Julianna says:

    She looks like she’s in her 30’s. Good for her, I love her eyes too.

  16. Brown Eyed Girl says:

    i still remember her from the creepy film requiem for a dream, a movie my RA in college made my entire floor watch after freshman move in day in exchange for free pizza and cake. best DONT EVER DO DRUGS EVER movie ever made

    • Scarlet Vixen says:

      @Brown Eyed Girl: YES!! I tell everyone that Requiem for a Dream is the best anti-drug movie ever, too. As someone who grew up idolizing Jennifer Connelly in Labyrinth & The Rocketeer (not to mention she is my older brother’s all-time celeb crush) her role in that movie was so shocking.

      I do think she’s gotten a little too thin as she’s aged a bit. I think it was when she won the Oscar for Beautiful Mind I remember thinking she looked so gaunt after looking so deliciously curvy in movies like the Rocketeer and Mulholland Falls. She still has one of the most naturally gorgeous faces I’ve ever seen.

  17. Suze says:

    Is there ever an interview where a female actress is NOT asked about family planning?

  18. Mara says:

    She has amazing eyes so beautiful!

  19. Quincy says:

    Let’s not overlook her brilliant work in “Career Opportunities.” Frankly, it’s all been downhill since.

    • Hautie says:

      Oh how I love “Career Opportunities”. I just watched it on Starz(?) or Encore. And it still cracks me up.

      That is the magic, of those John Hughes movies from the 80’s. They have all aged really well.

  20. judyjudy says:

    I love her. Most especially because she looks just like my mother did as a young woman.

  21. jellyfish says:

    Labyrinth is one of my favorite movies!!!!!!!! I used to be obsessed with David Bowie when I was younger

    • Katie says:

      I am STILL obsessed. It is my ALL TIME. I love Bowie and I am delighted the interviewer asked about him.

  22. Karol says:

    I always found her classy and talented, and therefore interesting in a sea of mindless Hollywood beauties. Although I wish she would a burger once in a while – she’s awfully thin.

  23. Lux says:

    I think she’s stunning but there’s something a little off with these pictures. The cover is just awful.

  24. moi says:

    I’ve seen her in interviews. she is one of the few intelligent actresses out there

  25. Hazmat says:

    I think she’s great: beautiful, classy and talented. Smart, too. Paul Bettany is one gorgeous man, who clearly adores her.

  26. Kath says:

    If class, talent and a stable family life equals boring, then I despair…

  27. Katherine says:

    Jennifer is tall and she’s a real runner. Keeps you thin.

    She and Paul sold that fabulous brownstone on Prospect Park and moved back into Manhattan years ago.

    Always loved her and Paul is a real keeper. But she’s naturally a shy and reserved person and that’s usually reflected in her interviews. She is a great example of how hard it is for a talented woman over 40 to get roles worth taking.

    Little known fact: in the early days of the internet Jennifer and Pamela Anderson were the most downloaded photos on the net.