I was just disciplined. I knew I had to get back into shape after six weeks for the film Goal II, but I cheated in the end - I wore a corset. I loved my pregnancy, I blossomed. I felt goddess-like and very secure. I found it comforting to have a little thing growing inside me, and very calming.

Anna Friel

Categorized in : Pregnancy Comforting Goal

For me personally, everything is on a kiss. by Anna Friel

For me personally, everything is on a kiss.

kiss-me kissing

It's really important to draw the line on what we do as actors. by Anna Friel

It's really important to draw the line on what we do as actors.

lines actors important

I've always chosen incredibly different roles and things that are quite offbeat. That way you're not limited.

roles different way

When I was younger I thought I'd meet the man of my dreams, get married and have a child, but it all went higgledy-piggledy. Never say never, though.

dream men children

Being a mother gives you an incredible feeling of empowerment, you think if I can go through such pain and that level of sleep and still operate and not be grumpy you can do anything. It can be quite scary, you can't function your brain, forget your vocabulary.

pain mother sleep

It's so important to raise awareness of this problem that continues to affect 1 in 4 women at some point in their lifetime, regardless of career, wealth or background.

domestic-violence careers important

These women need to feel that we're all aware of what they may be going through, to give them the confidence to speak out.

domestic-violence speaks-out giving

Eternity to a child offers goodness, and eternal life to a man is essentially corrupting because it involves a certain amount of vanity to embrace it.

vanity men children

And the most important thing - apart from telling a good, believable story, and being a true character - is to be someone the audience will care about, even if you're playing a murderer or rapist.

important stories character

The doctors say it dates back to a film where I had these huge prosthetic breasts because my character was breast-feeding. The weight of them, and of the baby, did my back in.

girl baby character

You can see when an actor gets bored: Their eyes go dead. I promised myself I'd never let that happen. If it does, I'll go and live on a desert island for a year.

eye islands years

I'd like to put the record straight about that. I've been labelled an irresponsible role model for young mothers, but none of it is true. I couldn't even walk for two weeks after the birth, let alone exercise. I ate very healthily all the way through my pregnancy and afterwards. I didn't do anything extreme.

mother exercise pregnancy

Well ironically my last three roles have all been a mother. One was a Canadian film where the baby was taken away because she is a drug addict, in Irish Jam I play a mother to a four year old. I think in the future I'll be able to handle the role with a lot more depth.

taken mother baby

I've got the best lead man, I really love my lead man. by Anna Friel

I've got the best lead man, I really love my lead man.

men

I've never been onstage in my life. by Anna Friel

I've never been onstage in my life.

Now learning a bit more about footballers I think what they need to do well, is someone who really wants to stay in the background and just be a strong support.

stay-strong support thinking

Onstage, there's no hiding; you either can or can't act. There's... by Anna Friel

Onstage, there's no hiding; you either can or can't act. There's no second take.

hiding

I've been onstage once for one performance with four days' rehear... by Anna Friel

I've been onstage once for one performance with four days' rehearsal.

rehearsal four performances

My whole family is quite petite, so I have good genes on my side. But I find it quite tiresome that we have to keep talking about sizes and how much weight we can lose.

size sides talking

I want more children but for the next three years I want to act. by Anna Friel

I want more children but for the next three years I want to act.

three children years