Why I Left HOLLYWOOD
After stepping away from the big screen, the Big Chill star is back (with Brad Pitt!) and revealing how she put her family first
She’s starred in movies with the likes of Jane Fonda, Kevin Kline and Annette Bening, so why did Golden Globe winner Meg Tilly decide to leave the business? “I stopped acting for 18 years to raise my children, because I couldn’t do it all,” Meg, 57, shares with Closer. And while many use day care or hire a nanny, she “didn’t feel safe having other people raise them” because of her own history as a victim of child abuse. And as a stay-at-home mom to Emily and David Zinnemann (with her first husband, producer Tim Zinnemann), now in their 30s, and her son Will Firth, 26, with her actor beau Colin Firth, she was busy writing seven books! Now she’s heading straight back to the A-list playing Brad Pitt’s wife in the new Netflix movie War Machine. “I didn’t expect that I’d be able to come back [to acting], really,” she confesses to Closer. “And I really loved being on that set.” — Ilyssa Panitz
Congrats on returning with such a big project!
I got to shoot in England, which was wonderful because my youngest son [Will] lives there. Now I’m reluctant to do other projects that have come up. It’s like when you’ve had a great meal — you don’t want to ruin the taste in your mouth!
How was Brad Pitt as a husband?
Hollywood can mess people up, so I was shocked and moved by what a kind and decent person he was. He’s such a gentleman, so thoughtful and went out of this way to make me feel comfortable. I’ve worked with wonderful actors, but he’s the most generous in terms of being there behind the scenes. He gives 110 percent.
You’ve written seven books, including a new romance under the pen name Sara Flynn. Why did you decide to act again?
My youngest left home. That’s what you raise your children for, but it was a shock. I was used to the hustle and bustle of my children, making meals and driving lessons. The house was so quiet, I felt like it was holding its breath — like I was picked up by a tornado, dropped down 27 years later and thought, “What happened?” [Laughs] Everyone said that when your children leave, all the love you were giving them, you can give to yourself and do what you want…and I thought, “What do I want?”
Did you have a moment of clarity?
My sisters [actress Jennifer Tilly and artist Becky Tilly] came on Christmas Day to exchange presents, and when everyone left, I went under the tree to turn off the lights and found a present I’d missed from Jen — it was kind of magical. I opened it very slowly and inside was a little silver bracelet with a quote from [poet] George Eliot: “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.”
Wow. That’s pretty inspirational.
At first, I [thought], “I don’t know why
Jen thinks I’m not happy. I’m very happy after a year of taking walks and not knowing what to do.” [Laughs] But the words “you always wanted to do theater” dropped into my belly. I thought, “Oh, no!” When that happens, I know I have to act on it. I sent a fax to a Toronto theater and nobody answered — Jen said, “No one is expecting a fax from Meg Tilly! They probably think you’re some wackadoodle.” [Laughs] She got me an agent, and soon I was doing the play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf ? and the series Bomb Girls. Now I’ve written a romance! Life is just amazing.
And you started as a ballet dancer…
In class, I got dropped and fractured my back, and that’s how I became an actor. I also have a bit of dyslexia, so I couldn’t work in a bank. Who knew I was going to be an author?
Was the accident a big shock?
I couldn’t imagine life without dance, and thought that God was telling me I was going to be dying and I was supposed to go home and make my peace with everybody. So I went home and I was really nice, because I wanted people to miss me, but after six months I thought I must have misread the sign because I was getting better with physical therapy. So I moved to LA with Jen, who showed me the ropes, and did my first play — that was Sean Penn’s first play as well.
You’ve acted with the best…
To work with Jack Nicholson on [1990’s]
The Two Jakes was like dancing in a dream. I would just think a different thought of my character and he would pick up on it — it was like flying. I had a wonderful time on The Big Chill. I met my youngest son’s dad [Colin Firth] on Valmont, was in Paris, fell in love…
“As you get older and time becomes finite, loved ones become more precious.”
— Meg
And all those magical things after overcoming years of childhood abuse.
I didn’t tell anyone for years — I thought they’d run in the other direction. You feel bad things that happened are somehow your fault. It wasn’t until I got older that I learned that I don’t have to be ashamed. And in standing up for my children, I learned to stand up for myself.
What other life lessons have you learned?
When you don’t beat yourself up for not being something that’s unattainable, it allows you to be more comfortable in your own skin. Having the challenges I did, I’m just so grateful for all the blessings in my life.