ANNA FRIEL: Why women shouldn’t fear getting older
SHE was a teenage soap star who posed for revealing ‘lads’ mag’ photoshoots and indulged a party-loving lifestyle.
But now, at 42, Anna Friel, has embraced maturity – and says she has no regrets that her youthful days are behind her.
‘I would take my 40-something confidence, wisdom and knowledge over a perfect 18-year-old body any day,’ the actress says.
‘You have trepidation about growing older – mine was because I loved my 30s. But I’m all right with it. I really do believe you’re as old as you feel.’
The former Brookside star is about to appear in the ITV drama series Butterfly as the mother of an 11-year-old boy who wants to be a girl. Admitting that transgender children is ‘a delicate subject’, Ms Friel adds: ‘What I hope this drama does is say, “Try not to be so opinionated if you don’t know anything about it.”’
Asked if she would find it easy if Gracie, the 13-year-old daughter she had with her ex, David Thewlis, wanted to change gender, she says: ‘Absolutely not. I’ve seen the hardship these parents have gone through.’