On the Road: Liz Hurley
Liz Hurley tells Louise Flind about swapping LA for Herefordshire, steaming her kaftans – and that chilly picture
Is there anything you can’t leave home without? Sunglasses. I can’t stand being stared at when I’m out and about, and sunglasses make me feel as if I have an Invisibility Shield. I’m aware I look like an idiot to everyone else.
Where were you brought up? On the move – my father was in the army. Then Hampshire.
What’s your favourite part of England? I love where I am now, in Herefordshire. It’s really rural and beyond the commuter belt. I previously spent ten years in the Cotswolds, which I loved, but it was annoying bumping into people I cross the road to avoid in London.
And can you tell us about the photo shoot in the snow, where you weren’t wearing many clothes? Is it right that your mum took the photos? During lockdown, I’ve had to rope in everyone to help me. I set the shots up and did the lighting. All my longsuffering family have to do is point and press.
How has lockdown been? I secretly loved the first lockdown, as the weather was so glorious that all I did was manual labour in the garden. I planted, cleared, pruned and mowed from dawn till dusk, which meant I could consume thousands of calories a day without gaining an ounce. This one has been much more dreary and I’ve been sulkily sorting out junk cupboards.
Do you travel light? I’m not a mad diva with 28 matching Louis Vuitton suitcases, but I probably travel heavier than most. I like to be covered for anything that may crop up. I’m usually lugging cameras and lights, too. I travel so often that I have it down to a fine art. I lay outfits on my bed and ruthlessly remove the gorgeous but isolated top that would need its own skirt, bag and shoes. I put all swimwear, underwear, T-shirts and sun creams into separate ziplock bags and shoes into shoe bags. I always take a hand steamer, sewing kit and gaffer tape.
Is there something you really miss when you’re away? Even though I find cooking very boring, and crash around the kitchen when I do it, I really miss it around the six-to-eight-week mark of being away. After a while, room service loses its charm. The worst thing about lockdown has been having to cook constantly. Left to my own devices, I’d just eat Ryvita and bananas but, with the house full, I’ve had to feed everyone properly.
Do you miss home when you’re away? I feel liberated the moment I leave. I’m very comfortable living out of a suitcase, but I miss my garden and torture people to send me photos of everything. They hate doing it as I immediately put a red ring round any weed I spy and send it straight back.
Do you miss travelling for films and acting during lockdown? Last year, 2020, was the first year I didn’t once travel to America, and I really missed it. Next month, I’m due to fly to LA to shoot a pilot for CBS, which has been postponed for nearly a year – so my fingers are firmly crossed. After the first lockdown, I was lucky to make two movies – one in York and one in Latvia – and it was such a relief to get back to work.
What’s in the pipeline? After I shoot the pilot for CBS, I will have a month or two off before shooting a romantic comedy in the UK.
For vacations? The Maldives.
What do you think of LA? I lived there for ten years. There’s nowhere better to be if you’re working constantly in the movie industry as it’s there on a plate. I came back when I was pregnant as, being a single mother, I wanted to be near my family.
Where did you go on your honeymoon with Arun Nayar? We frolicked in Mauritius, where my then husband swam with sharks while I watched turtles hatch on the beach.
Do you go on holiday? All my holidays are slightly marred because they double up as shoots for my swimwear company. I usually take a few days off to get a little sun and relax, and then it’s back into hair and make-up and steaming the kaftans.
Are you brave with different food abroad? I can’t eat street food anywhere as my stomach is very delicate. The last time I tried was when I was in Pakistan with Imran Khan, to raise funds for his hospital. He persuaded me to eat some kebabs and I projectile-vomited and ended up on a drip.
Favourite food? Sausages – I could eat them every day. We used to make our own when we kept Gloucestershire Old Spots.