Last Sunday, Demi Moore won her first major acting award at the Golden Globes. Watching from home was Brooke Shields, who said, “The kids are going to be like, ‘Oh, it’s Golden Globes night. Get your mom a bottle of wine! Get her a bottle of tequila!'” Shields said. laughed. “It’s so interesting, these award shows. When you sit there and say, why am I not good enough to win this, why am I not good enough to win this, whatever? It can be torture.”
“Have you ever felt that?” I asked.
“I’ve felt that all my life.”
It may come as a surprise to hear that a veteran actress like Shields is desperate for acceptance. It turns out that she is completely human. “I was listening to Demi say, ‘We’ve never won an award before.’ Well, I won the People’s Choice Award! People love me!” Ta.”
“So you won the People’s Choice Award, but did you want an Emmy or an Oscar?”
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“I just wanted to be part of the group of cool kids,” Shields said. “That’s where you’ll find girls who are a little insecure.”
At this point in his 60-year career, the comedienne has earned the right to laugh at herself.
Shields, now 59, said he feels like he’s 38 years old. “I definitely feel more youthful than I did when I was younger,” she said.
She began her modeling career while wearing diapers. Later, she turned heads by wearing Calvin Klein jeans. Shields were expected to look gorgeous while selling their products and delivering their lines. She delivered.
However, as she approached 60, she realized the cultural norms that she strongly rejected.
“By the time you’re 50, you’re completely abandoned,” she says. “You’re out to pasture. Society says, ‘If you’re not a sexy 20-something in a bar, you’re an old lady.'” There’s a demonstration in the middle that’s often overlooked. ”
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Shields wrote her fourth book, “Brooke Shields Won’t Be Allowed to Grow Old,” to be published by Flatiron on Tuesday, for these overlooked women. “People who were noticed for a certain way of looking, in a sense, become disappointed just by getting older,” she says. “I’ve seen people be personally insulted by the fact that I’m 60 years old.”
“So what do you tell them?”
“I kind of feel bad for them,” Shields said. “And I’m part of the problem, too, because I was probably a symbol of that unconsciously, but I didn’t set out to do that.”
Nearly 44 years after being named Face of the Decade, Shields hopes to empower women and be a voice for her generation by sharing her personal and sometimes vulnerable experiences. .
In her book, she reveals that doctors performed surgeries that she did not consent to. “My gynecologist asked me if I was feeling uncomfortable and I said yes.”
In the late 2000s, Shields saw a surgeon to alleviate discomfort in her labia. But after the surgery, she says she discovered he had an additional procedure, an unwanted vaginal rejuvenation. “He literally looked at me and said, ‘You tightened up a little bit,'” Shields said. “And I was like, ‘What?’ And he was like, bragging about giving me a little bonus, and I was so shocked that I didn’t even know what to do. I lost it.”
“what did you say?”
“I didn’t say anything. I didn’t say anything because it sounded like he wanted me to thank him,” Shields responded. “I couldn’t say anything at that time, but it was the first time I’d ever said anything.”
The so-called bonus surgery had lingering side effects. The actress and model says sex can be painful.
“This, you know, was a long time ago. We didn’t know what to fight about, we didn’t know what to complain about. We finally had a life and a child, and we said, ‘God, I don’t know what to do.’ I don’t want that kind of attention,”’ she said.
So why is she speaking out now? “Because I have daughters. And I’m not ashamed of that. And I think the more we have conversations with them that we never had, the further we can progress as women. .”
SEALs are also trying to make progress in other ways. In May, she was elected president of the Actors Equity Association, a union representing 51,000 actors and stage managers nationwide. A five-time Broadway star, she felt a responsibility to give back to the community that embraced her.
She’s already taking the fight to Washington for more funding and tax changes. “It was a learning curve,” she said. “This is a trial by fire. I haven’t been on the Hill and met with any congressmen or senators. But you know, producers need to pay attention to the people who shed their blood every day for them. It needs to be taken care of.”
In addition to being the union boss, Mr. Shields also currently serves as CEO. She founded the beauty brand “COMMENCE” after listening to the hair-related concerns of aging women. “They felt ignored and that’s just the truth,” she said. “They’re not marketed.”
When asked what is the most difficult thing about being a CEO, Shields replied: “It’s about fundraising. It’s about keeping the money flowing because we have to get the money back into the company quickly. And you know, nobody’s getting paid yet, at least not me!” she said. laughed.
Don’t ask Brooke Shields if she’s ready to slow down. Age has brought wisdom, but she’s just getting started.
“I’m almost 60 years old,” she said. “I’m still here. I feel like I’m at the beginning of a new, really exciting stage. The more confident I am, the more opportunities I get, even though it’s not interesting. Still, you couldn’t get to this point of confidence without having to spend a lot of time getting here. ”
Read an excerpt: “Brooke Shields won’t be allowed to grow old.”
WEB EXTRA: View extended interview with Brooke Shields
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Story produced by Michelle Kessel. Editor: George Pozderek.
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