“Grey’s Anatomy” actor Camilla Luddington is getting real about what it takes to be on a hit show while raising two kids.
In an interview with Parents published on Friday, Luddington spoke about the difficulties of juggling her filming schedule and her responsibilities as a mom.
“I just accept that there is no balance,” Luddington told Parents, adding she focuses on doing her best in each role depending on the day.
“To take the pressure off, I’ll be like, ‘You know what? Today I’m probably going to be better at my job than I am at parenting because I’m on set all day. But tomorrow I’m off and I can be a better parent,'” she said. “Letting go of that need to be perfectly balanced all the time has been very freeing for me.”
Luddington has played Dr. Jo Wilson on the hit medical drama since 2012. She has two kids with her husband, “13 Reasons Why” actor Matthew Alan.
When it comes to her two kids, ages 8 and 5, Luddington says that having space is sometimes the secret to harmony.
“They want to play together and they want to be up against us — but they don’t realize that they need time by themselves,” Luddington said.
At times, she and her husband will split the kids up, sending one out to play and the other to the room, she said.
“They need that separation because they will be up in each other’s business the entire day and drive each other — and us — crazy. Then they can appreciate the time they spend with us and each other,” Luddington added.
A representative for Luddington did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider outside regular hours.
In a 2023 interview with NewBeauty, Luddington said she’s “lucky” to be on a show with a big cast that doesn’t require her on set daily.
“But there are days that go by where I’ve worked a couple of 12-hour days and I haven’t seen my kids in three days. And that’s hard. So the days that I have time off, I try to give them as much of my attention as I possibly can,” she said.
Luddington joins a list of female actors who’ve opened up about juggling work and parenting in Hollywood.
Speaking to The Times in November, Keira Knightley said having kids meant putting her career on the back burner.
“I couldn’t go job to job [abroad] now. It wouldn’t be in any way fair on them, and I wouldn’t want to,” Knightley said. “I’ve chosen to have children, I want to bring them up, so I’ve had to take a major step back.”
In May, Michelle Williams told Dax Shepard on the “Armchair Expert” podcast that balancing work and motherhood is like figuring out “which master you’re going to serve.”
“Because the truth is, if work is going well, somebody else is taking care of the kids. And if you’re in a high point with your kids, the work is shoved to the side,” Williams said.
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