THE WRAP UP

The actress had to learn to ask for help.

FRAN’S FINE

She’s back and happier than ever – but with an emotional plea to women everywhere.

After finally conquering her demons following a horrific assault and a battle with cancer, The Nanny star Fran Drescher says she’s taking her life back one day at a time, and she finally loves the woman she’s become. She’s also busy taking both Hollywood and Broadway by storm, with a new sitcom, Indebted, and the development of The Nanny into a musical. “Getting really connected to myself has been a great journey,” she says. “Now I’m not even feeling like I have to be in a relationship, because I’m in a relationship with myself. And it’s going quite well!”

Relying on her Buddhist teachings – as well as a gentleman friend “with benefits” – Fran (62) says she’s got to her place of contentment through a little bit of selfishness, as well as by learning to ask for help.

“For me to be well-rounded, I have to sometimes make it about me,” she says.

“I have to be able to ask for help. I have to be vulnerable. I can’t just be strong.” It’s a lesson learnt through decades of hardship, including a terrifying sexual assault in 1985, a divorce, and a fight against uterine cancer in 2000.

Previously too afraid to ask for support, she now urges women not to make the same mistakes. “Don’t ignore something and hope it goes away, or drive yourself into an early grave because you feel like you have too much stuff to do for everyone else. That is a pitfall women often experience. I’m here to say, ‘Stop that!’”

And with her return to TV in Indebted, in which two broke parents move in with their son, she says she feels like she’s “back in the major leagues”.

He’s claimed almost ma ou ma far eld be pr le m Br ba p w A So th h at a th fr m h a b when Brad found out he Brad’s biggest win ever tr hy ossible this awards season. But though Brad Pitt’s antelpiece is well decked ut with accolades, he’s anaged to win something r greater –the love of his dest son, Maddox (18). After a confrontation etween the pair on a rivate jet in 2016, which d to the collapse of his arriage to Angelina Jolie, rad and Maddox have arely spoken. But after receiving a hone call from his son, ho had flown back to Los ngeles from university in outh Korea, Brad (56) at he last minute cancelled is scheduled appearance t the BAFTA awards, citing “family obligation” to “Maddox gave Brad he chance to talk and he dr d ever hi ,” a riend says. “Being a father is the most important thing in his life and he would do anything to repair the elationsh . Maddox has been away at university so was in to be around and they could have a conversation, he cancelled the UK trip.” Brad did, however, make it to the Academy Aw ds, where he picked up an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor –and at the end of his speech, he gave a h hi n –he also has Pax (16), Zahara (15), Shiloh (13) and twins Vivienne and Knox (11), with Angelina (44). “This is for my kids, who colour everything I do. I adore you,” Brad said, much to their delight. A family friend noted, “The loved that he ve them a shout-out. That was a sweet moment for everyone. The older they get, the more they appreciate what incredible talents their parents are. Th know th are blessed and lucky to have Brad as their dad. But at the end of the day they’re still kids and he’s still just dad, not Brad Pitt the Oscar winner. Th definite keep his feet on the ound.”

The wrap up... S he beat breast cancer in 2017, but Charmed and Beverly Hills, 90210 star Shannen Doherty has revealed her cancer is back, and this time it’s stage four. The actress opened up on Good Morning America about her diagnosis, saying she’d rather people “hear it from me” and revealing she’d been given the bad news at the end of last year, and hadn’t fully processed it. “It’s a bitter pill to swallow in a lot of ways,” she says. “I definitely have days where I say, ‘Why me?’ and then I go, ‘Well, why not me? Who else besides me deserves this?’ None of us do.” Following her revelation, Shannen (48) says she’s been inundated with messages of support from fans, and has posted her gratitude to Instagram. “I want to thank you all for your love, prayers and support. It’s an odd time right now and I find my feet not completely under me. To say I have stress is an understatement. To say I’m struggling is mild. But I believe that I will find my footing. I’ll dig deep for the inner strength I need to face it all. I pray I do it all with dignity and grace.” ‘NO-ONE DESERVES THIS’

CELEB UPDATE

You’d think it’d be hard to top the year Jennifer Lopez has just had. Finally accepted by the Hollywood elite after her star turn in Hustlers – with critics agreeing she was unlucky to miss out on an Oscar nomination – and lauded for her incredible Super Bowl half-time show, Jennifer’s been riding high. She and fiancé Alex Rodriguez are determined to keep the good times rolling this year by planning the wedding to end all weddings.

“Jennifer was on such a high after the Super Bowl that she and Alex decided, ‘Why not keep it going?’” says an insider. Their close circle of friends is buzzing after revelations that the singer and the baseball star have rented an ultra-luxurious mega-yacht for the reception, to follow a church ceremony. The whole day is said to be costing north of $4.5 million, but that’s pocket change for the couple, whose joint net worth is said to be more than $1 billion. Taking a break from the pressures of work, the singer posted a stunning bikini photo on Instagram last week and declared herself “relaxed and recharged”.

Now, pals say she’s launched into full wedding planning mode, and “no expense is being spared”.

“Jennifer and Alex plan to get married in the summer, and can’t wait for the big day. [They] already do everything together and are basically married, but are excited to make it official,” a source reveals.

“The wedding will be gorgeous but not huge. The couple want it to be a fun celebration of their love with their closest family and friends.” All four of their children will play a big part in the wedding, with Jennifer’s son Max giving her away. The couple’s blended family –her twins Max and Emme (12), and his daughters Natasha (15) and Ellie (11) –all get along famously, with Jennifer’s soon-to-be stepdaughters gushing about her Super Bowl performance on Instagram, and pals say they can’t wait to welcome J-Lo into their family. Jennifer (50) and Alex (44)

EMME WINNER!

She may have wowed millions of viewers with her Super Bowl performance alongside her mum, but Emme Anthony doesn’t look like she’ll be taking up a singing career anytime soon – at least, not if Jennifer can help it! The then-11-year-old showed off some impressive pipes as she sang along with mum Jennifer to a rendition of the hit Let’s Get Loud , but Jennifer’s just focused on her daughter’s happiness. “For us, it’s not about putting her out into the spotlight, it’s about doing things together that bond us,” Jennifer says. “I don’t put her in everything. She’s not going to work professionally – a lot of people have asked me that. It’s something we connect on, singing,” says Jennifer, adding rather modestly that Emme gets her abilities from her father Marc. “She floors me every time. She’s an angel.” are also shaking things up by inviting their former partners to the wedding –with Alex saying “the more the merrier!” Jennifer especially is still close to crooner Marc Anthony (51), the father of her twins, whom she describes as her “best friend”. Alex’s ex-wife Cynthia Scurtis (47) is also said to be on the guest list. “We’re just in a really great place, and the kids get to spend time with the two of us together more and see us working together,” Jennifer says. “Remaining close is just good for the family. We share something very special in the kids, and we know that. We’re there for them, that’s the main thing.” But for the Jenny from the Block singer, sealing the deal with former athlete Alex will be a long time coming. In fact, her 11-month engagement is the longest she’s had –and she’s been engaged four times previously! Jennifer and Alex started dating in 2017, with Alex popping the question in March last year. “Everything feels healthy and different,” she confides. “We’re very similar, we’re really alike in our drive, in our ambition. He’s an athlete. He wanted to be the best. I’m the same way. I just want to be great at what I do.” And that apparently includes the nuptials, with Jennifer having very set ideas as to how she wants her fourth wedding to proceed. She’ll be wearing white, for starters, and custom Versace at that. “[It’s] spectacular… form-fitting and long, with a leg slit that will have Alex MILLI Jennifer and Alex put their family first – her twins Emme and Max, and his girls Natasha and Ellie. Above right: Looking fierce and fabulous at 50.

wowed,” a source says.

Jennifer was spotted in a huge ball gown-style dress during filming for her new movie Marry Me , but laughed off the suggestion she could get married in it for real. “It’s too big!” She has said she doesn’t want a big poofy number but a slim-lined and dramatic look.

And she knows what kind of ceremony it’ll be. “I’d like to get married in a church this time,” she says. “I’ve never been married in a church!” #

HER FOURTH CEREMONY WILL BE HER BEST YET!

J-LO’S $4.5 ON WEDDING Love don’t cost a thing?

CELEB UPDATE

KRISTIN’S DARKEST HOUR And how she pulled through

THE PATIENT ENGLISHWOMAN IS ENJOYING A DRAMATIC COMEBACK

Elegant, articulate and radiant, Dame Kristin Scott Thomas tends to have a mesmerising effect on audiences. Her critically acclaimed performances in the Oscar-nominated The Darkest Hour and The Party a few years ago were potent reminders that she can deliver captivating performances. Though she periodically threatens to quit acting, she nevertheless manages to pop up every other year or so in one remarkable film after another. And as part of the wave of actors flocking to TV as part Above: With Colin Firth in 1996 war epic The English Patient. Left: Arriving at a Valentino fashion show in Paris last year.

of the streaming boom, Kristin made a surprise appearance in season two of irreverent British comedy Fleabag . Now she’s about to be seen in Rebecca , Netflix’s highly anticipated remake of the Daphne du Maurier Gothic novel set in the 1930s. Kristin plays the part of the forbidding Mrs Danvers, the wicked head housekeeper who runs the castle belonging to the brooding Maxim de Winter (Armie Hammer), the wealthy widower who marries a shy, naive young woman (Lily James). Alfred Hitchcock famously directed the 1940 version, which earned the Oscar for Best Picture and starred Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine as Mr and Mrs de Winter while Judith Anderson played the pivotal role of Mrs Danvers. For Kristin, Rebecca marks yet another chapter in a career resurgence that has outstripped her expectations after she entered into self-imposed retirement in 2014. She didn’t work again until Sally Potter asked her to work in 2018’s The Party, which she followed with a stirring turn in The Darkest Hour as Winston Churchill’s wife. But what prompted Kristin to walk away from movies, and what brought her back? “Over the course of things, I think I made some very good films, but the work just didn’t satisfy me anymore,” recalls Kristin, who will turn 60 in May. r r while and tanked up energy there. And when Sally Potter asked me to do The Party, my re-entry into the film business, it was irresistible because the shooting time was so short. Just 12 days of shooting. I had a great time there. It reminded me of how much I love filmmaking.” She’s now working at a faster pace than at any other time in her 35-year film career. She has six projects in the pipeline, including Military Wives, which opens next month, and Tomb Raider 2, starring Alicia Vikander, for which she reprises her role in the 2018 film. Over the course of her distinguished career, Kristin has earned an Oscar nomination (for her performance in The English Patient), and a BAFTA (for her supporting role in Four Weddings and a Funeral). After growing up in England, she moved to Paris to work as an au pair while pursuing drama studies. It didn’t take long for her to master French on her way to becoming a leading French film star. Some of her most important French films include Suite Française (co-starring Michelle Williams and Margot Robbie), Philippe Claudel’s Before the Winter Chill, Fran çois Ozon’s In the House , Alain Corneau’s Love Crime , and Guillaume Canet’s Tell No One . It was in Paris that she met and married François Olivennes, a noted French gynaecologist and obstetrician with whom she has three children. They separated in 2005. In November, Kristin

was named the head of the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society in her adoptive hometown of Paris, and presided over the event despite proclaiming, “I’m not a feminist, I’m not a politician.” We caught up with Kristin to discuss her silver-screen revival, her life in France and her career-defining roles. You’re enjoying a fabulous career resurgence. Are there more parts opening up for women now, including for middle-aged women? It’s easier in France. There, the filmmakers are still very interested in adult women. This is partly thanks to people like Catherine Deneuve and Isabelle Huppert. And in England? Let’s think who’s there? Dame Judi Dench, Dame Helen Mirren... And even though the French market is much smaller, there are still so many films being made there. Catherine Deneuve plays in two films a year. We want to see women of all ages and it’s important to show the lives of older women. In France they’re not afraid of wrinkles. You’re quite comfortable working in both French and American films. Do you prefer one kind to another? I’ve preferred making films in Paris where I’ve bee living for most of the past 40 years becaus it’s been so much easier to work from home and be able t come back to your own bed at night. Is it different working in Englishlanguage films versus French films French films are very different because film is considered to be an art form and the directors prefer to tell stories that are deeper and more character-driven than American or British films. Film is deeply rooted in French culture and the public tend to be cinephiles who want to see films that explore emotions and relationships between people, whereas English-language films tend to be centred around events and where the emphasis is much more on plot rather than character or feelings. When you look back at Anthony Minghella’s The English Patient, does it still feel like a career-altering role? Absolutely. I remember feeling like the luckiest person in the world to do this. It was such a rich, beautiful role. I was so

With her former husband François. The pair separated in 2005. , even though we’d done this beautiful [screen] test, this kind of audition with Ralph [Fiennes], and it was evident that it was a total no-brainer that this would be fabulous. Just working with Ralph and Anthony even for half a hour, we got all excited about it. At last something you’re excited about actually happens, comes true and makes you happy. It’s a rare thing. Has living in Paris over the years made it easier for you to escape the intrusions on private life that London or LA-based celebrities suffer, and live a more normal life? Normality is a relative concept. I lead a very mundane and quite boring life. There is nothing exciting about it. What has helped me to escape feeling that I’m living in a bubble as an actor is having been able to move in different worlds, not only in the film business. Although many of my friends work in the cinema, it’s been important for me to have many other interests in life and spend time with people who don’t live in my unreal film world. All that gives you perspective. What do you like to do when you’re not on a film set? I don’t have any hobbies. I don’t go paragliding or anything like that. But I like to go out and have fun. I enjoy meeting friends for lunch. I love to shop around Regent’s Park when I’m in London or go out early in the morning to walk around Paris. I like to be active and take advantage of all the time actors have on their hands in between films. Can you explain the kind of frustration you experienced w your ac ng career, w c led you to take a break for several years? Everyone’s career has its ups and downs, and the two or three years before I decided to distance myself from the business was a particularly frustrating time for me. I’ve been lucky enough to do some good work and be part of some very good films, about which I felt absolutely enthusiastic and I remain very proud of, but for the most part my work hasn’t been as interesting as I had hoped. And of those projects that have been successful, very often I felt that I really hadn’t made that much of a difference. So what made you finally step away for a while? I made a kind of pact with myself to spend some time away from film and that when I did feel like working again it would only be for pleasure and I’d do something that appealed to me on an artistic level rather than just take a job as part of what one does to earn a living. I have always regarded acting as my day job and after a while I was fed up and burnt out. I knew it was time for me to take a break and wait until the thrill that should be part of making a movie would return. If you don’t have that feeling, it’s very hard to spend several months preparing and then playing a character. You feel empty.

Working on The Darkest Hour was a special experience for you, was it not? Yes. Sometimes everything just falls into place on a film. In this case, working with Gary Oldman was so much fun and we just got along very well. A film like that shows how big a difference it makes when everything falls into place and you feel part of something exciting and an atmosphere that absorbs, which is what we had on that set and because of Joe [Wright], the director. You become part of that world, you feel absorbed into the set. You feel it’s all there to create this other world, this whole other world we’re magically creating that people will be able to watch and be moved by. You feel boosted in some way because there’s something fabulous about these characters. You feel you can have faith in humanity, that there are marvellous people out there. That film was a morale booster. What was your biggest challenge in that film? Playing someone who really existed. That was all before we started shooting. Before we started shooting I was very nervous because there seemed so much information to absorb. There’s been a lot written about Clementine Churchill –almost as much as about Winston. There’s a lot of stuff to read about her –and to absorb all of that and digest it, and then put it in a film where I have maybe five scenes, that was the challenge. But that’s the kind of thing I like doing. I love playing these supporting roles where you just have to nail it. Because you have to be able to create a fully rounded character in five or six scenes. I find that very challenging. Looking back, can you recall what your feelings were when as a young woman you decided to leave London and live in Paris? I left London because I had the feeling that if I stayed there I would never really try to become an actress. I had studied acting in London but my teachers were very dismissive of me and one told me that I had no talent and should do something else with my life. That left me very discouraged and I decided to move to Paris to get away from acting. I found work as an au pair for a pair of opera singers, but after a while I realised that I still had this dream of wanting to become an actress and that somehow I had to follow that dream. So I summoned the courage to apply to study at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Techniques du Théâtre. That was the beginning of my career. What inspired you to become an actress? I don’t know. I come from a middle-class military family. [Both her father and stepfather died piloting military aircraft.] My mother had wanted to be an actress. Actors come from all kinds of different backgrounds; it doesn’t matter whether you come from a highly privileged background or a very underprivileged background. We all share that desire to explore what it means to be another person, what it’s like to be someone else. What remains special to you about working in French films? Many things. I started focusing on working mainly in French cinema because I was really fed up with playing snooty, cold, distant characters that I was being offered to play in English movies. I also discovered that in France I was being offered roles that were a lot gutsier and intense. They were much more alive and real and it was easy to fall in love with those characters. # Above: In Suite Française . Top: The movie that brought her back into the industry, The Party. Above left: With Gary Oldman in acclaimed film The Darkest Hour. ‘One teacher told me that I had no talent and should do something else with my life’