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Jennifer Jason Leigh Finds Strength in Her Family: “I’m Very Happy Being a Mom”
When Jennifer Jason Leigh gave birth to her son, Rohmer, in 2010, her whole world changed. Not long after welcoming her little guy with now-ex-husband Noah Baumbach, the actress starred in Broadway’s The House of Blue Leaves.
According to Jennifer’s co-star Alison Pill, the former teen star reveled in her role as a first-time parent. “She would do bedtime with her baby, then show up for work and be brilliant,” Alison, 31, recently told Closer Weekly at the Oceana SeaChange Summer Party. “She’s just a magical person.”
After taking a brief break from showbiz, Jennifer, 55, is making her way back into the spotlight with a gig on Netflix’s buzzy new sitcom Atypical. While she’s back to work, the mom-of-one makes sure she still clocks in plenty of quality time with Rohmer. “I spend every moment when I’m not working doing things with my son,” Jennifer said. “You make the most of the time you have.”
Families don't come with a warranty. ⚙ #Atypical pic.twitter.com/HlcwuLUdLn
— Atypical (@Atypical) July 24, 2017
Unfortunately, Jennifer learned the hard way to never take her loved ones for granted when her famous father, Vic Morrow, was killed by a helicopter on the set of Twilight Zone: The Movie in 1982 — the same year her career took off thanks to the success of her breakout film Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
“I always hoped we could work together and, through that, resolve whatever needed to be resolved between us,” she said of her dad (whom she did not always get along with) at the time. “Now that chance is lost. That’s the real tragedy.”
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Following her father’s death, Jennifer grew closer to her mom, Barbara Turner, a renowned screenwriter. “I’ve always had so much admiration for my mom,” the Hollywood scion said shortly before Barbara’s death at age 79 in 2016. “She’s so inspiring as a woman and an artist.”
Jennifer’s relationships with her mom and dad have inspired her to always put family first. Though she received her first Oscar nomination for her work in 2015’s R-rated thriller The Hateful Eight, the acting vet would love to “make a movie that my son could go see.” Because, as she puts it, “I’m very happy being a mom.”
