Momlogic.com has a post with photos on childfree Oscar stars including: Helen Mirren, Liza Minelli, , Stockard Channing, and Queen Latifah…Penelope Cruz, Angelica Houston, Benicio Del Toro, Ed Norton, Christopher Walken, Quentin Tarantino, George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio. Kaye Walters, who is working on a book on the childfree, wrote in (comment to December 7 post) awhile back about others who were/are also childfree: Katharine Hepburn, Hugh Grant, and Marisa Tomei. Other childfree actors include Oprah, Cameron Diaz, Renee Zellweger, and Steve Martin.
One comment to the momlogic post asks the question if they’ve really made the decision not to have kids or is it they just have not had them yet. Good question.
I suppose if the woman is “older” like Mirren (although she has grown step kids) or Houston we can probably assume it’s by choice. With the older single guys or ones who are with younger women (who may want kids), best to hear from the horse’s mouth. With other men stars, we know the door is still open. For example, in an interview with Leonardo DiCaprio in Germany’s OK magazine he seems open to the having children — “the idea of having children doesn’t seem too far-fetched.”
I have said this before on this blog and with the Oscars around the corner it comes to the fore again–We need to hear more from actors (and other celebs) who have made a conscious choice not to have children.
Just think if we heard as much from childfree actors about their choice and why they made it as we hear about actors and their pregancies and children! Or if Cameron Diaz, Queen Latifah and/or Penelope Cruz were the voice on campaigns for things like reducing teen pregnancy. It would be great to have role models like these speak out to young people about the fact that you can have a very fulfilling life if you choose not to have kids, that having children is one option in life and not necessarily right for everyone.
Hearing from stars could also help those in the midst of deciding whether they want children, as they are examples of admired people who don’t include parenthood as an essential part of living a fulfilling life.
Know of others I have not mentioned here? Read about any childfree actors or celebs talking about their choice? Please let us know!
Don’t forget about actress Cameron Diaz who recently came out in defense of women wno don’t want children.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1192063/Cameron-Diaz-defens-women-shunned-society-wanting-children.html
Deegee! Thanks for reminding me of Cameron Diaz–I did mistakenly leave her out, but thanks to you just put her in with the link to that article (in which she does say she has not ruled it out for herself so she may be a childfree “for now”). Thank you! I also added a few comments near the end…L
While she’s not an actress, Diane Sawyer (someone I admire greatly!) does not have children.
Yes indeed! I admire Diane Sawyer too…maybe one day she can convince 60 Minutes to do a piece on where the childfree “movement” has been, where it is today, and the long held tenets of pronatalism that prevent the childfree choice from truly being accepted in our society.. Now that would be progress! ~L