Minnie Driver talks about the “gift” she received after her parents died | Ents & Arts News

The actress says “fame is not for the faint of heart” and says the death of her parents was a life-changing moment that changed her outlook on life. She stars in the second season of The Serpent Queen alongside Samantha Morton.

Minnie Driver says the death of her parents gave her a new appreciation for her life.

The British-American actress says that when her father Ronnie Driver died 15 years ago and her mother Gaynor Churchward died three years ago, she felt like her life had “somehow stopped” and she believed there was “no way to get back on my feet.”

Speaking to Sky News, Driver said these major “personal disasters” had paved the way for the actress to adopt a new way of thinking.

“When there’s a big break in your life, something happens. Light gets into that break, and that inevitably grinds something else down. And what came out of my parents’ deaths was this incredible connection with life and with being present, more than I’d ever felt before.”

She adds: “Something like the death of a person really makes you live in the here and now, and that’s the gift that both my parents have passed on – that’s what they left me, and that’s what I can give my son.”

“I give him my presence and my full and undivided attention when we are together and I don’t think there is a greater gift and I thank (my parents) every day that this is the last thing they gave me.”

The Snake Queen

Driver joins the cast of “The Serpent Queen” as Elizabeth I in the upcoming second season.

The series is based on the 2004 non-fiction book “Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France” by Leonie Frieda and takes some liberties to adapt the story of the former monarch for television.

Two-time Oscar nominee Samantha Morton stars in the series as Catherine de Medici.

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“She and Catherine de Medici were at the pinnacle of power,” explains Driver.

“The sacrifices they had to make were extraordinarily hard, but I think she is kind of the embodiment of what it means to be a woman, with all the extraordinary compromises she had to make.”

“The idea of ​​not getting married, not marrying anyone she loved, not marrying anyone at all, because she knew that she would inevitably lose her power, that having children would be dangerous and that they would be a target, made her live this incredibly focused and independent life.”

“Fame is not for the faint of heart”

Reflecting on her long career, the “Speechless” actress says young people today are aware of the sacrifices that come with fame.

“I think kids today think that becoming famous is a huge goal, but that there is a price to pay for it. You have to be more clear about what that is, you have to be clear about the compromises you have to make in life and come to terms with that,” she says.

Her first big break came in 1995 with “Circle of Friends,” the film based on Maeve Binchy’s novel about young women growing up, becoming teenagers, and finding their true identities.

Three years later, Driver was nominated for an Oscar for her work in Good Will Hunting.

“It was like going through a washing machine, you know, while you’re on a roller coaster, because you can really only keep going.”

She says she is grateful to have had “a really strong family” back then to guide her through life.

“There were aspects that were incredibly funny and unbelievable, but a ride like this is definitely not for the faint of heart.”

She adds: “There are always ups and downs in everyone’s life. It’s not always just this one status quo where everything is going smoothly. I don’t think that exists for anyone, whether you’re Tom Cruise or Tom Smith and you’re just starting your acting career.”

Season two of The Serpent Queen will be available to stream on MGM+ starting Friday, July 12.