Michelle Williams Tells Marie Claire Reese Witherspoon Offered Her Good Advice

Michelle Tells Marie Claire About the "Hole" in Her Life and Thanks Reese For Her Good Advice

January 13, 2011

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Michelle Williams smiled big for the February cover of Marie Claire US and the accompanying photo shoot — also, check out the magazine's retrospective on Michelle's style! Their interview is the actress's latest about Blue Valentine, after she attended a weekend Q&A and opened up about making the film in Angeleno magazine. She took Tuesday night off from chatting, though, to hit the National Board of Review Awards with Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, and more. Michelle spoke to Marie Claire recently about her work, losing Heath Ledger, how yoga helped her heal, and Reese Witherspoon's good advice. She said:

On Heath's absence from her and Matilda's lives: "Very obviously, for me and for her, there's a hole in our life. Of course the natural inclination is to want to fill it and make it disappear, but what I've come to recently is that it's impossible. Nothing will fit in that hole because what we want back we can't get, which is this one person. I'm not going to rush anything and scamper around like a mad person and make myself crazy. I'm trying to be respectful of the absence. I'm not trying to fill it up. It is what it is."
On her and Matilda's idea of perfect guys: "I don't know what my version of a relationship or marriage is yet, because the typical model seems a little broken to me. At the same time, I was raised on all those princess fairy tales and I'm a romantic; I want to be a one-man girl. I took Matilda to Disney World recently and we saw all the princesses, and then she turned around and said, 'OK, now I'd like to see where all the princes are.' The Disney person said, 'Nobody has ever asked me that before. There aren't any princes here, honey.'"
On getting advice from Reese Witherspoon: "To give credit where credit is due, I was sharing a difficulty I was experiencing with Reese Witherspoon, and she said, ‘Yes, I understand, but think about how much more difficult this would be without the luxury of a reliable, steady income."

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by Allie Merriam 11

On Heath's absence from her and Matilda's lives: "Very obviously, for me and for her, there's a hole in our life. Of course the natural inclination is to want to fill it and make it disappear, but what I've come to recently is that it's impossible. Nothing will fit in that hole because what we want back we can't get, which is this one person. I'm not going to rush anything and scamper around like a mad person and make myself crazy. I'm trying to be respectful of the absence. I'm not trying to fill it up. It is what it is."
On her and Matilda's idea of perfect guys: "I don't know what my version of a relationship or marriage is yet, because the typical model seems a little broken to me. At the same time, I was raised on all those princess fairy tales and I'm a romantic; I want to be a one-man girl. I took Matilda to Disney World recently and we saw all the princesses, and then she turned around and said, 'OK, now I'd like to see where all the princes are.' The Disney person said, 'Nobody has ever asked me that before. There aren't any princes here, honey.'"
On getting advice from Reese Witherspoon: "To give credit where credit is due, I was sharing a difficulty I was experiencing with Reese Witherspoon, and she said, ‘Yes, I understand, but think about how much more difficult this would be without the luxury of a reliable, steady income."

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11 Comments

NutmegNice 2 years 18 weeks

Heath Ledger was and always will be the father of her child. Even if their romance was long over, he’d still be a huge part of her life. It’s ridiculous, naïve and even dumb to suggest otherwise. He may have been dating ten supermodels in the month before his death and maybe in the next month would’ve been dating ten more—who really cares? It’s Michelle Williams who is left to raise his child alone and continue his legacy with that child. And I’m sure much of her hurt and sadness is also related to her daughter. Who wants their child to have to suffer such a traumatizing loss in life? She’s going to be asked about Heath Ledger in every interview. It’s inevitable. I think she has been very respectful and dignified in how she addresses the subject, considering the circumstances of his death and the state of their relationship at the time.

littlemunchkin 2 years 18 weeks

Aww what Matilda said made me sad...she doesn't seem to have the childhood innocence that every child should have, even just for a while!

Elle Taylor 2 years 18 weeks

Love Michelle, she speaks so beautifully about Matilda and about Heath

2 years 18 weeks

But she was in love with him and that makes a difference! She wants to talk about then she can talk about it.

2 years 18 weeks

Ok we get it, Michelle. You loved him and his death was tragic but must you pose as his widow? As I recall you two had split up then he was shagging models and socialites before he died.

sunnyheart 2 years 18 weeks

I love this interview--there are no princes--at Disney or in most of America, sadly. Also, I like that Reese has the good sense to remember that no matter how "bad" they have it, most single mothers in America have it much, much worse.

LaurAsh988 2 years 18 weeks

My heart breaks for her and Matilda. His death is something that I struggle with still almost three years later and I didn't even know him. God bless them.

2 years 18 weeks

OMG. Someone give this woman an Oscar already so she can go away. Over-exposed !!!!!!!

2 years 18 weeks

I'm entitled to my opinion of her, thanks for yours.

2 years 18 weeks

Anonymous - She HAS kept it private. Ridiculously so. But people are always going to ask her about Heath, and she's just now starting to respond to those questions. I think it's part of her healing process. Don't judge until you've been in her shoes.

2 years 18 weeks

Not a fan. You'd think she'd want to keep some of the Heath Ledger thoughts private.

11 Comments

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