KELLY RUTHERFORD: YOUNG AT HEART

With a career spanning over three decades, Kelly Rutherford is no stranger to the silver screen. Much like her roles in Melrose Place and Gossip Girl, Kelly Rutherford's classic beauty, poise and grace in real life mirror her on camera presence. Here Resident Magazine sits with the lovely Kelly Rutherford for our June cover shoot to discuss her current projects, summer plans, love and life as a transcontinental mother.

RM: What are some of your current projects?
KR: We are doing a spinoff of Pretty Little Liars called The Perfectionist and I'm traveling to Oregon to shoot the pilot for that. The show is about how on the surface everything seems to appear to be perfect but underneath everyone is a hot mess. I'm also doing Dynasty. I also did a series in Pittsburg called Gone with Leven Rambin and Chris Noth which is airing in France and Germany.

Are you also working on a book?
I would like to do a book about my Instagram. We can only scroll back so far, but I would love to put all of the quotes together.

What are your thoughts about the shakeup of Hollywood?
I think it's a shakeup globally, but Hollywood brings certain things to light. Though it seems to be about equality and feminism, it's really about humanity and treating each other with respect and beauty. We all know the economies do better when there is equality and education and everyone has a chance to thrive. It is like an old archaic system that is beginning to decay and this is the rebirth. You see how this is affecting women, but it's also affecting many other areas as well. Equality doesn't matter where you are from or your religion, it's about humanity and seeing each other with equanimity, love and respect, and realizing there are certain things that need to be balanced out on the planet.

Your career spans a few decades and has taken on a new resurgence. What do you think of the opportunities now for actresses over 40?
It's interesting now because women over 40 are now the buyers and they have the purchasing prowess. What's happening now is that we are advertising to the demographic that is actually spending the money and makes the decisions for the household. When you look at a woman over 40 they look so much better now between the plastic surgery and Botox, people are taking care of themselves and eating better. I think age has become irrelevant and it's really about what people have to offer and it's more about how you feel and being young at heart.

Your personal life and custody battle has recently been in the spotlight. What are some of the biggest life lessons you have learned throughout this experience?
I've come to realize that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I've learned a lot about forgiveness, healing, and love. You can separate people but you'll never separate the love they feel for each other. When people are happy with themselves they don't tend to hurt other people, and it's about having an awareness that this person must be suffering or hurt when they are acting out or causing others to suffer. It's really about awareness, forgiveness and realizing the repercussions of things. At the end we are all doing well. My kids are doing great and so am I, and that's all that matters. A lot of the confusion in this situation was how do you parent under these circumstances and keep love in your heart. It takes a lot of resilience and support while picking and choosing people to be around you that you love. Sometimes you trust the wrong people. There are always things that happen. And as you get older everyone has gone through something. I'm just thankful to have gone through what I went through. Some people on the planet have it much worse than me. I just saw Human Flow, which is about the immigration situation that's going on in the world. It makes you put everything in perspective. I think anytime you go through a tough time, the key is to look for what is good, what is working, and what will come out of this that is positive and uplifting. My kids speak three languages and they are doing well. They are cultured, he's a good dad. These are things I've chosen to focus on, though I could've focused on something else.

How often do you get to see your children?
I'm on the plane a lot and flying to Monaco to see them all the time. The South of France is so beautiful and it's wonderful to see them growing up. The good news is that they are in school full time and I see them every holiday and half of the summer. It works for us, we've figured it out, we use face time a lot. You just find the good things, it's what gets us through everything.

What are your summer plans?
I'm going to be traveling and spending time with my kids. And I'll be waiting to see if this pilot gets picked up.

You've lived in Los Angeles and New York City. Which place do you prefer?
I really like both. There are so many things I love about both and they are so different. I would say you can't really compare them. There are certain restaurants and places I love in LA, like the Brentwood Market and Malibu, I get my fix there and then I come to NYC and get my fix here, and then go to Europe a bit.

So you have the best of all worlds!
It is turning out that way. In the beginning I was thinking how am I going to do all this, but now it has just become normal.

How would you describe your style?
I'm part tomboy for sure, and part classic and traditional. In terms of what I buy I spend money on my accessories like a nice handbag, jewelry, and shoes or a beautiful coat, but I live in jeans and t shirts or long flowy dresses for the summer that I can pair with cute shoes and a handbag. I'm not fussy at all, I don't have a stylist, though I probably should. I just want to be comfortable. There are days when I don't want to brush my hair and I just want my coffee and flat shoes. Then there are days when I want to feel more grown up, sexy or feminine today. It's really about mood. I'm less trendy and more classic but modern. I love Celine, and I love to mix hi low. I can go to Topshop and pick out a bunch of flowy dresses and pair it with a nice Hermes cuff. I spend less money on clothes than accessories. Just because I'm around kids, traveling and I get bored. This keeps it fun.

So you are a Scorpio. Do you feel you embody the typical characteristics of one?
No, actually I've had my Vedic astrology done and she said I was more Libra because I have a lot of Scorpio friends and I feel that I am very different. I believe in the balance of everything, I look at all the sides of a situation and I want everything to be fair. But then again, there's a joke, 'How many Scorpios does it take to change a lightbulb?' And the answer is 'None, they like to sit in the dark.' So there's that side to it. I have a lot of funny friends which helps lighten things up.

Who do you find to be inspirational?
There are so many women in different walks of life that inspire me. Women in general inspire me. What our bodies go through, how resilient we are, how we balance everything and how we network and support each other. I think we are starting to realize the power in that. I really think all women inspire me, and the things we do for less money and take care of a family. There's a lot of pressure in our society to stay young and beautiful and be pristine yet sexy. I have so much admiration for all women navigating all of the different societies we live in. I think that's part of age. We don't think of everything we do because to us it's just normal. I'm also inspired by all of the resources of women and their knowledge.

I've started interviewing my friends and now I have a whole new respect for what you do!

Photographer: Udo Spreitzenbarth
Stylists: Tanya Tauthong Kass, Engie Hassan
Hair and Makeup: Bata Plavsic for Angelo David Salon -The Flex Brush – ghd hair
La Prairie skincare by Bata Plavsic
Styling Assistants: Manoosh Masemi
Photographer Assistant: Rebeca Serritella
Retoucher: Lorraine Baker
Shot on Location at Richard Mishaan Design