British actress Olivia Williams, 58, spoke candidly about aging and menopause in an interview with Page Six at the premiere of “The Good Daughter” on Tuesday.
Williams said menopause has affected her memory, joking about recently forgetting someone’s name.
“I forgot someone’s name, which is a recognized condition in my world,” she said. “Can’t remember names, used to be quite good and now I can’t.”
She also addressed the pressure many in her industry feel to pursue cosmetic surgery as they age, explaining why she has chosen not to.
“You feel the pressure, but that stuff is usually said behind closed doors,” Williams said. “Every working day begins with an hour in front of a mirror; you have to sit and look at yourself in the makeup chair, and if you can’t deal with that, then you’re headed to the surgeon.”
Williams appears in the new Peacock miniseries “The Good Daughter,” based on Karin Slaughter’s 2017 bestselling novel of the same name. The thriller stars Rose Byrne and Meghann Fahy as sisters Samantha and Charlotte, who are forced to confront a brutal attack on their family from 20 years earlier when a new investigation reopens old wounds.
Williams praised the production for its largely female creative team.
“The community of the cast and the community of the crew was really extraordinary,” she said. “We had a woman director, a woman director of photography, a woman AV, a woman writer; it’s a story about women.”
She added, with a laugh, that the team proved stereotypes about women-led productions wrong.
“It was interesting to be on a women-driven project, and it got made!” Williams said. “And we didn’t just all talk about our nails! Women can get stuff done!”
Page Six also spoke with Slaughter, whose novels have sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. She said her loyal fan base has given her room to take creative chances in her writing.
“It’s a gift,” Slaughter said. “I’m very aware of my fan base and how loyal they’ve been to me. It’s given me the freedom to make choices in my writing that I don’t think I would have made otherwise.”
