‘90s It Girl Gretchen Mol Says Aging ‘Frees You Up’ as an Actor

Gretchen Mol is opening up about her life after being the “It Girl” of the ‘90s.

“There’s always new fresh faces in Hollywood,” Mol, 52, told People in an interview published on Saturday, January 4. “It’s a constant wheel that turns over. And it is a youth-loving business — that’s a reality there, but that’s okay.

Mol is perhaps best known for her role as Gillian in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, but she has also starred in films such as Rounders, The Notorious Bettie Page, 3:10 to Yuma and Manchester by the Sea.

“I think getting older as an actor actually frees you up. You have more wisdom, more moments where you’ve been both up and down, and the stakes aren’t so high,” Mol told the outlet. “Your jobs become more about the fun and process of creating, rather than what people are going to think about the result or say about you.”

Mol’s career has slowed down since she was dubbed the quintessential “It Girl” by Vanity Fair in 1998. She moved from New York City to the Berkshires during the COVID-19 pandemic, choosing to stay there with husband Tod Williams to raise their two teenage children: 17-year-old son Ptolemy and 14-year-old daughter Winter.

“We still go to the city when we need to, but the kids go to school locally,” Mol told People. “It’s such a small, lovely community that we found here. Most people, I know what they do for a living, they know what I do. And it’s just nice to be with them, to know everyone’s names. It’s just really good people.”

According to Mol, her kids are less than interested in her past career accomplishments. “Vanity Fair, in particular, meant something in a way that if I tried to explain to my kids, they’d just be like, ‘What?’” she explained.

Mol is currently starring in Ed Burns’ upcoming movie, Millers in Marriage, which follows an aging, once-cool rock star navigating her second act as she deals with a failing marriage.

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“It’s conversations I have with friends,” she said of the script, which she found relatable with regards to a phase of life where your children don’t demand as much of your attention as they once did.

“I was fortunate that I kept working while raising kids, but my priorities shifted,” Mol continued. “But now I have more time to think about those endeavors I always wanted to do.”