Elisha Cuthbert Reveals Why She Quit Hollywood For 4 Years Ahead Of ‘A Whole Year Later’ Return
Elisha Cuthbert has revealed why she left Hollywood for four years as she returns to the limelight.
The “Girl Next Door” star, 43, said she is taking a break from acting to spend more time with her children and husband, former NHL star Dion Phaneuf, before returning to Prime Video’s new series “Every Year Later.”
“I realized that I worked all four years for our first child and it was really hard,” Cuthbert said during an appearance on NBC’s “Today” on Tuesday.
“To separate that mother from my co-worker. So, when we got the second one, I just felt like I didn’t want to waste any second and I didn’t want to be in the middle of nowhere.”
“I felt that I should be at home with the children and I enjoyed every minute,” he added.
Cuthbert’s role in “Every Year After” marks his first acting project in four years, following the 2022 crime film “Bandit,” in which he co-starred with Mel Gibson.
The Canadian, who got her start as a child model before starting acting at age 13, rose to fame in the early 2000s with a string of TV and movie roles, including fan-favorite comedies “The Girl Next Door” and “Old School” and the hit drama “24.”
His last major role was in the Netflix sitcom “The Ranch,” which ran for four seasons and ended in 2020, with Cuthbert taking on only a handful of roles following the series finale.
Now, with her children – daughter Zaphire, born in 2017, and son Fable, born in 2022 – grown, Cuthbert said she feels ready to return to work.
“They’re in school now full time,” he explained on “Today.” “I feel like I have the space and the strength and the heart to let myself go and do it.”
Cuthbert also reflected on the pressures that came with fame when she was growing up in the 2000s, saying she’s glad “Every Year After” star Sadie Soverall, 24, won’t have to deal with the same scrutiny.
“There was a lot of pressure,” he said. “Sadie Soverall, it’s great that she’s at a point where she doesn’t have to worry about those things anymore. It’s so different.”
In the coming-of-age drama, based on Carly Fortune’s best-selling novel, Cuthbert plays Sue, the mother of Sam (Matt Cornett) and Charlie (Michael Bradway).
The actor admitted that he was not familiar with Fortune’s books before joining the project.
“It’s crazy because I hadn’t read a single one of Carley’s books before I got on the show,” she said. “Obviously I had the script, but I wanted to read the novel. And I was like, ‘Oh, I’m a big fan now.’
“So, I’ve read all his books, they’re amazing.” I admire myself,” he added.
