Actress Gretchen Mol Is Content With Aging in Hollywood: ‘You Have More Wisdom’

Gretchen Mol attends the premiere of "Millers in Marriage" in Toronto, Canada, on Sept. 11, 2024. Harold Feng/Getty Images

Nineties “It Girl” Gretchen Mol knows firsthand what being a young face in Hollywood is like. But now at 52, the actress does not feel the need to keep up with the industry’s constant need to keep the glamor alive.

In an interview with People, Mol was candid about Hollywood’s favor toward its young stars but is content with aging in the scene.

“There’s always new fresh faces in Hollywood,” the actress said. “It’s a constant wheel that turns over. And it is a youth-loving business—that’s a reality there, but that’s okay. 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.”

“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,” she added.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mol left New York for the Berkshires, where she lives with her husband, director Tod Williams, and their two children. While they travel to the city when needed, they have settled into a calmer life away from the bustle.

“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,” she said.

Mol’s most recent project is 2024’s “Millers in Marriage,” an Ed Burns family drama film in which she plays former musician Eve Miller, who is now dealing with a failing marriage.

Family First

Since becoming a mother, Mol has decided to stay close to home to be near her family and kids.

“My mom is in Brooklyn; my older brother is here; Kip’s family is here; my sister-in-law loves to come,” Mol told Cookie in 2008. “I told my agent I didn’t want to work in L.A., even if it was the greatest job in the world. I didn’t want to compromise.”

The actress’s family has also experienced tragedy. After Mol’s cousin died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis—also known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease”—she became involved with an organization that funds research and awareness for Pelizaeus–Merzbacher disease (PMD), another neurodegenerative disease found in young children.

“A lot of those kids will never walk or talk, but they’re loved and love back the same way,” she said. “When your child is developing in a normal way, you can’t take it for granted.”

Mol was born in Deep River, Connecticut, on Nov. 8, 1972 She attended The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York and began her acting career performing at the summer stock theater in Vermont. In 2001, she played Jenny in the play “The Shape of Things,” a role she reprised in the 2003 film version of the same name.

She made her film debut in 1996’s “Girl 6,” followed by appearances in 1996’s “The Funeral” and 1997’s “Donnie Brasco.” However, she reached the height of her career the following year, appearing in notable films such as 1998’s “Rounders,” starring Matt Damon, and 1998’s “Celebrity,” with Leonardo DiCaprio. That same year, she was featured on the cover of Vanity Fair and dubbed an “It Girl.”

Mol remained busy throughout the 2000s, starring in films such as “3:10 to Yuma” in 2007 and “An American Affair” in 2008. Mol also had a recurring role on HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire,” which won two Screen Actors Guild awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2011 and 2012.

Mol is also a national spokesperson for the PMD Foundation.