She shocked fans in June when she revealed she was expecting her first child with fiancé Tom Hiddleston.
And Zawe Ashton has revealed she was pressured to time her pregnancy, admitting she received “mixed messages” about the best time to start her family.
Speak with Tatler magazine in addition to a stunning cover shoot, the 38-year-old actress also called her engagement to Tom, 41, “amazing,” while providing a rare insight into her private life.
Candid: Zawe Ashton has revealed she was under pressure to time her pregnancy, admitting she received ‘mixed messages’ about the best time to start her family
She revealed that she had been warned about starting a family by people in the acting industry, recalling: “You will be told ‘Don’t get pregnant’ but also ‘Don’t take it too long’ or you will leave. . be an old girl.
“I’ve been prehistoric in this industry since I was 25!” The mixed coverage is rough and needs to be addressed.”
Despite pressure from outsiders, Zawe insisted she wouldn’t let her decision be influenced, explaining, “It was just suddenly this self-consent about you that goes against all those messages.”
Cute couple: In an interview with Tatler magazine, the 38-year-old actress called her engagement to Tom Hiddleston, 41, “amazing”, while providing a rare insight into her private life (photo 2018)
Zawe also made a rare comment about her relationship with Tom, whom she met in 2019 when they co-starred in the play Betrayal.
While being congratulated on her engagement, Zawe commented, “It’s great,” but insisted she didn’t want to be pressured on her personal life.
Even her pregnancy reveal — it came when she debuted her baby bump at the premiere of her new movie Mr. Malcolm’s List in June – was not originally planned, but political events at the time made her feel like she shouldn’t be hiding.
Zawe explained: ‘I didn’t feel like I had to do anything, but it felt like’ [the pregnancy news] was done in the right way.”
Speaking: Zawe revealed she had been warned about starting a family, recalling: ‘You’ll be told ‘Don’t get pregnant’ but also ‘Don’t take it too long”
Confident: Despite pressure from outsiders, Zawe insisted that she not let her decision influence her, explaining: ‘It was just suddenly this self-consent over you’
Premiering just days after the Roe v Wade reversal, she explained that it was a “really, really, vital moment when we talk about women and their autonomy when it comes to their bodies.”
“I don’t like announcements or revelations. I try to carry the story as much as possible myself, instead of someone else feeling that they have something exclusive on my body.’
Zawe and Tom met while starring in the 2019 play Betrayal and have kept their relationship out of the spotlight ever since.
Their play Betrayal followed a seven-year extramarital affair between two characters, Emma and Jerry, the latter character being the boyfriend of Emma’s husband Robert.
Tom played Robert in the part with Zawe starring as his wife on stage Emma and Charlie playing Jerry.
The couple confirmed their romance during a steamy PDA-packed vacation on Ibiza’s beach last September, before making their red carpet debut together at the Tony Awards in New York City.
Tuck in: Zawe also took part in a fun video for Tatler, where she was questioned about the regency period while indulging in a traditional English cream tea
Striking: Zawe wore a wavy baby pink satin dress paired with elbow-length gloves
It was revealed last year that the couple had moved in together after months of romance rumors, and now they would be living together in Atlanta, Georgia.
Elsewhere in the chat, Zawe described the “development hell” in her work world.
She revealed that she was previously creating a show inspired by Lena Dunham’s hit show Girls with an undisclosed team, but had to give up on the project.
“There was just a weird resistance,” she explained. ‘And bullying. Bullying, humiliating, gaslighting… I was scolded by a producer for questioning my own work.’
While she didn’t share any further details about the incident, she revealed it came shortly after her breakthrough role in Channel 4’s 2011 series Fresh Meat.
Zawe thought back to her time on the hit show when she revealed she cared a then unknown Regé-Jean Page a reference.
During an episode of Fresh Meat, she got into a conversation with a young actor.
“I could tell he was committed, clear-eyed about what he wanted to do,” she said. “So I gave him my number.”
Not long after, he texted her to ask if she would write him a letter of recommendation for his US visa, which she did. “And then, ten years later, I turned on Bridgerton and… the actor was Regé-Jean Page!”
Check out the full article in the October issue of Tatler, available via digital download and on newsstands starting Thursday, September 1.
Move along: Zawe’s pregnancy reveal – it came as her baby bump debuted at the premiere of her new movie Mr. Malcolm’s List in June – was not originally planned