A descendant of both an Italian prince and a French king, the model, Golden Globe-nominated actor, and Broadway star has now founded an online community to empower women.
25 November 2021
Where have you just come back from?
‘South Queensferry, Scotland. I was there for about two and a half months filming. I was living in an absolute fantasy: I’d wake up in the carriage house and look out at the castle tower, then on my days off, I’d go to collect sea glass from the shore. We did a lot of horse riding through the countryside and ate unbelievable fish and chips. The beauty of shooting a movie is that you’re forced to live as much like a local as possible. It’s not really about sightseeing: you end up being immersed in a community in a way that you wouldn’t experience as a tourist. I’ve always been almost addicted to travel, because of the depth of the experiences that I’ve been able to have thanks to living in environments for long periods of time.’
Where in the world have you felt happiest?
‘Oh boy. That’s a hard one. I’m such a New Yorker, and I’ve always been presented as a symbol of “the American,” but there’s something that happens to me creatively when I go to Europe – a part of me kicks into action. My whole body language changes, my system adjusts.’
Name a place that most lived up to the hype
‘I’ve gotten myself in trouble emotionally when I put high expectations on anything, because inevitably you’re bound to be disappointed. I can always find a way for travel to live up to them, whether it’s in the local coffee, or a tradition, or a taste, or a ritual, or a spectacle – something where you’ll say, I’ll never come across that in any other place. Recently, we went to the Masai Mara in Kenya, and that was much more raw than my kids thought it was going to be – they’re not the camping type. They were terrified of bugs, and convinced that the riverbed was going to flood and we would be eaten by animals that don’t even live there. It was a test of all our comfort zones, but to me, the experience doesn’t have to be wonderful to be an experience.’
Which is your favourite city?
‘New York, because I cannot imagine ever really leaving it. But you have to be willing to hate parts of it – if you don’t love and hate it, you’re not a real New Yorker. That’s the point, you’re always getting slapped in the face with both extremes. I feel like I can escape everybody and everything in New York, while being surrounded by tons of people. You can go and find a quiet moment in a park, and then the next minute have whiplash from Times Square. Really, the only other place I think I would ever live is London. A Sunday roast is one of my favourite things to do at home. My husband, thank God, is a good cook. I just set the table and open up the wine like nobody’s business.’
Tell us about a great little place you know
‘My mother and I spent a weekend at Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, during the peach festival. It’s where the pope stays for summer. We had the most delicious meal in a teeny little restaurant overlooking the volcano. If I could experience anything again it would be that. Food has always been really important on my travels. One of the best croque monsieurs I’ve tasted was at a flea market in Paris. There’s something about stepping outside of the hotel mentality, being willing to walk down a street and try this place, or that place, rather than something that’s in the guidebook.’
And the smartest hotel you’ve stayed in?
‘The Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc when I went to the Cannes Film Festival once – that was really romantic. Then years ago, we stayed at Dromoland Castle in Ireland. Richard Harris had a property on the same land, and I’d just done a movie with his son so we had Christmas dinner with them. We had the most unbelievably glorious time, riding horses, singing songs, listening to stories, drinking whiskey in the pub. He had more energy than everyone and drank better than anybody I’ve ever met.’
Which is your road most travelled?
‘It’s out east, from New York to the beach in the Hamptons, which we do throughout the year, and my kids work out there all summer, babysitting and being counsellors at camp. We were there for about seven months during lockdown and it is our happy place, where we get away from the bustle of the city. It’s an absolute luxury that I never thought I would be able to have.’
Describe your favourite view
‘I have two. The sun setting by the beach on Long Island – seeing that is such a renewing feeling, and it makes me quiet and calm. Then, just as you are about to enter Manhattan before you go into the tunnel, when you see the outline of the city – when the light’s just right, it’s magical. Wherever I’ve been, on seeing that view, I think, I’m home.’
Where did you go on your first holiday without your parents?
‘That’s a very loaded question, because what I’ve realised is I cannot remember ever not having somebody with me, whether it was a girlfriend, my mother, my sisters, a boyfriend, then a husband, then kids. I have never been anonymous, I get recognised everywhere, and I guess that probably lends itself to always needing to have a partner in some way.’
Who is the most interesting person you’ve met on your travels?
‘It’s not necessarily someone who has a lot to say; you can share a sense of humour with somebody and not even speak the same language. A smile is universal. I think that’s why I love travelling so much, and the more remote I get, the easier it is.’
What’s your eighth wonder of the world?
‘My children. They’re 15 and 18. My 18-year-old is going to college in five days, I’m going to be a mess. She’ll be fine, I won’t.’
