Carey Mulligan Reveals How Returning to Work Helped Her After Postpartum Depression

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/GettyCarey Mulliganis opening up about her experience with postpartum depression.Speaking withVanity Fairabout herupcoming filmShe Said, — where the actress portraysNew York Timesreporter Megan Twohey — Mulligan talked about handling the journalist’s relationship with postpartum depression on screen.In the conversation, Twohey applauded how carefully Mulligan, 37, approached portraying such a very personal struggle in the film.“I felt like she really spent a lot of time with me, and studied me and my family in a way in which she was able to not just portray a sense of me, but to portray this really personal and even difficult time in my life, in a very accurate and respectful way,” she said.Mulligan then told the outlet she was also able to draw experience from her own postpartum struggles, after welcoming daughterEvelyn Gracein 2015. Like Twohey, she found going back to work — in Mulligan’s case, on the upcoming filmSuffragette— helped her heal.“It was either cancel the whole thing or just get on and do it,” the actress recalled.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.ABC via Getty"And that — and a combination of lots of other things, and help and support from everyone around me — was my light," Mulligan added. “So, Megan and I talked about that, and we both shared what we had both been through, like so many women have been through.“Zoe Kazan — who stars inShe Saidas Jodi Kantor, who worked with Twohey to break the Weinstein sexual-harassmentstory back in 2017, sparking the larger #MeToo movement — said she also identified with her character as a working mom.Kazan’s partner Paul Dano was filming Steven Spielberg’sThe Fabelmanswhile the actress was working onShe Said. At the same time, the couple’s preschool-age daughter was starting on her own adventure.“Our daughter was starting preschool and her two parents were stretched across the country and each working 17-hour days,” Kazan explained toVanity Fair. “And I really felt this throughline between me and Jodi of all the ways that are sort of invisible when you show up to work, that make it possible for you to show up to work.“Gotham/GettyIn addition to daughter Evelyn, Mulligan shares sonWilfred, 5, with husbandMarcus Mumford. During a chat withPORTERmagazine in 2020, thePromising Young Womanactress talked about not missing her life before welcoming her two children.“In fact, every time we stepped into a new bar set, [director/producer/writerEmerald Fennell] and I would both be like, ‘God, we haven’t been in a bar in a really long time.’ And I’m very glad of that,” Mulligan said at the time.The mother of two also shared withPORTERthat as she gets older, “My female friendships have become increasingly important — particularly the ones with friends I made when I was 14 at school.““It’s something about doing stages oflife together and supporting each other,” Mulligan explained. “Every year, we do our birthdays together, because all our birthdays are within six days of one another. It’s great.”

Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty

Carey Mulliganis opening up about her experience with postpartum depression.Speaking withVanity Fairabout herupcoming filmShe Said, — where the actress portraysNew York Timesreporter Megan Twohey — Mulligan talked about handling the journalist’s relationship with postpartum depression on screen.In the conversation, Twohey applauded how carefully Mulligan, 37, approached portraying such a very personal struggle in the film.“I felt like she really spent a lot of time with me, and studied me and my family in a way in which she was able to not just portray a sense of me, but to portray this really personal and even difficult time in my life, in a very accurate and respectful way,” she said.Mulligan then told the outlet she was also able to draw experience from her own postpartum struggles, after welcoming daughterEvelyn Gracein 2015. Like Twohey, she found going back to work — in Mulligan’s case, on the upcoming filmSuffragette— helped her heal.“It was either cancel the whole thing or just get on and do it,” the actress recalled.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.ABC via Getty"And that — and a combination of lots of other things, and help and support from everyone around me — was my light,” Mulligan added. “So, Megan and I talked about that, and we both shared what we had both been through, like so many women have been through.“Zoe Kazan — who stars inShe Saidas Jodi Kantor, who worked with Twohey to break the Weinstein sexual-harassmentstory back in 2017, sparking the larger #MeToo movement — said she also identified with her character as a working mom.Kazan’s partner Paul Dano was filming Steven Spielberg’sThe Fabelmanswhile the actress was working onShe Said. At the same time, the couple’s preschool-age daughter was starting on her own adventure.“Our daughter was starting preschool and her two parents were stretched across the country and each working 17-hour days,” Kazan explained toVanity Fair. “And I really felt this throughline between me and Jodi of all the ways that are sort of invisible when you show up to work, that make it possible for you to show up to work.“Gotham/GettyIn addition to daughter Evelyn, Mulligan shares sonWilfred, 5, with husbandMarcus Mumford. During a chat withPORTERmagazine in 2020, thePromising Young Womanactress talked about not missing her life before welcoming her two children.“In fact, every time we stepped into a new bar set, [director/producer/writerEmerald Fennell] and I would both be like, ‘God, we haven’t been in a bar in a really long time.’ And I’m very glad of that,” Mulligan said at the time.The mother of two also shared withPORTERthat as she gets older, “My female friendships have become increasingly important — particularly the ones with friends I made when I was 14 at school.““It’s something about doing stages oflife together and supporting each other,” Mulligan explained. “Every year, we do our birthdays together, because all our birthdays are within six days of one another. It’s great.”

Carey Mulliganis opening up about her experience with postpartum depression.

Speaking withVanity Fairabout herupcoming filmShe Said, — where the actress portraysNew York Timesreporter Megan Twohey — Mulligan talked about handling the journalist’s relationship with postpartum depression on screen.

In the conversation, Twohey applauded how carefully Mulligan, 37, approached portraying such a very personal struggle in the film.

“I felt like she really spent a lot of time with me, and studied me and my family in a way in which she was able to not just portray a sense of me, but to portray this really personal and even difficult time in my life, in a very accurate and respectful way,” she said.

Mulligan then told the outlet she was also able to draw experience from her own postpartum struggles, after welcoming daughterEvelyn Gracein 2015. Like Twohey, she found going back to work — in Mulligan’s case, on the upcoming filmSuffragette— helped her heal.

“It was either cancel the whole thing or just get on and do it,” the actress recalled.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

ABC via Getty

“And that — and a combination of lots of other things, and help and support from everyone around me — was my light,” Mulligan added. “So, Megan and I talked about that, and we both shared what we had both been through, like so many women have been through.”

Zoe Kazan — who stars inShe Saidas Jodi Kantor, who worked with Twohey to break the Weinstein sexual-harassmentstory back in 2017, sparking the larger #MeToo movement — said she also identified with her character as a working mom.

Kazan’s partner Paul Dano was filming Steven Spielberg’sThe Fabelmanswhile the actress was working onShe Said. At the same time, the couple’s preschool-age daughter was starting on her own adventure.

“Our daughter was starting preschool and her two parents were stretched across the country and each working 17-hour days,” Kazan explained toVanity Fair. “And I really felt this throughline between me and Jodi of all the ways that are sort of invisible when you show up to work, that make it possible for you to show up to work.”

Gotham/Getty

In addition to daughter Evelyn, Mulligan shares sonWilfred, 5, with husbandMarcus Mumford. During a chat withPORTERmagazine in 2020, thePromising Young Womanactress talked about not missing her life before welcoming her two children.

“In fact, every time we stepped into a new bar set, [director/producer/writerEmerald Fennell] and I would both be like, ‘God, we haven’t been in a bar in a really long time.’ And I’m very glad of that,” Mulligan said at the time.

The mother of two also shared withPORTERthat as she gets older, “My female friendships have become increasingly important — particularly the ones with friends I made when I was 14 at school.”

“It’s something about doing stages oflife together and supporting each other,” Mulligan explained. “Every year, we do our birthdays together, because all our birthdays are within six days of one another. It’s great.”

source: people.com