Actress Nia Long “I’m A Woman Over 40 So Thank God I’m Working”

May 7, 2016

Actress Nia Long covers the April/May issue of Uptown magazine, and in the mag the Uncle Buck, actress says,“I’m a woman over 40, so thank God I’m working.” “I’m not trying to be an ingénue anymore. I wouldn’t want those opportunities because then that would just mean that I haven’t grown.”

Long has grown up with us and has transitioned from a Gen X hip-hop honey, into a mother, wife and regularly working actress. As she navigates her 40s, she has managed to carve out an enduring representation of black womanhood through her impressive body of work.

“I think the whole point as an artist is that you want your work, in some sort of way, to reflect how you’ve evolved as a person and as a woman. The more you work, the smarter you are,” she reflects.

Long has a successful career, and works it well, but is proud and vocal about being a present mom. And like those other ladies, she also looks phenomenal. Her two boys, Massai Zhivago, 15, (with ex-husband Massai Z. Dorsey) and four-year-old Kez Sunday (with current beau Ime Udoka), are her foremost priority.

“I think parenting is one of those things you have to get right,” Long says emphatically. “I really am accountable for who I’m creating, or who I’m helping to create.”

Long’s parenting philosophy is simple: “I’m not okay with someone else raising my children. Do I have help? Absolutely. I couldn’t do it without help, but I really have to be here.”