Former Shortland Street star Anna Hutchison has faced the kind of personal hurdles that would crush many – from postpartum anxiety to a broken hip and, most devastatingly, losing her dear mum Sharon.
But as she and her bestie, Aussie actress Eliza Taylor, chat to Woman’s Day about their new podcast, 100% Ready With Anna Hutchison And Eliza Taylor, it’s clear the joy of being a mum to Joanie, six, and Vinnie, four, is what’s got the talented Kiwi star through.
“My kids are the biggest gift,” says Anna, 40.
“I thought my life was amazing, then I had kids and it became better. I get to see the world for the first time again through these babies. It’s magic.”
But parenting hasn’t been an easy ride, with the actress revealing how sleep deprivation triggered post-partum anxiety.
“I felt like I couldn’t leave Joanie – I had to be with her – but all I needed was sleep. Then we got her into a routine, so I went, ‘I can handle another child,’ but the no-sleep thing happened with Vinnie too!”
The highs and lows of motherhood
Meanwhile, Neighbours and The 100 star Eliza – who has four-year-old Henry with her husband, Home And Away actor Bob Morley, 41 – also suffered “shocking” postpartum depression for a year without recognising the symptoms.
She recalls, “I thought, ‘Why aren’t I feeling joy? Why’s everything so overwhelming?’ We were so sleep-deprived and Bob was also in survival mode. I started googling, realised I needed help and joined a mothers’ group.”
Anna – who shifted to Los Angeles after Go Girls and Underbelly, before finding love with US film producer Mike Gillespie – says it helps her kids are older now.
“They’re best friends, except 5% of the time, like when I turn my back as the chicken’s about to burn and they get into the most hardcore sibling fight!”
While both kids love New Zealand’s birds and are learning te reo Māori, their ties to Anna’s homeland were strongest during their FaceTime calls to Anna’s mum Sharon, who sadly passed in March. The doting grandma would read to the kids while the Power Rangers star cooked dinner.
“Mum was my soulmate and best friend,” shares Anna.
“There’s no greater mother I could’ve had and I continue to live positively for her. This is the hardest thing I’ll ever deal with, but I know she would want her kids to continue achieving as much as we can.”
Overcoming self-doubt
Anna keeps a photo of Sharon and Joanie with her while recording 100% Ready, which sees her and Eliza, 36, tackle the excuses that hold them back from living their best lives. With one episode delving into self-doubt, Anna admits she’s her own “harshest critic” and had to work hard to quell fears after breaking her hip while running two years ago.
“I was like, ‘I have two kids and I broke my hip. The body’s breaking down!’ I doubted I could get to where I was in my twenties, but the beautiful thing was finding I don’t want to.”
Of course, being in showbiz still sparks insecurity, especially when missing out on roles.
“People say, ‘It’s nothing to do with you,’ but it’s 100% to do with me because they don’t want me to play the role!” exclaims Anna.
Creating a community
Other excuses and projects Anna and Eliza tackle on their podcast include Eliza’s pole-dancing dreams and Anna leaving the kids to return to work on TV drama The Rookie. Having filmed Kiwi movies like A Love Yarn and fulfilling her dream of working with Lucy Lawless on local series My Life Is Murder – where her mum and sister Miki helped with childcare – getting back on set in the States was challenging, but Anna’s had strong support from Mike, 43, whom she married on Waiheke Island in 2018.
He’s also helped care for the kids while Anna and Eliza, whose sons are besties, put in the hours to build their podcast audience. The co-hosts are delighted that already listeners are reaching out about excuses from their own lives.
“That’s what we wanted – to create community for anyone feeling alone,” enthuses Eliza.
Thriving at 40
Meanwhile, podcasts and returning to work aren’t the only milestones for Anna. She says turning 40 in February felt “amazing”. The first thing she did? Call her mum to ask what health matters she should address.
Anna shares, “I later went to the doctor to see if there’s any reason I can’t be in the best shape of my life. She said, ‘I’ve never seen someone so excited to be 40.’ I feel grateful to be in this chapter because I truly feel like myself.“Living in LA, I was always thinking about what I need to get the job, but now it’s like, ‘You know me and the work I’ve done.’ I’m grateful to have my family and be pursuing my best life.”
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