In anticipation of this summer’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live-action movie, we caught up with actress and new mom (again!) Megan Fox. While many may recognize her of Transformers fame, her favorite role is mother of two boys under the age of two. Parents talked with Megan about the challenges and joys of parenthood, her rules about TV (unexpected for an actress!), and what she looks forward to as Noah, almost 2, and Bodhi, 4 months, continue to grow.
P: Now that you’re a mom, how does that affect how you pick your projects?
MF: The main thing it does is it affects how much I’m willing to work. I’ve never been an extraordinarily ambitious girl or career-oriented, but especially once I got pregnant with my first son and now [having] my second, it’s so hard to be a working mom especially when your heart is not in your work, when your heart is with your family. I have to make one movie a year because I have to invest in their future and I have to be able to pay their way through college and be able to provide for them. I’m looking for movies that will shoot in Los Angeles, for projects where I’m part of an ensemble so I can shoot in and out in 10-20 days. It’s all about trying to spend as little time away from my kids as possible.
P: What is it like having two kids under 2? What’s the most enjoyable part and most challenging part?
MF: It’s total chaos obviously. Before you have kids you really do not understand how much work it is and how consuming it is. And then you have one and you’re like, “Oh my God my baby is my whole world.” Every moment of the day is dedicated to this one baby and then all of a sudden you have two babies! Their needs are so different because Noah is nearing 2 and then my newborn is 4 months. It’s really hard to manage because I also don’t let them watch TV. It’s not like I’m going to sit Noah in front of the television so I can take care of Bodhi. I have to figure out how to incorporate Noah into the process and have him help me take care of Bodhi and make sure he doesn’t get jealous and make sure nobody’s neglected and everybody’s needs are being met. As a mom it’s hard because I don’t feel like I’m ever giving either one of them 100% of my attention or 100% of myself, so I carry a lot of guilt. Do they each understand how special they are and how much I love them? And are they understanding that they’re unique? It’s hard to make each one feel like an individual when you have to raise them together and manage them together all of the time. So that’s the most difficult part.
The most amazing part of it aside from being blessed to just continue to have children: Noah’s starting to interact with Bodhi. He’ll try to comfort him sometimes when he cries and he’ll do the “sh sh sh sh” and to watch him do that melts my heart. I’m excited for the future, to see them be brothers and be best friends and I know that there’s gonna be lots of fighting, but there’s also gonna be lots of hugs and kisses. It’s sort of mind-blowing to think about how amazing the future is going to be with them, holidays and birthdays.
P: When did you first have that “I’m a mom” feeling?
MF: I was really connected during my first pregnancy. But even during my pregnancy I had no idea how worried I was going to be for the rest of my life. From the moment I gave birth to Noah, that was the first time I was like, “I love something so much that I will never be the same again.” I will never be relaxed again because I will always be worried about him and hoping that he is ok and safe and happy.
P: You said you don’t let the kids watch TV. When is the age range that you will let them?
MF: I do let them watch movies, I just don’t let them watch TV. With movies I feel like there’s a beginning, a middle and an end. It’s linear. There’s a clear story. I think that it’s different than just putting a kid in front of the television, because it’s just nonstop. They’re just being bombarded with all of this sort of live media and it’s very overwhelming and it’s too stimulating I think for anyone. I don’t watch television because it’s just too much it overwhelms me. I just can’t deal with it. But I do let them watch movies. Movies are so nostalgic and they can remind us of these amazing times in our childhood. I remember going to the theater to see movies with my dad or my mom and those are special moments for me. One day they’re gonna watch television. I can’t keep it from them forever. My intention is to keep it away as long as possible or to introduce it through Apple TV so they’re not being exposed to the commercials constantly. My goal is no computers, no cell phones until at least 8th grade.
P: Tell us about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. How was it filming while pregnant?
MF: I constantly had a big box of saltine crackers with me wherever I went. So in between takes I would scurry away and shove a bunch of saltines in my mouth to keep me from being nauseous.
P: Your character, April, is a confident woman, and you yourself are also very strong. Do you have any confidence tips for young girls?
MF: You know it’s hard growing up. I’ve always been someone who’s been really assertive and willful and that’s just something I was born with, but I had to learn how to temper that and focus it in the correct direction because it was sort of becoming a detriment. I wasn’t using it correctly. You have to trust yourself. The idea of being really intuitive and listening to your own conscious and listening to—I’m sort of a spiritual hippy so I don’t want to be off-putting but—you gotta listen to your higher self and trust that you know what is right. Be prepared to maybe lose friends or lose relationships. Be prepared to maybe make some people upset and that’s ok as long as you’re pursuing what you really believe is right and correct and true.
