Beauty, Motherhood & the Tongue Scene: Natasha Henstridge Gets Real | Still Here Hollywood: 10 Minute Takes In this final chapter, Natasha Henstridge opens up about parenting challenges, Hollywood pressure, and the blessing (and burden) of beauty in the age of social media. From raising two sons with learning differences to that unforgettable Species tongue-through-the-head scene, Natasha blends wit and wisdom like only she can. She shares the hilarious story of her son's one-and-done acting experience, her surprise date plans with her boyfriend (a.k.a. Boo Boo), and her advice to young women struggling with self-image. Plus: why she’s de-cluttering her life, her thoughts on legacy, and what it really means to be still here. 🌟 Keywords: Natasha Henstridge final interview chapter, motherhood and fame, actress talks mental health, Species movie scene, celebrity parenting, Steve Kmetko podcast, Still Here Hollywood, 10 Minute Takes, acting advice, women in film, aging in Hollywood, Marie Kondo jokes, body image and youth, daughters of the 90s
Beauty, Motherhood & the Tongue Scene: Natasha Henstridge Gets Real | Still Here Hollywood: 10 Minute Takes
In this final chapter, Natasha Henstridge opens up about parenting challenges, Hollywood pressure, and the blessing (and burden) of beauty in the age of social media. From raising two sons with learning differences to that unforgettable Species tongue-through-the-head scene, Natasha blends wit and wisdom like only she can. She shares the hilarious story of her son's one-and-done acting experience, her surprise date plans with her boyfriend (a.k.a. Boo Boo), and her advice to young women struggling with self-image. Plus: why she’s de-cluttering her life, her thoughts on legacy, and what it really means to be still here.
Steve Kmetko
What's the best piece of advice you got about Hollywood?
Natasha Henstridge
I was gone say take Fountain, but that doesn't even work anymore.
Steve Kmetko
No, That's Betty Davis' line. How to get ahead in Hollywood, take fountain.
Natasha Henstridge
You know what Exactly.
Steve Kmetko
Yeah, it's great. When you know
Natasha Henstridge
It’s Such a good, when you know, you know, but actually that's not going to work anymore. Is it? I know. It's busy everywhere now. There's no driving around. No getting anywhere. I know. Very cute.
Steve Kmetko
I only come back here about once a month, and I'm so surprised at the number of buildings that have gone up in Hollywood. Yeah. You know, there's the Godfrey Hotel and there's other buildings. High-Rises in that area. The Jack in the Box I used to go to is all boarded up.
Natasha Henstridge
Aw. Yeah, it's changing. Constantly changing, isn't it? La Yeah, it's getting a little bit better again, right now it's, it's went through, you know, I think Covid with many, many cities, it was so hard. Obviously, the rents are astronomical, so of course they're making more building them up, stacking as many people in them as they can. But yeah, it's changed. It's changing for sure, like anywhere, I guess. But yeah.
Steve Kmetko
What's it like being so beautiful?
Natasha Henstridge
Well, the fact that you're saying that to me today is a huge compliment because I had some friends over and I drank too much wine last night.
Steve Kmetko
Knowing you were coming here. Oh,
Natasha Henstridge
So rude. So rude. I drank too much wine last night. I'm usually like a couple of glasses, or one or two or a cocktail or two. I'm not an over drinker at all. And last night I over drank.
Steve Kmetko
Did you use a straw?
Natasha Henstridge
No. I'm going to try that next time. I'm going to drink half as much and use a straw. So, I get the little buzz and that's it. Just stop, stop when you're supposed to stop. That's very sweet of you to say. It's, it's interesting. You know, I, I can feel good about myself or bad about myself and like anybody, but I, I will say this, I never grew up. And maybe that's what helped me develop. I modeled even, I was even on set where people are like, oh, beautiful makeup. And you're, and the lighting's good and you look gorgeous in the photos. And I never felt that special in, in the looks department ever. And maybe that's a blessing. Maybe that's how I developed a personality. I don't know. But I appreciate the compliment and I look back, do it was sincere.
I do, I do look back and I do go, oh, you were cute. You didn't know it at the time, but you were cute. I tell young girls that all the time when they're, these days, I find, you know, I look at my son's girlfriend and I look at, you know, these girls that are 22 years old, 23, 25, so hard on themselves. So hypercritical living in social media standards, they're depressed, they don't want to go out, they're never good enough. They're never pretty enough. They're never skinny enough. And I have to say, I just go, enjoy your youth. You're so beautiful. Like, you're so, just enjoy it, let go of that. It's a mental health thing, isn't it, though? It's very hard to impress that upon somebody who's young. But you're never going to be this beautiful, have this much collagen have. Like, just take it easy on yourself, you know? Give yourself a break.
Steve Kmetko
What do you feel comfortable telling me about your children? Do you like being a mother?
Natasha Henstridge
I do, I do. Motherhood has been, I can't imagine not being a mother. I will not deny that it has been the hardest job in the world. It has been so challenging beyond, and, and I, I mean, I'd love to be able to come on here and say it's just been all rainbows and butterflies, but I'd be lying. It's, it's been a lot of work. It's been a lot of work. My kids are incredible. They're both Asher and Tristan. Tristan's 25 now and Asher's 22. They're both incredibly intelligent, incredibly you know, bright kids, curious kids. They want to live. They, they live very different than I am. They're very, very different. They're much more private. They don't like to be in social situations at all. I think some of that's covid. Some of that is because I, we traveled around the world and they were quite social as youngsters.
Now they're very quiet, very much more to themselves. It's so interesting. My kids had attention deficit issues and dyslexia growing up. And so they went to some various, all the great schools in la. They went to every private school and then they went to special schools and to, to help with, with that, to focus on that. So that was a challenge. That was a challenge. I'm not going to lie, you know, it was, it was challenging raising them. And also such a gift. There's nothing like going to your kids' games and football and you know, all basketball do,
Steve Kmetko
Do either of them want to get into the business?
Natasha Henstridge
Not at all. Tristan, my older son, there was a show called October Road, I think it was called. I was friends with the writer and Tristan, my eldest son, when he was about 10 years old, got a role on the show. And now my kids were like, extras in a thing that I would do or just, you'd see them on the side or, you know, something like that. They thought that was fun because they were on set with me all the time, you know, they were with me a lot of the time anyway. But when my son got this role, he was very excited. He was going to make $800. Because He was kind of doing a stunt. He had to like fake beat somebody, beat a kid up in the show. And we were out in the woods. And now I'm the mom of the actors, right?
So, I'm hanging out with all the actors', moms, all the stage moms freezing. We're freezing out there in a tent with a heater. I'm like, God, I'm so lucky. I get spoiled in my position. And the kid and the kids are all out there. And Tristan got a blister on his foot while he was out there. And I think they could work the kids for like eight hours or something at the time, six or eight. I don't remember whatever the, the rules were. And he had a blister and it was like, he got to warm up in the, in the little thing with the heater. And we took his shoes off and I gave him a little foot massage. And then the ad came over and said, Tristan, we need you back on set. And he goes, oh no, I got like a blister on my foot.
I can't get my, I can't put my shoes back on. And I was like, that's show business honey. And he never went back. He never wanted to act again. He was over it. It was Take fountain, Tristan take fountain, Tristan. It was so adorable though. I took him out for a sushi dinner. Kids, a total foodie. He loved, he liked his sushi dinner. And we put like $800 in his account, like in a Cogan account for him or whatever it was. And he was pretty happy with that. But had no interest, no interest in acting after that. It's a lot harder than people give it, give it credit for
Steve Kmetko
Coogan account named after Jackie Coogan.
Natasha Henstridge
I don't know what the Coogan accounts are named after, but it's an account when you have a child that's acting, you have to put it maybe, is it?
Steve Kmetko
I, that's perhaps, that would be my guess.
Natasha Henstridge
Who was that?
Steve Kmetko
Jackie Coogan. He worked as a child. He was also uncle Fester in the Adams Family Television show in the sixties.
Natasha Henstridge
Oh, okay.
Steve Kmetko
But he used to tell when he would meet kids, he would say, you know, behave yourself. I made a law for you. Something, something to that effect. So,
Natasha Henstridge
Oh, so it probably was, yeah. Maybe he lost a lot of his money to his parents or something. Yes. And that, so they protect the kids in that way. Yep. Yeah, probably. Probably that.
Steve Kmetko
When, when you first saw the scene in species, do you say species or species, does it matter? Species?
Natasha Henstridge
I think I say species actor or active species, I think I say. But either or.
Steve Kmetko
Okay.
Natasha Henstridge
Either, either.
Steve Kmetko
What was your reaction when you first saw the tongue, your tongue going through the guy's head?
Natasha Henstridge
It was, it was actually really fun to see those effects that happen after the fact. Right. So anytime you get to see a little CGI or a little something that you do after that that, you know, because you're all, you're just imagining those things on the moment. So, to see that stuff at the time I was like, good. The men out there will be warned. Don't mess with me. They didn't listen.
Steve Kmetko
No. No. They didn't. Well Natasha, it's been fun talking to you.
Natasha Henstridge
It was nice to talk to you.
Steve Kmetko
What are you going to do with the rest of your day?
Natasha Henstridge
I am actually
Steve Kmetko
Recover from your Wine
Natasha Henstridge
I'm actually taking my guy out on a date. So we kind of like do date nights on the weekends and sometimes he takes me and sometimes I plan something for him and it's a surprise and I can't say it right now because he is here. Can't do it.
Steve Kmetko
Don't listen. Bebe
Natasha Henstridge
Don't listen. Boo Boo
Steve Kmetko
Boo Boo. I'm sorry. Bebe. Boo Boo.
Natasha Henstridge
Yeah. To meet Tomorrow.
Steve Kmetko
Thanks Natasha. You, I appreciate it. Thanks for coming back.
Natasha Henstridge
You really are still here, see? You're still here.
Steve Kmetko
Yes, for today.
Natasha Henstridge
You're still here.
Steve Kmetko
I go back to Chicago on Monday.
Natasha Henstridge
You do?
Steve Kmetko
Yeah.
Natasha Henstridge
So the cold didn't deter you too much?
Steve Kmetko
No. No. It's just too much to move.
Natasha Henstridge
I feel the same way.
Steve Kmetko
All the stuff I collected, what was I thinking?
Natasha Henstridge
I feel the same way. Just start getting rid of it,
Steve Kmetko
You know. It's funny, I when my mother passed away, she was 98. She had collected a lot of stuff. The teens. Yeah. But you know, the, the grandchildren don't want any of the old silverware or the old plates or
Natasha Henstridge
They don't have any use for that.
Steve Kmetko
No. You know, and I, so I kind of took a lot of it in thinking at some point. They come to their senses, but no,
Natasha Henstridge
But they still have it. No, I think as they get older they're going to appreciate those things more. I feel like it takes a long time for kids these days to appreciate the things that, and obviously things have changed and people are minimalist now and nobody wants anything extra. And it's all about being, having less and being cooler. You know, that's, and which is cool. Which I like. I appreciate that. But, but yeah, you're right. We saved these things and it's like, my kids are just going to be throwing, I'm going to pass. I'm going to be six feet under. My kids are just going to be throwing it everything out anyway. So, I do a lot of that as I go now. I'm just getting rid of stuff all the time.
Steve Kmetko
I have, I've got to learn that practice.
Natasha Henstridge
Let it go.
Steve Kmetko
You know, they're all, they're my, my nieces are all in their fifties. So, and one is in, in her sixties. She's going to kill me because she watches regularly. So, I think they've kind of reached everything they want, you know, they've accumulated what they want.
Natasha Henstridge
Right.
Steve Kmetko
And they don't want more.
Natasha Henstridge
Right. So, now really is time to get rid.
Steve Kmetko
Yes.
Natasha Henstridge
Yep. What's her name? Maria Kondo. Maria Kondo the one who's like, if it doesn't bring joy, spark, joy, get rid of it.
Steve Kmetko
If you haven't touched it in over a year,
Natasha Henstridge
Get rid of it. I know. But if you're sentimental I am. I am too. I have to say, there's a lot of things in my garage that I haven't touched in over 20 years, but I'm sentimental and I go one of these days, my kids will go through this stuff and they can throw it out then, but at least they'll see it. But I have boys, they're not going to go through that. They'll be like, take it all. I'm out of here.
Steve Kmetko
Thank you.
Natasha Henstridge
Nice to meet you.
Steve Kmetko
Still here. Hollywood is a production of the Still Here Network. All things technical run by Justin Zanger Lee. Theme music by Brian Shin and executive producer is Jim Lichtenstein.