Michelle Monaghan

By: Interview by Sonja Magdevski | Photographs by Jeff Lipsky | October 08, 2009 |

It could be Michelle Monaghan’s easy laugh and gentle disposition that conceals her tenacity. Or maybe it is the pragmatism of her Midwestern upbringing and the accountability to her family that upholds her courage. Better yet, she could just be plain stubborn. But after sharing an afternoon over a lovely lunch — where I showed up 30 minutes late, and she asked if I wouldn’t mind if she actually ate lunch during a lunch date — we covered a lot of territory in two women’s lives, including the birth of her first child, Willow, the love of her life, Australian graphic artist Peter White (she blushes when she speaks about him), and our shared fondness for the little-known middle of the country, all of which left me with the impression that she accepts every moment for exactly what it is — precious — while anticipating the many extraordinary moments yet to come.

The 33-year-old Monaghan grew up in a very, very small town in Iowa called Winthrop, which she left for Chicago after high school to study journalism in college. She began modeling to pay for tuition, and soon the big city’s potion had worked its fingers through her silky, russet hair. During her junior year, she realized that pursuing a journalism career meant returning to the same small markets from which she had just escaped a few years earlier. So she did the honest thing — she quit school and moved to New York City in search of even greater challenges. There, she continued modeling, traveling to the Far East for runway work, and one day happened upon an audition for a television show. Without any acting experience or formal training, she got the part and has never looked back.

For an accidental profession, in a short period of time, she has worked alongside many of the industry’s notable heavyweights, including Tom Cruise, Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Patrick Dempsey, Casey Affleck and Shia LaBeouf. The consummate professional, Monaghan doesn’t speak about her co-stars, instead choosing to focus the conversation on her incredible opportunities. James Mottern, the writer and director of Monaghan’s new film Trucker, said he knew she was perfect for the film after seeing her in North Country with Charlize Theron. “Michelle is very striking in her way,” he said. “She isn’t mugging or pretending to be in that world, and she isn’t a heavy method actress. She has a breeziness and lightness to her that is very natural.”

In the film, Monaghan leads a cast that includes Benjamin Bratt, Nathan Fillion and Joey Lauren Adams. She plays a role as a free-spirited truck driver who abandoned her 11-year-old son years earlier. Circumstances reconnect her with her child, and the film documents their journey on the road of rediscovery together. The first day of production required Monaghan to drive an 18-wheeler weighing thousands of pounds along the I-10 freeway in Los Angeles. She stepped into the big rig’s cab, took her seat behind the wheel and fired the ignition. Very few people knew that two weeks earlier she didn’t even know how to drive a stick shift in a standard car or that she was operating this huge behemoth of a machine while pregnant with her first child. Even fewer knew, besides the director, that moments before she took the reigns, she suffered a meltdown; afraid she lacked the confidence to drive. 

“I never doubted that she wouldn’t do it,” Mottern recalled. Knowing how dedicated she was to the project, particularly after almost three weeks of truck driving lessons that Monaghan insisted on taking, Mottern delicately conveyed to her that she didn’t actually have to drive the truck. Today’s cinematic capabilities allow for plenty of alternative ways to shoot her driving scenes. Plus, with the entire shoot lasting only 19 days on a $1.5 million budget, time was everyone’s enemy.

With her driving instructor, Phillip Malloy, from Dootson School of Trucking in the back of the cab reassuring her along the way, Monaghan’s grit won out. “She set the tone for the rest of the shoot,” said Mottern. “It was very dramatic for all of us to see her do it. It was a real American attitude, and it made you feel proud.” Malloy put it another way. “I think Michelle has been around a little bit of equipment,” he said. “If memory serves me right, I think she is from the Midwest, so it isn’t like she is some big-city girl. She’s been around some trailers and things. She wasn’t afraid or intimidated and she never panicked on anything. She was determined to get the thing done and that is what we did.”

Tell me about motherhood.
My husband and I have been together for eight years. We had been talking about it for a while, and it seemed like the right time. It has been the most remarkable year of my life. It is seriously the most profound experience I think I have ever had. It is such a blessing. She is such a blessing for both of us. She is such a wonderful little teacher who has taught me so much already in the first 10 months; I can’t wait for the next 10 years. It is so profound just watching this little person grow and develop her own personality. Making her laugh is the proudest moment of the day. It really is the only thing that needs to happen that day; it is that special.

Were you nervous?
Not really. I think any mother would say they were a little nervous, worried about being a good mom, but I was very fortunate. My mom is an incredible nurturer who ran a day care out of our home, so I grew up around a lot of babies in my life, which helped me feel prepared in that sense. I mean, you can never be completely prepared for the sleepless nights and things like that, but my instincts kicked in. It is really true, all the books …

Did you read any books?
Yes, I did. And they totally messed me up because there are so many different theories and ways of parenting, but I think you know your child best, and you have to do what is best for you and your baby. I feel that all the books can sometimes get in the way.

I have a girlfriend who recently became pregnant, and she is constantly sending e-mail asking about nitrates in ham and parabens in beauty products …
I know. It happens to you when you realize you have this little being in your belly, and you want to take care of it from the start. I had a really great pregnancy. I wasn’t really working through it, so I was able to be home, and my husband and I spent time nesting. It was great. We were really fortunate.

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