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Kim Cattrall on Finding Love Later in Life and Battling Aging Any Way She Can

Ryan McLachlan
Kim Cattrall at the premiere of About My Father, May 9, 2023. (Photo Credit: Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images)
Kim Cattrall at the premiere of About My Father, May 9, 2023. (Photo Credit: Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images)

For years, actress Kim Cattrall has discussed her take on aging and all the various options to battle the aging process. While she has historically been open to minor procedures, such as Botox, she’s maintained a cautious attitude toward surgery. In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, however, Cattrall opened up about her new opinions on going under the knife in the battle against aging. She also shared details about her romantic life and said she was a “late bloomer” in that department.

Cattrall’s career

Cattrall has had a long and varied career spanning multiple decades. Her first film role came in the 1970s with the British thriller Rosebud. She’s gone on to appear in numerous films, including Porky’s (1982), Police Academy (1984), Big Trouble in Little China (1986), Mannequin (1987), and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991).

Kim Cattrall in Mannequin (1987)
Mannequin (1987). (Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox / murraymomo / MovieStills DB)

Cattrall’s major breakthrough came in 1998 with her role as Samantha Jones in the HBO series Sex and the City. She is set to reprise the role for a cameo in the second season of And Just Like That…, which is a sequel to the HBO series and takes place 11 years after the 2010 film, Sex and the City 2.

Much of Cattrall’s career has focused on her appearance, which helped turn her into a sex symbol. In 2011, Cattrall revealed that she was happy to move away from that label. She admitted that she’d been sexualized since the very beginning of her career, and she was glad to be done with it.

Even so, Cattrall admits that her appearance still matters, which has played a role in her battling the aging process. “I play a certain kind of woman who looks a certain kind of way. And professionally, I am looking after myself,” she said.

‘What the hell am I frightened of?’

In 2011, Cattrall told the Daily Mail that she wanted “to embrace aging.” She showed her admiration for Dame Judi Dench, who was then 76, saying, “I look at people like Judi Dench, who’s in her 70s, and I think, ‘What the hell am I frightened of?'” She explained that she wanted to embrace aging, both in her life and in her career, because she believes that is more interesting.

Kim Cattrall in Sex and the City
Sex and the City (2008). (Photo Credit: New Line Cinema / HBO / Warner Bros. Pictures / diannecan / MovieStills DB)

Cattrall had admitted to using Botox on her forehead, although she seemed cautious about surgery. She said in 2008, “I don’t want to look in the mirror and not recognize who’s looking back.”

Cattrall, who at the time didn’t want cosmetic surgery to turn back the clock, didn’t judge those who wanted to get these procedures done. She said, “I think it’s every woman’s choice, not just every actor’s… And I have no judgment about it. It’s your body, your life. Do what you want to do.”

‘Battling aging in every way I can’

In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, Catrall changed her tune slightly. Admitting that while she ruled out surgery in her forties, she said, “I’m in my sixties now, and I’m all about battling aging in every way I can.”

Cattrall wearing a pink jacket at the "Queer As Folk" World Premiere
Kim Cattrall attends Peacock’s Queer As Folk World Premiere Event, in partnership with Outfest’s OutFronts Festival, at The Theatre at Ace Hotel on June 03, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo Credit: Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

Catrall said that there are more options now, plenty to look into and try out. She did say, cautiously, that these can be explored so long as you have enough money and the right surgeon. “It can’t be emphasized enough. You want to look like you!”

She also talked about a time when she visited a plastic surgeon’s office with a friend. She said that every woman in the waiting room looked the same. And all were identical to the photo of the surgeon’s girlfriend on the wall. Cattrall recalls that seeing the photo made her think that ultimately, she wants to be the best version of herself instead of looking like everyone else.

She was a late bloomer in love

The actress also opened up regarding love and romance. During a recording of the Modern Love podcast at the Tribeca Film Festival, she revealed that she discovered her sexuality later in life when she began dating in her early 40s.

Russell Thomas and Kim Cattrall at a 2022 event in New York
Russell Thomas and Kim Cattrall attend Variety’s 2022 Power Of Women: New York Event Presented By Lifetime at The Glasshouse on May 05, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Variety)

Cattrall, who has been in a relationship with her partner Russell Thomas since 2016, revealed that sex and intimacy change over time. “It’s asking for what you want. It’s showing what you want,” she said. “Most men don’t have a clue — not the anatomy. They know that. But what in particular works for you. And most women, they’re too nervous, too anxious, or they haven’t done their homework to find out what feels good.”

Meaningful relationships take a lot of effort but are well worth it, according to Cattrall. “This is good work. This is meaningful for your life. So, for me, I am less romantic about it or sensual about it. I feel that it is continuing to work and push and progress and ask and reveal for as long as you’re alive,” she said.

More from us:Andie MacDowell Says She ‘Doesn’t Feel Less Sexy’ At 65

She’s previously stated that she is very comfortable around Thomas, who was working at the BBC when they first met. “He followed me and I followed him on Twitter, he direct messaged me.” One thing led to another and they’ve been an item ever since. “I love him,” she said. And he was worth waiting for.”

Ryan McLachlan

Ryan McLachlan is a historian and content writer for Hive Media. He received his Bachelor of Arts in History and Classical Studies and his Master of Arts in History from the University of Western Ontario. Ryan’s research focused on military history, and he is particularly interested in the conflicts fought by the United Kingdom from the Napoleonic Wars to the Falklands War.

Ryan’s other historical interests include naval and maritime history, the history of aviation, the British Empire, and the British Monarchy. He is also interested in the lives of Sir Winston Churchill and Admiral Lord Nelson. Ryan enjoys teaching, reading, writing, and sharing history with anyone who will listen.

In his spare time, he enjoys watching period dramas such as Murdoch Mysteries and Ripper Street and also enjoys reading classical literature and Shakespeare. He also plays football and is an afternoon tea connoisseur.