Lara Worthington: ‘I definitely won’t have any more kids’

Married for eight years to actor Sam Worthington, the 34-year-old admits life as a mother of three boys under six is “definitely a challenge” as she reveals to Stellar why she has ruled out adding to her brood.

As Lara Worthington joins Stellar for a chic and playful photoshoot during a brief trip home to Australia, the 34-year-old model, businesswoman and mother-of-three has family on the mind. And while this “longest time away” from her three young sons and actor husband Sam Worthington has her missing them fiercely, it also allows her to reflect on the eye-opening adventures they’ve had, explore new business opportunities and embrace the “patient and calm” new outlook she has after 15 years in the glare of the spotlight.

“I’ve been married eight years and I think home is wherever your family is” (Picture: Stellar)

Lara, you’ve flown back to Sydney for two weeks of work without your three sons [Rocket, 6, Racer, 5, and River, 1] in tow. Is this the longest time you’ve spent away from them? And how are you feeling?

This will be the longest time away from my family. Both Sam [her husband, Australian actor Sam Worthington] and I definitely juggle it all.

I love working, I’ve always loved working. I feel like I’m a better mum when I get to balance both. And then I will go home to New York and appreciate my husband and family. It’s just so nice to have your own identity as well as being a mum.

As your boys get older, does it become any easier to leave them and go off to work? Because when they’re so little, they physically need you more.

Oh, I hope they never not need me. I love to be loved by them and I don’t want to lose that. Especially my boys. They always make me feel so good, especially Sam. I don’t want that to ever go; I hope it doesn’t.

But being able to be a mum and [to] work definitely stems from your partner. Sam and I are on the same page, so I feel like he’s “got me” when I’m working and vice versa. I also don’t have any family in New York, which is challenging at times.

I’d love my mum to be around the corner; it would be so much easier. But I do have a supportive group of close girlfriends who all inspire me to try to get that balance between both. Also, the fact my husband allows me to be creative and have dreams and aspirations – that’s really important.

You mentioned living in New York but, of course, you grew up in the suburbs of Sydney. Where do you consider home?

I’ve been married eight years this year and I think [home] is wherever your family is. As a family, we’ve travelled so much. We’ve lived in so many different countries and places, and it really doesn’t bother me where I am. As long as I’m with my family. And with kids, you’re still doing the same routine.

“As a family unit, we’re all very close. We’ve only got each other.” (Picture: Stellar)

“I’m definitely not a fashion icon. I wear whatever the hell I want and don’t care.” (Picture: Stellar)

What’s it like raising your boys in a place like New York?

It’s clearly very different to the childhood I had. At the moment the daily challenge is getting them to layer up and put their clothes on because it’s freezing outside. But they’ll learn. Cities really toughen them up.

Coming from Los Angeles, we were in the car a lot and they were busy on their iPads. But moving back to New York, they ride their scooters to school. Having three boys is definitely

a challenge. They have a lot of energy, but I feel like New York is good for them.

They thrive in it. I do love a simple lifestyle. Maybe in my future we will move back to the beach. But now they’re learning another language [Spanish] in school. The school they go to is very diverse.

Every block is different. You never know what’s going to happen, and I think that’s cool. So being able to give those opportunities to our children, it broadens their minds. New York has been good for my family so far but, I mean… ask me in 10 years!

Raising three young boys in 2022 is undoubtedly a very different proposition to what it would have been like when, say, you were their age [Worthington is now 34]. How do you navigate that?

As a family unit, we’re all very close. We’ve only got each other. Sam and I are a good team. We’re both Australians and we have the same values. We come at our children as a team and I think that’s really important. We aren’t too strict, but we’re not not strict. It’s also important for the boys to have a strong father figure, which they have in Sam.

I’m very patient with them. I just try to teach them to be caring. My eldest, Rocket, is very sensitive and a really good soul. But it’s definitely three different dynamics that are challenging at times, but I also find it really fun. And I want to harness this time because it’s gone so quickly for me. I definitely won’t have any more, though, because it’s a lot.

“I don’t talk about it so much. I don’t feel like I need to. I like to be silent about it.” (Picture: Stellar)

You recently partnered with the Australian vitamin, supplement and skincare company Swisse as their newest beauty ambassador. Why did you want to work with them?

I love being with brands that bring me back to Australia because I do miss Australia. I miss my friends and my family. I was very excited to be part of it as they’ve had great people as ambassadors.

I’m in a position where I’m lucky to be able to pick and choose which projects I do now, which is nice. But I’ve been doing this since I was, like, 15 years old, and now I’m 34, so it’s nice to work with people who want to create nice things together.

When it comes to your approach to health and wellbeing, how has that changed over the years?

Everything has to evolve. I never stand still.

You’ve also founded your own make-up brand, Share The Base, which gives 100 per cent of its profits to charity. Why do that?

It’s something I’m really passionate about. I fell in love with creating a beauty brand and then it evolved into a 100 per cent donation model. I don’t talk about it so much. I don’t feel like I need to. I like to be silent about it.

But it’s been really impactful and nice to be able to shift it [so that] 100 per cent of the profits go to charity. I’m very proud of it. It’s just such a nice thing to have, as an everyday thing in your life, to be able to be giving.

Aside from your partnership with Swisse Beauty, what else do you have planned career-wise? Do you like to make plans or do you prefer to take each day as it comes?

I always have lots of plans. Some never eventuate. But I’m very creative. I love mood boards. I’m very visual. My team that I’m working with is very inspiring to me. I want to launch a new brand at the end of the year. It’s definitely not in the beauty or fashion world. It’s more in the drink space. And I’m still very keen to work with brands.

Lara Worthington with her actor husband Sam in February 2020 (Picture: Instagram)

You and Sam will be celebrating your eight-year wedding anniversary in late December. How do you cultivate your relationship when you’re also raising three young children and working?

We just take it day by day. I think, actually, that having children has enhanced our relationship and brought us both closer together. And then, like, it’s all together, everything he does is checked off by me and vice versa. All of his agents and mine work together and around the kids’ schedules.

You started modelling when you were 15 and are now considered by many to be a fashion icon. Did you ever think that would happen?

I’m definitely not a fashion icon. I wear whatever the hell I want and don’t care. I’ve definitely had some bad times, I tell you.

Lara Worthington stars on this Sunday’s Stellar

But whatever! You evolve. That’s my thing. As long as we’re evolving.

On that theme, what’s something you’ve learnt and realised about yourself in the past 10 years?

I can be patient and calm, and I think that’s better than it all being so crazy. But also, just to have fun with it all.

Originally published as Lara Worthington: ‘I definitely won’t have any more kids’