In honor of Mother’s Day, we’re shifting the spotlight to a different kind of superstar—moms! Raising a kid with daydreams of movie screens is no easy feat, but with a little tough love, these women make parenting in the entertainment biz look like a breeze.
1. Rita Owens to Queen Latifah: A mother’s love is unconditional
During VH1’s inaugural “Dear Mama” event, the multitalented star delivered a touching speech in honor of her mom, Rita Owens: “My mother was particularly tuned in to who I was. I felt like she was a friend,” she said, “someone I really trusted and I saw that continue for the rest of my life.” Latifah continued, “There was a lot of kissing and hugging and of course a lot of discipline and tutelage but a lot of affection and love about life.”
2. Guadalupe Rodríguez to Jennifer Lopez: Inner beauty is forever
When asked to share a piece of her mother’s best beauty advice, JLo told Allure, “My mom taught me discipline and a work ethic. She didn’t put a lot of emphasis on physical beauty. It was always about the person that you were. To be a good girl was the thing. That has stayed with me my whole life.”
3. Leonie Hemsworth to Chris Hemsworth: Just have fun!
After landing in the States for his first LA acting gig, the Thor star received a heartwarming call from his mom. She told him, “If you’re not enjoying it, do something else.” “But what if I don’t get work?” “Just have fun,” she said. “You love acting, right? Good, go and act. Go and have fun and if it doesn’t work out, you can come back home.”
4. Nonyem Aduba to Uzo Aduba: Work hard and the rest will come
The Orange Is the New Black actress also learned an important lesson the day her acting career began. “When I first moved to New York, she dropped me off at the train and she turned off the car, and she said, ‘Uzo. Just work hard. I don’t care what you do, as long as you work hard. I never heard of ‘nothing’ come from hard work. I don’t know what will come, but something will come.'”
5. Tina Knowles to Beyoncé: Be humble
In 2020, Queen Bey revealed the lesson that’s kept her grounded for over 20 years: “When I was 15, we had a single that came out. It was called ‘No, No, No’ and it went number one and I thought I was grown. I was in the record store and [my mom] was talking to me and I was singing because I was ignoring her. I was being defiant. She slapped me in my face and said, ‘You better listen to me when I talk to you. Don’t think you can do that now that you got a number one single.’ And I was so embarrassed and I was so shocked.”
But one multi-platinum, record-breaking solo career later, she’s grateful for Tina’s tough love. “And from that moment on, I never went there. She put me in my place before it started,” the singer said.
6. Carrie Fisher to Billie Lourd: Vulnerability is strength
The 24-year-old actress paid tribute to her late mother at the Star Wars 40th-anniversary celebration in 2017: “She taught me by her own example, that the most evolved person is seemingly a contradiction—they are both the strongest and the most vulnerable person in the room,” Lourd said. “And that was her. That is Leia.”
7. Avie Lee Owens to Dolly Parton: “Listen to me… or don’t”
“I think Mama tried to instill that old saying, ‘To thine own self be true,’ in all of us. She said, ‘Don’t try to be what somebody else wants you to be. Listen to your heart, and to what God tells you to do. And listen to me as much as you will. But be yourself.’ I think that that’s followed me more than anything.”