KIWI MOVIE STAR TELLS 'MY DAUGHTER SAVED MY LIFE'

M3gan 2.0 actress Jen Van Epps explains why her girl Rosalyn is a 'magical' gift

- Leena Tailor

Having just wrapped a busy shooting schedule with her Hollywood horror film M3gan 2.0, actress Jen Van Epps suddenly found herself struggling through a lull. Wondering what she'd do next, the star battled to drown out the little voice inside crying out, “Is this all you're gonna be?”

It was only her 10-year-old daughter Rosalyn who managed to stop Jen, 45, from spiralling - and it wasn’t the first time.

“I would just hold her and she reminded me of my purpose,” the California-born, Auckland-based star tells Woman's Day. “They say the mom raises the child, but as much as I've had to mother her, and keep her safe and warm, she’s done that for me.

“Having Roz saved my life in a lot of ways. She was a big missing piece to my journey as an actor because I realised how much my self-worth had been tied to what I was doing professionally. A child is a beautiful reflection of the things you do well and things you need to fix. And from a basic standpoint, you have to focus on keeping this little thing alive!”

Jen and her doctor husband Greg, 44, have not only kept the “light of our lives” alive, but they're now also helping her thrive with her own showbiz dreams, most recently taking a starring role in Matilda The Musical.

Having the tools of her own acting experience to help Rosalyn’s ambitions is a gift for Jen, given her mum Vivian felt she could have done more to support Jen’s goals as a child.

Explains Jen, “She’s Chinese and often says, 'If I was like my friends, I wouldn't have let you pursue the arts!' But she could see I had a talent and wishes she had more understanding of showbiz to help me pursue this dream.”

Jen landed the lead in her kindergarten’s production of Goldilocks And The Three Bears, led her school’s show choir and sang in a pop trio.