80 | August• 2017
FAMILY COMES FIRST
Sometimes I realise how extraordi-
nary that is. There are so many families
who never talk to one another or help
each other. I’ve heard horror stories
about siblings who haven’t spoken
a single word to each
other for years, about
parents who have been
expropriated or children
disinherited. So I count
myself particularly lucky
to have this close, emo-
tional support system.How do you combine
family life with your
acting career?
Years ago I decided I would never be
more than an hour’s journey away
from my son, Homer (now 17). That’s
why in the last six years I’ve only done
movies produced in New York or Phil-
adelphia. The only exception wasThe
Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,
which was filmed in India. But there I
limited my time on set to three weeks.Your second name is Tiffany. How
did that happen?
Itwasmymother’smaidenname,
DorisTiffany.Soit’sgotnothingtodo
with the jewellery store orBreakfast
at Tiffany’s.DoyoutalktotheDalaiLamaabout
current affairs, or only about spiritual
matters?
We talk about almost anything. The
Dalai Lama wants to know what’s
going on in the world, so
he talks to people with
very different views. His
curiosity is limitless,
as is his ability to create
a positive vision for
this planet.
Some time ago you
established a founda-
tion of your own. What
made you do this?
I was a little frustrated by the other
public foundations. In this way we
can help people much more directly.
The focus is on Tibet, but we are also
concerned with more general human
and civil rights issues.
The Dinneris about the way parents
deal with the crimes their children
have committed. What relationship
do you have with your family?
Family is very important for me. I have
three sisters and a brother. My mother
died last year, and my father is 94. We
are all very close. We talk to each other
all the time, and we support each other.
“Years ago I
decided I would
never be more
than an hour’s
journey away
from my son”COST OF LIVINGI admit that I live in the past, but only because housing is
so much cheaper.MATT WOHLFARTH,COMEDIAN