Donna Mills is most known for her long-term soap roles on “Knots Landing” and “General Hospital”. At 81-years-old, the star recently opened up about how she keeps fit and happy.
Speaking to AARP – The Magazine recently, soap star Donna Mills opened up about her health and how much she prioritizes “eating green and clean.”
Going into more detail with the publication, Mills said, “During the soap opera years, I never ate pasta, sugar, bread, ice cream, cookies or any of that kind of stuff. I would have maybe half a glass of wine. Now I eat, but I’m still careful. I’m not a vegetarian, but I grow, pick and eat a lot of vegetables.”
Movement, she explained, is another current and future part of her healthy plan.
“I play tennis five times a week for two hours at a time. I am lucky enough to have a clay court, which is so much easier on your joints than cement,” she shared. “I also have a small gym in my home, so I work out with light weights, use my Peloton, do a lot of stretching on my ballet barre. And let me tell you, it’s not always fun. Like almost everyone my age, I have arthritis, and it hurts sometimes. But this is where discipline comes in. I’m not Superwoman, but I do always see the bigger picture.”
Speaking to her audience and explaining the importance of considering age, the star said, “At age 60, 70, later, you have so much more to contribute — don’t just sit down and say, ‘I’m done.’”
In her interview, Mills explains that she adopted her daughter Chloe in 1994 at the age of 54. According to the actress, it was around that time that she decided to take a break from acting in order to raise her daughter, who is now 28-years old.
“I was single, I was 54, and I wanted to be a mother very badly. It was not a tough decision at all to adopt,” Mills said. “I truly believe she was meant to come to me, she was meant to be my child. I wanted her to have a normal life. So, I stopped working for many years while she was in school, and it was for me exactly the right thing to do. I didn’t want to be apart from her.”
It was not until her 60’s that Mills explained that she found love as well in Larry Gilman, an actor and producer.
“I met Larry Gilman at age 60. I lucked out. Before him, I kind of went for the bad boys. But when I met him, I just knew I was going for the not-bad boy,” she explained.
Considering her own path, she spent part of her interview encouraging readers to “leave yourself open to love at any age.”
Mills recently starred in Jordan Peele’s “Nope”. She will portray Lillian Cutler in V.C. Andrew Dawn’s “Cutler” series based on the author’s books. The Lifetime series is expected to be released in 2023.
