Pressly: Co-Parenting Key to Hollywood Comeback

Jaime Pressly, a mother of three, has discussed the significant challenges she faced balancing her acting and producing ambitions with her desire to be a hands-on mother. The actress shared that this push and pull between her career and family life created a significant hurdle for years.

Her journey to harmonize these two worlds began with the birth of her first son, Dezi, in 2007, the same year she won an Emmy for 'My Name is Earl.' A decade later, she was starring in 'Mom' while raising twins Leo and Lenon. Initially, working on 'Mom' allowed her to be present for her children's mornings and evenings.

However, when production for 'Mom' moved outside of Los Angeles, maintaining this balance became considerably more difficult. Pressly found that relying on a nanny was not a sustainable solution for extended out-of-town filming.

Pressly's return to producing, with her first starring role as a producer in the film 'Last Shot,' has been made possible by a supportive co-parenting dynamic. The twins' father, Hamzi Hijaz, has stepped up significantly, staying at her home and caring for their sons while she films. Pressly emphasized that this arrangement is working "100 percent" and is the sole reason she can pursue her career goals.

In 'Last Shot,' which is set to release on Friday, October 2, Pressly plays Lexi, a music executive who left her young son with his father. This role challenged Pressly, as she found it difficult to comprehend a character who lacked maternal instincts and had not raised her child. Pressly stated that she could not fathom not being there for her own three boys, highlighting her strong maternal connection and affectionate nature with her children.