“Parental love isn’t a movie award. It isn’t something you win. You don’t have to be voted the best at something to deserve it. And if you couldn’t please her, then that’s her failure, not yours. No child should be made to feel as if they have to earn a parent’s love. They should grow up knowing they’re loved for who they are, not who their parents want them to be. And if that doesn’t happen, then the fault doesn’t lie with you.”

In her heart she knew that, but it was good to hear him say it.

“I grew up wanting her approval. Needing it. And every time I did well I’d think This is it, this is the moment when she is going to say something warm and loving, but she never did. And after a while it ceased to matter because the public gave me the approval I needed. And at the beginning the fame gave me confidence. It finally made me feel as if I was an okay person. As long as I had their good opinion, I felt validated. It was like a drug. Gave me a real high.”

She waited for him to say something, but he sat quietly, paying attention, so she carried on.

“But then people turn on you. A rumor on social media. A photograph that’s misinterpreted. A movie that tanks. And you realize how thin and shallow it all is. And it isn’t real, of course, because they’re judging the parts you play, not you. And producers and directors claim to love you, but all they really love is the money you bring in. All that flattery and attention from studio heads isn’t about you but about your commercial value. And eventually you realize that the whole thing is empty and that despite all the fame and success you’re lonelier than you’ve ever been.” She felt awkward. “Sorry. I know how lucky I’ve been. I’m grateful for it.”

He stirred. “Presumably one of the upsides of the success is that it has given you financial security. Financial security gives you a certain degree of freedom, but you don’t feel free at the moment, do you?”

“No.”

“In the end the only opinion that really matters is your own. Only you can decide what is right for you. What you really want to do with your life.”

“Playing other people was a way of not thinking about who I was. I’ve done it for so long, I’m not sure I even know who I am anymore.”