Gemma Ward on Motherhood, Mermaids, and Returning to the Fashion Spotlight
Hollywood has Angelina; music has J-Lo; and fashion? We have Gemma Ward. The 26-year-old booked her first Prada campaign at 15, scored a Vogue cover six months later, became a runway muse for Karl Lagerfeld and Marc Jacobs… and then, following the death of then-boyfriend Heath Ledger, she promptly disappeared.
After years where Ward surfaced occasionally onscreen as a mermaid (Pirates of the Caribbean), a psycho killer (The Strangers), or Leonardo DiCaprio’s gorgeous party date in The Great Gatsby, she finally came back to the runways last year—and it looks like she’s back for the long haul.
Now Gemma Ward is back with a new Prada campaign, a series of magazine spreads in her native Australia, and a baby daughter named Naia. We spoke with her on the steps of the Met Ball about her careful return to the spotlight.
You’ve attended the Met Ball before, but this is your first time back—
In a while, right?
How does it feel to return to the epicenter of fashion?
It feels good! Really good. It feels like there are more people here than there used to be. But it also feels like the entrance—you know, when I first came to the Met Ball, it felt like the staircase leading up to it was endless. Now it’s like, “That’s it? That’s what made me nervous?” It’s easier. Even though it’s the exact same amount of stairs.
You’ve surfaced as a real presence on Instagram, especially at Australian Fashion Week.
Thank you!
You post a lot of photos with your daughter, Naia. Why did you decide to show some of your personal life, instead of just modeling work?
My partner [David Letts] was really into Instagram, and he was happy to start doing it, so we made a mutual family agreement that we would post [family photos]. So I followed his lead.
Prada booked you for a runway exclusive, than a campaign. Can we expect to see you in more ads next season?
Um… [Laughing] I can’t confirm or deny that!
How about any new movie roles?
Oh no! I can’t confirm or deny that either. But those are great questions!
Okay, can we talk about mermaids?
Definitely.
As the mermaid queen, you almost lured Johnny Depp to his death in Pirates of the Caribbean. So what’s the secret to mermaid lust—is it the beach hair, or the iridescent eye makeup?
Neither. It’s the swimming!
You swam in your first film role, Black Balloon, too…
Yeah I did! And being in the water… that’s the real magic, the water and the ocean.
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Related: After 6 Years, Some Acting, and a Baby, Gemma Ward Returns to the Runway
