Nia Long is crystal clear: she refuses to gloss over her past, but she’s not dwelling there either. In a recent interview with The Cut, the “Michael” actress muses and reflects over her career, her life, motherhood (and co-parenting), being a major part of pop culture, and the legacy she’ll leave. 

She opened with one uncompromising truth, “I don’t think there’s ever been a time in my life where I was willing to give up my life to be someone’s wife or girlfriend … Ever. Period.” Long rejects the notion that love should eclipse ambition or identity. She believes women can have both, and personally, she demands more from herself and from relationships. Long’s public breakup with the father of her youngest son was not only heartbreaking, it was a catalyst for her to prioritize herself.

In a world where Ayesha Curry gets blasted for attempting to have a similar conversation, Nia Long doubled down. She told The Cut, “I never wanted to wake up in my 30s or 40s and say, Well, what is the value of my life? Now don’t get me wrong; I admire women who are committed to being stay-at-home wives and running a house and raising the children. That’s a job. But I also know that those children grow up, and when they grow up, whether you’re a working mom, a single mom, a stay-at-home mom, there’s a moment that every woman feels, like, Okay, now it’s time to re-create who I am; now it’s time to tap into my passions because there’s so much pouring out.”

In the chat, Long also revisited her past roles, what they meant to her and to the world at large. She pointed to “Boyz n the Hood,” “Love Jones,” “Friday,” “Soul Food,” and “The Best Man” as projects where she captured “hardworking women who didn’t sacrifice glamour.” She also mused that her role as Nina Mosley in “Love Jones” defined the 1990s look.

And now, as she steps into a new chapter as an actress, roles like Katherine Jackson in the new Michael Jackson biopic, simply named, “Michael,” Long understands she’s an example for those who look up to her. She said, “I focus on impact. Because if I do my part, then things will change for the next generation.” Long is also filming a new project with former on-screen bae Larenz Tate, working on a memoir set to release in 2026, and is Estée Lauder’s first brand ambassador for North America.