Neve Campbell Says as Long as She 'Feels Good,' Being 50 Doesn't Matter (Exclusive)

At 50, Neve Campbell can count her cup as full.

“I think we have an idea that 50 is old. It ain’t old! As long as we feel good, the number doesn’t matter,” says the star, who gained fame on the ’90s family drama Party of Five and recently delighted fans when she announced that she’d bring her character Sidney Prescott back to the Scream franchise for its seventh installment.

She’s been in a relationship with JJ Feild since 2011, and the couple share two children, Caspian, 11, and Raynor, 6. Campbell says being a mom has happily shifted her priorities. “When you have kids, everything else falls away, which is wonderful,” she says. “It’s something greater than yourself.” 

The former dancer, who off-camera prefers to go makeup-free and wear comfy clothes (she’s even had surgery “because of the amount of heels I’ve had to wear over the years”), continues to find joy in the everyday.

“The best thing about entering this decade of my life is being present, looking for fun and new experiences and enjoying time with my kids,” Campbell says.

Looking back, she has just one beauty regret. “I got a perm in my 30s. It was terrible,” she says, laughing. “And it’s in my passport photo too, which is just awesome.” 

Did you do anything special to celebrate your 50th?
JJ threw a party in our house. He'd been asking me for years, he was like, "What do you want to do?" I'm honestly not a big birthday person. And I was like, I just want to be with my family. So we had friends in the backyard and a band that he had hired for my 40th, 10 years ago, that I absolutely loved. And he managed to find them again and surprised me.

In terms of wellness, how do you take care of yourself physically and mentally?
Self-love, treat myself, listen to doctors, listen to healthcare people. I grew up dancing. I started dancing at six years old, so I've always been athletic, I've always been physical. I've always been good around food. I've been lucky. I've never had an issue around that. Maybe had good guidance from a young age, which I was very grateful for.

Is there something you wish you'd known in your twenties that you know now?
Just to relax a bit more. I think, as I said, I have been lucky in a sense of was able to take care of myself. I loved to dancing. I love being healthy. I was working so much, I didn't have time to party. So that was probably a good thing.

What do you have the confidence to do now at 50 that you wouldn't have had the guts to do at 25?
That's a hard one. I can't really think of much that I wasn't willing to go for when I was younger as well, to be honest. I've been willing to fall on my face. And I think when you have a willingness to fall on your face then that gives you courage that it's okay to fail. So I feel like I've always had that.

What is the definition of beautiful that you'd like to pass on to your kids?
Happy. Be happy, and present, and kind, and have empathy and be aware of other people's stories. That, to me, is beauty.

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So how would you describe your style as a mom?
Relaxed. I'm very relaxed. I'm comfortable. Maybe coming from being a dancer. You're in tights all the time, and tutus, and so I find that most dancers walk around in loose sweaters and comfy clothes. And that's carried on for me pretty much my whole life.

How did you imagine your life would look like at 50 when you were younger?
I was either going to be a dancer or a therapist. Because they're so much alike. And I've ended up being an actress. And very grateful. But no, I definitely feel that I've come to a place that I would've been very pleased with, looking from a young age.

How has your definition of beauty evolved over time?
My idea of beauty is about the inside, and what we give, and kindness, and empathy, and love. And I think that that is true beauty. The outside stuff not so important. Luckily, I feel like I've had that from a young age.