Kim Basinger Finally Revealed Why She Left Hollywood
With an Oscar and a Golden Globe under her belt, plus a load of Magazine covers and a huge net worth, Kim Basinger was the toast of Hollywood.
A Playboy shoot and her performance in the steamy film 9 1/2 Weeks were just some of the projects which ensured that Basinger became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 80s.
She and husband Alec Baldwin were one of the power couples of the age, and she is mother to Baldwin's oldest daughter, Ireland.
After the couple divorced in 2000, Baldwin remained in the spotlight, while Basinger opted to live a more private life, leading fans to ask why they didn't hear about Kim Basinger anymore.
At One Time, Everything Basinger Touched Turned To Gold
Although she had never actually watched a Bond movie, Basinger’s 1978 appearance opposite Sean Connery in Never Say Never Again went on to become one of her most memorable roles. The film grossed US$160 million.
That was a drop in the ocean compared to the $411 Million taken in 1987’s Batman, which saw Basinger starring as Vicky Vale.
It's a role Basinger reprised for years, visiting terminally ill children dressed as the Batman character.
Basinger Has Always been Shy
Despite having a career that put her in the glare of the spotlight, Basinger has always described herself as extremely shy, which had a major effect on her during her childhood and young adulthood.
She once revealed that her shyness was so extreme that if asked to speak in class, she would faint.
However, she managed to control her anxiety, heading to New York where she became a Ford model, earning as much as US$1,000 a day, a fortune at the time.
The Star Didn't Enjoy Modeling
Basinger’s face graced many magazine covers, and she appeared in hundreds of advertisements throughout the late 1970s. But the Batman star says she never enjoyed modeling, and hated having to constantly be concerned about how she looked.
Basinger says that while fellow models relished looking in the mirror before appearing on the catwalk or in front of the cameras, she felt as though she were choking, and would avoid mirrors because of her insecurity.
Her First Interview In 14 Years
April 2022 saw her agreeing to participate in her first interview in 14 years.
The Hollywood star and her daughter, Ireland Baldwin, chatted to Jada Pinkett Smith, Adrienne Banfield Norris and Willow Smith, the hosts of Red Table Talk about how they have navigated their health issues.
Basinger revealed how, after having a panic attack in a grocery store in 1980, she didn’t venture out of her house for almost two months. Since then, she’s suffered a number of similar instances.
She also told the Red Table Talk hosts “I wouldn’t leave the house. I would no longer go out to dinner,” adding that even driving was an impossibility.
Basinger made a decision. While she enjoyed working in Hollywood, she struggled with the social occasions, and so she stepped away from the red carpet events that are a big part of Tinseltown culture.
She Never Left Hollywood Completely
Despite remaining out of the public eye at live events, the actress has managed to star in a string of hits in recent years. Fans have been delighted to catch her in movies like Fifty Shades Freed, Fifty Shades Darker, Nocturnal Animals and The Nice Guys.
Basinger also appeared in a 2001 documentary Panic: A Film About Coping. The documentary explores the terrors of panic disorders. In the film, the actress speaks about her agoraphobia, saying: "Fear has been something I've lived with my entire life, the fear of being in public places – which led to anxiety or panic attacks, I stayed in my house and literally cried every day."
Agoraphobia is defined by the Mayo Clinic as “a type of anxiety disorder in which you fear and avoid places or situations that might cause you to panic and make you feel trapped, helpless or embarrassed.”
Basinger Has Found Ways To Cope
The LA Confidential actress has starred opposite some of Hollywood’s most famous leading men: Russel Crowe, Brad Pitt and Sean Connery among them.
But these days, she’s found different ways to make her mark and to cope with her disorder.
She enjoys being at home and reading, and joined a host of other stars who have become animal rights activists,
In fact, some articles say these days Basinger is more passionate about animal rights than acting.
And for the fans, there’s always a chance she’ll pop up on a screen somewhere.
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