Elisha Cuthbert has been happy to prioritise her family life over her career.
The 43-year-old actress - who previously played Kim Bauer in the hit TV series 24 - took a years-long break from the entertainment industry to focus on her children - but Elisha has now returned to star in Every Year After, a new coming-of-age TV series.
The blonde beauty - who has two kids with her retired NHL player husband Dion Phaneuf - said on the Today show: "I realised I worked all four years through our first child. And it was hard to separate that mom from the working person I was. So, when we had our second [kid], I just felt like I didn't want to waste any second of it and I didn't want to be on set."
Elisha has no regrets about stepping back from her acting career, as it allowed her to spend quality time with her children.
However, the actress admitted that she jumped at the chance to star in Every Year After.
She explained: "I just felt like I needed to be at home with the kids, and I enjoyed every minute. They're in school now full time. I feel like I have the space and the energy and the heart to kind of leave them and do it."
Despite this, Elisha revealed that she hadn't read Carley Fortune's book before Every Year After was offered to her.
The actress said: "It's crazy because I hadn't read any of Carley [Fortune]'s books and then when I got on the show, obviously had this script but I wanted to read the novel. And then I'm like, 'Oh, I'm a superfan now.'"
Meanwhile, Elisha recently conceded she doesn't think she has the "energy" to work on 24 again.
The actress admitted it wasn't an "easy" show to work on because the shoots could be so "intense".
Elisha told People: "It's hard to imagine, really, the scope of it. It was a whirlwind, too. I mean, the success of it all was overwhelming and thrilling and exciting.
"I have great memories of that time, but also, it was really intense too. We were working so much that the one-hour format ... especially with all the action and all the intense night shoots, I mean, it was not an easy show to film.
"It was a well-oiled machine, but it still was a gruelling schedule. I don't know if I'd have the energy to partake in that again."
.jpeg?w=600)
