The almighty Langstone
When actor and writer Michelle Langstone’s beloved father passed away in 2018, his death brought the clarity she needed to pursue her hope of becoming a mother. The past year has been a whirlwind for Michelle, who in that time has married the love of her life who she met aged 40, is now 24 weeks pregnant at the age of 42 after a gruellingly uncertain round of IVF, and is publishing her first book, a collection of personal essays Times Like These: On Grief, Hope & Remarkable Love.
I’ve known Michelle for a few years now. At different times we have both been booksellers at the same Auckland independent bookshop, we both write, and we share a love of literary fiction. A smart and sensitive animal lover with a finely tuned moral compass, she is known and loved for her acting roles in One Lane Bridge, 800 Words, Westside, The Almighty Johnsons and McLeod’s Daughters. She is also the winner of two Voyager Media Awards for her writing. We catch up while she’s on a break from filming One Lane Bridge in Queenstown, and throughout our conversation, Michelle laughs and cries easily, thinks quickly and speaks even faster.
Michelle, a naturally “homesick person”, misses the comforts of home while working, but despite the odd bit of tiredness, she says her pregnancy has gone smoothly so far.
“In many ways I’ve been so fortunate for
