Brenda Song has been very busy lately. Last week, the actor and first-time mom announced her engagement to Macaulay Culkin, after welcoming their son in April 2021.
Now, Song has opened up to The Cut on what it’s like to juggle a new baby, work, and her relationship.
“My boyfriend and I are very hands-on,” she said. “We don’t have a nanny, but my mom has been here with us since my son was born. He’s 9 months old now. When I was working, my mom would bring him to set so I could breastfeed and see him during the day.”
The former child actors began dating four years ago, when they met while filming the movie Changeland. Since then, they’ve maintained a private relationship, except for the occasional Instagram post.
“Happy 40th birthday to this magical being,” Song wrote on Instagram, posing in matching personaliseds pyjamas with Culkin. “I could sit here and write endlessly about how wonderful, kind, loving, genuine, loyal, honest, brilliant and hilarious you are, and how grateful I am that I get to share and do this life thing with you.”
The Dollface actor, 33, and Home Alone star, 41 welcomed a baby boy named Dakota last April, named in honor of Culkin’s sister Dakota, who died in 2008. “We’re overjoyed,” the couple released in a statement.
Brenda Song plays Madison in the Hulu comedy series Dollface,. Its second season will be released on 11 February.
Song returned to set to film the second season only 12 weeks after giving birth to her son.
“The biggest challenge is being away from family,” Song said.
“I know everyone feels that way … I put a lot of pressure on myself to keep pumping and breastfeeding him while I was working. I pumped throughout production.”
She said the hardest part about going back to work was learning her boundaries while trying to take care of her son, but was grateful for the support system behind her.
Since becoming a mom, Song has also gained perspective when it comes to her own mother’s experiences, who is a four-time breast cancer survivor.
“Now I treat every single day as a gift,” she said. “I want to enjoy the small moments, whether it’s finishing a scene or a workout.” Song has been a longtime ambassador for Stand Up to Cancer.
Being a mom and juggling a career is no easy task, but Brenda Song says she has strong ambitions for the future of her career. “I want my career to be a staircase: moving up, finding jobs I love and working with people that I admire, and making a product I’m proud of,” she said. “I think that’s all you can ask for.”
