Mandy Moore Shares The Life Lessons She Wishes She Knew At 21
“Don’t read the comments section.”
Mandy Moore has done it all in Hollywood. She’s been a “Candy”-singing pop star, mean girl in The Princess Diaries, princess in Disney’s Tangled, and matriarch of the Pearson family in six seasons of This Is Us.
She’s a true multi-hyphenate who won’t adhere to just one label, and she doesn’t want anyone entering adulthood to, either. “You don't have to make a choice about who you are or define yourself or how the world sees you” right now,” the 40-year-old tells Elite Daily.
“I hope I'm constantly evolving, and adding ‘ands’ to the way I would describe myself,” Moore says. This idea of embracing your many labels is at the center of TJ Maxx’s Claim Your And project, which Moore partnered with the brand to launch in June.
You get to define what success looks like on your own terms. There’s no one definition.
Finding a niche corner on social media can lead you to some LOL-worthy content, but it can be limiting at times. As a way to honor multidimensionality, Moore believes in “separating your real reality from your online persona.” If Moore was defined by what the Instagram algorithm fed her, she says it would be a lot of “pregnancy-related things and recipes with cottage cheese.”
Despite her enviable, decades-long career, she admits she’s still learning things. Hosting a This Is Us rewatch podcast with co-stars Chris Sullivan and Sterling K. Brown titled This Was Us has forced Moore to look back on her career.
With this newfound wisdom, below, she dishes on the 21 lessons she wishes she knew at 21 — including the Y2K fashion trend she regrets sporting. — Rachel Chapman, staff writer
- “At 21, I wish I was more conscientious about sunscreen all over.”
- “Love is a quality. It encompasses the sense of true partnership.”
- “Dating is all informative — the good dates, the bad ones, they’re all leading you toward your future partnership.”
- “Breakups aren’t as bad as they seem. When you’re in the grieving stage, lean on your friends and find something to look forward to, whether it's planning a girls’ trip or night out.”
- “What you glean from a breakup is something to take into every relationship going forward.”
- “Motherhood will teach you things you never knew you had to learn. I always considered myself to be a pretty patient person, and becoming a parent, I realize I'm a lot less patient than I ever gave myself credit for. But I'm learning and I have grace for myself to recognize every day is going to look a little different. Once that part of your life is illuminated, you’re forever a mother — in the best way.”
- “There are seasons for every friendship, and some aren’t as long lasting as you expected them to be — and that’s OK. They all serve a purpose.”
- “When it comes to Hollywood, the ebb and flow of the business is totally out of your hands. Ride the wave and try to enjoy it all. It’s all part of your journey.”
- “Being on a popular series, there is a certain responsibility that comes with being invited into someone’s home every Tuesday night. There’s an intimacy and familiarity that viewers will have, and it’s like they really know you. Honor that experience.”
- “The definition of family can evolve over time.”
- “Honoring everyone’s most authentic self is a beautiful thing and something to be celebrated.”
- “Having a family of your own encompasses all the best parts of your childhood. I get to bring all of the things that I loved from my childhood and what my parents did for me, like traditions and vacations, and do that for my kids now.”
- “The world is going to force you to pick a label, but have the wherewithal to recognize that you are, and can be, as many things as you want to be.”
- “Your definition of wellness will be ever-evolving. My current routine is whatever I can fit in at the end of the day, whether it's a cup of tea, listening to a podcast, or taking a bath and lighting some candles.”
- “Your goals will look different at various points in your life.”
- “You don’t have to follow *all* of the trends. I wish I was more comfortable in my skin to say no to low-rise jeans.”
- “You get to define what success looks like on your own terms. There’s no one definition.”
- “Labels have a lasting impact. Define yourself on your own terms early on and embrace all of your unique facets.”
- “You can choose to take time away from the Internet. If you don’t engage, it won’t exist.”
- “Don’t read the comments section.”
- “The world is always going to try to pigeonhole you. It’s up to you to define yourself on your own terms.”
