Michelle Monaghan’s Secret to Staying Game for Anything at 50
Michelle Monaghan is making midlife look less like a slowdown and more like a second wind.
She currently stars alongside John Cena and Eric André in Little Brother, Netflix’s hit new comedy film that quickly climbed into the streamer’s Top 10 — and took last week’s #2 position on their global chart with 14 million views — after premiering last Friday. It’s the latest sign of Monaghan’s renewed cultural momentum, which began in earnest when The White Lotus reminded everyone exactly why she has always been so magnetic on screen.
As Jaclyn Lemon, one-third of the show’s much-discussed midlife girls’ trip alongside Carrie Coon and Leslie Bibb, Monaghan helped turn female friendship — with all its nostalgia, tension, competitiveness and tenderness — into one of the season’s most talked-about storylines.
In person, Monaghan has that same easy warmth and luminous glow. How does she keep up with it all? She has a few non-negotiables when it comes to beauty and wellness — SPF makeup is a big one — and nailing her sleep routine is another. That’s no small feat when she’s juggling major new projects, including an upcoming role on Season 3 of Apple TV’s Your Friends and Neighbors, opposite Jon Hamm, and a physically demanding Netflix drama that required her to learn to ice skate — on camera.
During a recent sit-down with Flow Space, Monaghan shared what this busy new chapter has taught her about midlife friendship, protecting her energy and making wellness feel doable, even when life is anything but slow.
What She’s Learned About Midlife Friendship
There’s real evidence of the “midlife friendship cliff,” but friends at this life stage can be a major player in your physical and emotional well-being. Monaghan reflects on the friendship portrayed in White Lotus — all of its reminiscing moments, competitive nature and frankly honest conversations — as well as how it resonated with so many women, particularly in midlife.
“All of us were really so taken in such a warm way, at how well received that friendship was specifically … you see it really go on a journey over the course of the series,” she tells Flow Space.
It felt natural for Monaghan and her co-stars, Carrie Coon and Leslie Bibb, to embody female friendship on screen, but they also welcomed the chance to explore its deeper complexities.
“What was compelling for audiences, and for us, was to really ask ourselves as women about the pressures we put on ourselves, the judgments we make about ourselves and each other, and why we endure that,” Monaghan says. “And also, why do we perpetuate it?”
Part of the strain is the pressure for women to succeed and perform professionally, as well as personally, something Monaghan identifies with as she tackles some of the most exciting projects of her career while also being present for her two teenage kids. “We are so hard on ourselves, particularly as women, and trying to find that work-life balance is just a forever challenge,” Monaghan says. “And so, I think that audiences and women felt very seen in that particular storyline.”
Juggling Her Next Big Projects
Her most recent project to wrap took place somewhere a little chillier than Little Brother (based in the New York-New Jersey area) and White Lotus; Netflix’s yet-to-be-titled hockey drama is set in small town Minnesota (a perfect Midwestern role for Iowa native Monaghan) and filmed in Vancouver, Canada.
The premise of the show? After a tragedy hits the hockey-obsessed Minnesota town, Monaghan’s character Harper Sullivan ends up coaching a group of young men who are just trying to get back on their feet.
Monaghan’s character is also getting back on her feet — on ice skates. “You are going to see me skating. I didn’t know that was going to be on my bingo card at this stage, but I’m very proud and excited to say that I got to learn a new skill, and I love it,” she says.
She doesn’t minimize how physical and difficult it was to train for the series, though. “It was challenging, and I’m not gonna lie, ice hurts when you fall on it. But it was integral to this role,” she continues. “And so, I just set my mind to it, and I had a wonderful instructor.”
Finding the Energy, and the Calm
With her work days clock in in at about 14 hours, Monaghan has to take extra care of herself. Her first wellness priority is her sleep schedule. “I really need to optimize my sleep time; it becomes a critical part of my day, and something that I, frankly, I look forward to,” Monaghan says.
One trick she has for keeping sleep simple is her go-to melatonin and soothing GABA gummy: Natrol Ultra Sleep (full disclosure: Monaghan is an ambassador for the Natrol products but genuinely recommends them). She doesn’t have long to sleep given her late shoots and early call times, so she wants to guarantee falling asleep fast and eight solid hours of shut-eye.
“I want to feel mentally well, to be able to get out on the ice and skate, or to be able to learn six pages of dialogue for the day and be responsible for all of the opportunities that are presented to me,” Monaghan says. “I want to make the most of those and be the best version of myself.”
She’s also a fan of the Natrol Ultra Energy vitamin B12 complex to keep her body “running efficiently,” Monaghan adds. “I’m optimizing myself for this idea of a 24-hour wellness cycle.” The supplement blend focuses on vitamin B and vitamin D, a nutrient Monaghan recognizes many people commonly lack.
Why She’s So Vigilant About Sun Care
While Monaghan is all about the vitamin D exposure and taking on adventurous roles, a big part of her wellness routine is vigilance about sun care, due to a past melanoma diagnosis. “I had it detected at a very early stage, and it was removed without any other issue. But what came was a real wake-up call for me, and I started to do a deep dive into everything skin cancer, awareness and prevention,” Monaghan explains.
“I grew up not wearing sunscreen … going to tanning beds and both of those things absolutely contributed to me getting melanoma at a later stage in life.” Not only is skin cancer the most common form of cancer in the U.S., but Monaghan cites the staggering statistic that one in five people will develop skin cancer by the age of 70.
One of Monaghan’s goals is encouraging vigilance around sun damage from a young age. She recently released A Kids Book About Sun Safety with Penguin Random House, giving families a way to have open conversations about sun care.
“Kids can learn how cool the science of the sun is and how powerful it is, while also understanding that their skin is their largest organ and they need to protect it,” Monaghan says. “It’s giving them bite-sized, digestible, accessible information so that they feel empowered to take care of their skin.”
Her go-to sun-safe skin care brand on the set of White Lotus was Ciele cosmetics. She’d reapply their SPF 50+ Tint and Protect serum in between scenes for that healthy flush her character always had. The other product she used “every week as Jaclyn” is St. Tropez self tan mousse. “It’s just the safest and the best way you can get that glow on but do it safely.”
