You and Zac have great chemistry in the film. How did you build that?

It was honestly there from the start. Zac and I knew each other from before, so it felt easy. When the chance to do this came up, we were both like, ‘I’ll do it if you do it. What do you think?’ It was a mutual decision.

What about the steamy scenes? Did they ever feel awkward?

We have a friendship, so we are able to talk about everything. It never felt awkward because everyone understood and everyone was game. The cast just went for it; Zac, Joey King and myself as the main trio, especially.

A Family Affair centres around your character’s fling with her daughter’s boss. But what would you say is the message behind the comedy?

I think it’s more about demystifying such a situation, and redressing the balance a little. We have often seen stories about older men and younger women; now we have an older woman and a younger guy. There just haven’t been enough stories like this. Having a woman write such a film, and having stories like this make it to screen, whether they are comedies or dramas, is important. So it’s not so much about the message, but the emphasis on providing that perspective of women, without the judgement.

Your character’s daughter freaks out about her mother’s romance. What is your take on that?

Love is love but I do think it is a subject that needs to be addressed more from a woman’s perspective.

Do you think things have changed for the better for women in your industry?

I think the gap in female storytelling is slowly being filled. We have been saying for so long how we need more female writers, directors and producers to tell these stories. That is happening, and we also have men who want to be a part of it.

How important is it for you to work with female directors?

Well, the first female director I worked with was Jane Campion. There have been a slew of them ever since, and there is way more to come. I am thrilled to be able to support them as a producer as well as an actor. It has sort of been my purpose in the last decade to start heralding, and using whatever power I have, to support them.

How much do you enjoy producing compared to acting?

I love acting of course, I always have and will, but I also love the collaboration that being a producer offers—the creative process of running a project. But I hope I haven’t done my best work yet, and that I get to experience more creative alliances and times.