Remember the days when Hayley Mills was lighting up the screen with her charm? Starting with her Oscar-winning role in the 1960 classic Pollyanna, and then wowing audiences by playing twins in The Parent Trap, Hayley quickly became one of the most adored child stars in Hollywood history. But as she grew older, transitioning into more mature roles wasn’t easy. “As I became a young adult, I realized that what people loved about me was the child I was leaving behind, and I wasn’t sure what was taking its place,” Hayley, now 71, tells Closer Weekly in an exclusive interview. “I was going through a challenging time, and I couldn’t navigate it privately.”

Despite these challenges, Hayley kept her optimism alive. She embraced new opportunities in both screen and stage productions, like her current Off-Broadway comedy Party Face. Off-screen, she cherishes her family life, including her famous sister Juliet Mills, her two sons Crispian Mills and Jason Lawson, and her partner of two decades, actor-writer Firdous Bamji. “I feel like I was destined to meet him,” Hayley shares with Closer. Keep reading as Hayley opens up about fame, overcoming cancer, and the joy of being a grandma.

Hayley in The Parent Trap.

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That First Big Break with Dad in Tiger Bay

Hayley’s journey into the world of acting began when she was just 12 years old, starring alongside her father, Sir John Mills, in the 1959 film Tiger Bay. She remembers it fondly, saying, “I didn’t realize how big of a deal it was at the time. Growing up, acting was all I knew. My dad and sister Juliet were already in the business, and my mom, Mary Hayley Bell, had traded acting for writing so she could stay home with us.”

Whistle Down the Wind: A Family Affair

At 14, Hayley took on the role of a lifetime in Whistle Down the Wind, a film based on a novel written by none other than her mother. “It was an incredible experience,” Hayley recalls. “Even though I was filming two movies a year, my family made sure I led a normal life. We lived on a farm in the English countryside, and I attended an English boarding school. Eventually, I spent nine months at a Swiss finishing school, where I learned French and how to ski.”

Spotlight and Solitude

For all the glamour, stardom came with its own set of challenges. “I often felt like an outsider,” Hayley admits. “While other girls had close friendships and shared experiences, my life was so different. I didn’t have much to share.”