How do you mourn the loss of a life that never was? It's a question that women who've gone through the heartache of a miscarriage have been asking themselves for generations.
Recently, Oscar-winning actress Alicia Vikander, sat down to attempt to give perspective on that very topic. Have a look below and see how she opens up about her painful miscarriage with her husband, Michael Fassbender.
Alicia's breakthrough role was in 2014's Ex Machina, wherein she received a Golden Globe nomination. A year later, she took home the Oscar for "Best Supporting Actress" in The Danish Girl.
After dating for a few years, Alicia and Michael were wed in a private ceremony in Ibiza, Spain. In early 2021, the couple welcomed their first child into the world.
Alicia told London's The Times that her experience was similar to what her character in The Light Between Oceans went through. In the film, Alicia and Michael portray a couple struggling to conceive.
She steeled herself and went on to say how the miscarriage "Was so extreme, painful to go through and, of course, it made me recall making that film."
In the series, Alicia plays Mira — a singer who is forced to keep on performing, as if nothing happened, after her miscarriage.
Alicia spoke about the difficulties of taking time off, even after a traumatic experience. "There are times that myself or colleagues have been through something and, well, I can’t understand how they went on to the red carpet afterwards[sic]."
Due to the fact that Alicia revealed her struggles with miscarriages during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she was fortunate in that she was able to retreat inward and not be forced to discuss it publically.
"So I had tough times during lockdown. I struggled for a while," she said. Alicia also admitted that there were times that she doubted if she could even get pregnant.
Alicia has refrained from releasing the name of her son, as well as his birth date. However, she felt a responsibility to share her fertility struggles with others who may be experiencing the same thing.
Irma Vep is the first job that Alicia has taken since the birth of her son. She said that the prospect of filming again filled her with excitement and trepidation.
"Sometimes they came to the set just so he could see my face," she said.
Irma Vep is now available to stream on Crave as well as HBO Max. Alicia is also set to reprise her role in the much-anticipated sequel, Tomb Raider 2.
