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Katie Holmes opens up about wanting to give Suri a 'stable' childhood

In a new interview, the actress talks about the role she values above all others — being a mom.
/ Source: TODAY

From her "Dawson's Creek" days to "Batman Begins" to two turns as Jackie Kennedy, Katie Holmes has been an on-screen Hollywood success for two decades.

But that's not the job she considers most important.

In a new interview with Town & Country explains that one day, she won't be onscreen at all. She'd rather be behind the camera directing, and making more time for her real lead role — as a mom.

"This business is so unstable, and you never really know where you're going to be," she said. "The thing about directing is I can say I have this window and that's when we're getting it done."

And that's when she can get home to her 10-year-old daughter, Suri.

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"My child is the most important person to me, and her upbringing is paramount to my work right now," Holmes continued. "It's very important that I'm present and she has a stable, innocent childhood. I feel so blessed to do what I do, but there's nothing in the world better than watching your child succeed."

The star is acutely aware of how vital — and brief — her time with Suri is, given how short childhood is.

"Every day, kids get a little further away from you," she told the magazine. "That's a positive thing. They should be becoming more independent, but it's heartbreaking. You want them to stay with you forever, but they're these amazing beings, and you have to do everything you can to give them what they need — and then they're going to go. And that's going to be very, very sad for me."

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So Holmes intends to make the most of every day, and she won't let any outside input distract from that.

While she and Suri try to live a private life, they're no strangers to tabloid attention — especially in the wake of Holmes headline-grabbing divorce from Suri's father, Tom Cruise, almost 5 years ago.

"In today's world a lot of celebrities probably shield their children from the tabloids," Holmes noted. "In my household we know what they print isn't true, so we don't pay attention."

Instead, they focus on each other.