Award-winning actress Kerry Cahill, most recently seen in the Terminator Genisys blockbuster, may just be one of the busiest actresses in Hollywood. With no less than seven films currently in pre- or post-production (according to IMDB), and with confirmed castings in the new top-rated television show Zoo, and upcoming films The Runner (with Nicolas Cage), By Way of Helena (with Liam Hemsworth and Woody Harrelson) and The Free State of Jones (with Mathew McConaughey), her star is certainly shining brightly. Having realized success in Hollywood, I recently checked in with this Army brat turned in-demand actress for unique perspectives on luxury living. Here’s what she had to say.

TLL: What does the word "luxury" mean to you?

KC: To me the essence of luxury is comfort and time. There is no better luxury to me than putting on well-made linen on a hot summer night, pouring a great scotch into a glass, and being able to sit on a porch and watch the sunset. It’s about the quality of all those things and the history time gives them. It’s the hardwood floors that are over 60 years old, the scotch that’s 15 years old and stones in your earrings that were around long before you were. It’s what I hope for my work. That it lasts. There’s a luxury you get very rarely and it’s the sense that a film will live past its first year…that it will be seen again and again over the years. Like jewelry you pass on to your grandkids, my hope is that I am able to work on films that will only better with age; that will have the luxury of being called classics.  

TLL: What do you love to splurge on?

KC: I am a sucker for local artists. I shoot on location a lot and I love small town boutiques. Most of my earrings and art are from small local stores. I have beautiful jewelry from Bethel, Alaska; Decatur, Georgia; and Greenville, Mississippi. It’s unique and reminds me of fun projects I’ve worked on.

TLL: Where is your favorite travel destination?

KC: I love Glacier National Park. It has one road going through it. I love that you have to get out of your car and walk. I also love hiking so the miles of trails are a fantastic treat. I’m looking forward to some beautiful and educational trips, too, such as Spain, Egypt and Australia. They are all very different but they will be new experiences. If you go to the same place all the time, you aren’t stretching your brain enough.  

TLL: What kind of cuisine do you like?  

KC: I really love Italian food. All Italian food. Northern, Tuscany, Sicilian, etc… Talk about a country that knows how to eat. A good pesto tortellini with garlic bread is one of my favorite meals. 

TLL: What is your best tip for "living fabulously"?

KC: Try to stay where you are. In today’s world we are pulled to the Internet, social media, work, the future, the past, and one of the things I notice about people who laugh loud and love lots are that they live where they are. Put your phone down, take a breath, and don’t get so caught up in where you’re going that you forget how great it is where you live. At the Terminator Genisys premier I remember standing on the red carpet and thinking, "I’m wearing over $100,000 of Jill Reno jewelry, a Ralph Lauren dress that fits like a glove," and I was lucky enough to have my great friend from college, Tammie Merheb, be my stylist. Friends, celebrating great work and wearing earrings that will be stylish for longer than I’m alive was incredible. So, if you catch me in one of the videos looking distracted it’s just me thinking, “Yeah…this is my life. This is awesome.”

TLL: How have you changed your luxuries over time?

KC: I lived in New Orleans during Katrina and still do. I think tragedies, storms and massive change wake you up a lot. I never quite thought luxury was about things but after something like that you wake up a bit more. I was only 23 when it happened and as the ten year anniversary approaches I can tell that it made me realize luxury must include experience. Things are so easily taken away but my memories of great dinners, dances, hikes and moments are luxuries. It made me enjoy hot showers and evenings at home more. I still like good boots, great jewelry and nothing beats a great cup of coffee but take out time and all of those are made better when I get to share them with friends and family.

TLL: What is the one luxury you would have the hardest time giving up?

KC: Travel. If I get more than a few days off the first thing I think is, "Where can I take a trip to?"

I truly loved what Kerry had to say. Her responses reveal a deep and insightful soul that’s not only appreciative of what she’s attained in her career, but also has a true reverence for the fabulous moments in time she gets to experience that are the fruits of her labor. Awesome indeed.