Sela Ward is having a presidential moment. In Independence Day: Resurgence (in theaters on Friday), she plays the first female commander in chief of the United States. “She’s extremely decisive and strong—and she has to be—because the stakes are so high,” says Ward, who’s confronted with an unprecedented alien attack in the special-effects-packed popcorn flick. Then, this October, she’ll play politics again, as she takes on the role of a former first lady in the EPIX original series Graves, about the life of an ex-prez (Nick Nolte). “It’s a black comedy, really smartly written,” she says.
While Ward harbors an appreciation for the elegant Pennsylvania Avenue look, her own taste in decor is far less formal. For more than 12 years, the Mississippi-bred actress and her venture capitalist husband have lived in an eclectic Bel Air Canyon, Los Angeles, home that evokes her Southern roots with help from interior designer Ann Carter. (Update: Ward recently sold the property to Jennifer Lopez.) “I love her aesthetic,” says Ward of the fellow Mississippian. “And I think my background in art history allows me to work well with her—it’s a real collaborative effort. Every room in my home has a lot of meaning to me.” Read on for more from our favorite alien-battling, design-loving star of the moment.
Describe your home in five words or less. “Spirited, bold, magically unexpected, and inviting.”
What’s your favorite piece that you purchased for this home? “A beautifully carved wooden elephant I found in India, which is thought to bring good luck, protection, and strength.”
Do you like to be very involved in your decor decisions? “I’m such a frustrated interior designer. I was a fine arts major in college, for painting, and I think design is an extension of the artist’s soul in me.”
If you could own any work of art, what would it be? “A Helen Frankenthaler painting. She was iconic to me, having emerged as such an influential female artist in the ’50s. Her work gave rise to the Color Field movement. She has been a big influence in my own work as a painter.”
What’s on your bedside table? “Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder, my glasses, and a Zen alarm clock that chimes—I like to wake up gently. Also, an ever-present bottle of Mountain Valley water, a Christian Tortu Forêts candle, and a pad of paper and a pen for recalling my dreams.”
If you could save only one thing in your home, what would it be? “A Daum ballerina figure made out of pâte de verre. My husband gave it to me for an anniversary, and I’m so drawn to it; the figure is so graceful, and it always takes my breath away.”
Most nights you eat dinner . . . “We eat out most of the time. The Tower Bar, Il Pastaio, and the Chateau Marmont are faves with family or friends.”
What song has been playing most often in your home of late? “I just discovered Leon Bridges’s “Coming Home.” I love his sound—it takes me home.”
What famous person, living or dead, would you invite to a dinner party? “Elon Musk. Anyone whose life mission is to reduce the risk of human extinction and to change the world as we know it, I want to know.”
You get home after a long day, the first thing you do is . . . “Turn music on, find the family, get a big hug from my husband.”
What was the best-designed set you’ve ever worked on? “Independence Day: Resurgence—it’s a feat of spectacular proportions, all in a virtual world.”
What’s the best movie prop you’ve gotten to take home? “A Warhol-style portrait of me, from the Miramax film Studio 54.”
