27 MAY 2004

It was a family affair at the premiere of Raising Helen in Los Angeles, when the movie's star Kate Hudson arrived on the red carpet with her brother Oliver, mother Goldie Hawn and her mum's long-time partner Kurt Russell.

Her husband Chris Robinson, with whom she has a five-month-old son, also came along to the screening. And it was fitting that Kate was accompanied by her loved-ones, because in the film she plays a woman who learns a thing or two about family values.

Raising Helen tells the story of a driven career woman who suddenly finds herself having to look after three children. In real life the actress is all too familiar with the challenges of parenting, as she explained in an interview to promote the flick.

"Nobody ever tells you how hard it is going to be," she said. "It's like everybody keeps the hard stuff away from you when it comes to motherhood."

But the 24-year-old has no regrets about becoming a parent. "This story fit because I always wanted to be a mom," she explained. "The script also came to me at a time when I was thinking about having kids, so it kind of perfectly fit my mind-set at the time. This baby is the most incredible thing in my life. It's just an overwhelmingly beautiful time."