By Thomas Chau in New York City

It's probably fitting for Kate Hudson to star in a movie about a young party girl who finds her life changed by becoming a mother. After all, Hudson herself is a brand new mother: she and husband Chris Robinson (from the band the Black Crowes) recently welcomed their first son, Ryder, into the famous Hollywood family. Little Ryder will undoubtedly see his childhood surrounded by attention on his parents but lucky for him, his mother knows the showbiz child game all too well.

The 25-year-old actress, who was raised by mother Goldie Hawn and actor Kurt Russell, stars in the Garry Marshall picture "Raising Helen." She plays Helen, a young modeling agency assistant who finds her life dramatically changing after inheriting her sister's three children following a fatal tragedy. No one believes Helen can take on the responsibility, especially her overbearing older sister Jenny. So is Helen prepared to give up her wild lifestyle for baking brownies and driving to school?

Hudson was in New York City to talk about the movie at a press conference.

Q: Kate, can you relate to your character's sense of responsibility for her nieces and nephew now that you are a mother?

KATE: I always wanted to be a mom you know. When I read the script, it was obviously something that hit home for me, and it was at a time where I was thinking about having kids so it kind of fit in perfectly to my mind set at the time. I did have moments in the midst of the three kids all talking to me at once and I just went, "Is this what it's gonna be like?" All of a sudden, there is all this craziness. I've seen this movie about a hundred times now and I just saw it again for the first time since I had the baby. I'm so happy that I wasn't a mom when I made the movie because I would've played it very differently. It was so much more emotional for me as a mother than it was when I saw it when I was pregnant.

Q: Garry Marshall worked with your parents in "Overboard" and so how was working with him again now that you're no longer eight years old and just hanging out on the set?

KATE: From being eight or nine to when we worked together, I didn't ever spend much time with him. He's such a fantastic character you don't forget him. He was so memorable when I was a kid. "Overboard" was such a family set with all the kids. We lived in Mendocino (California) where they shot it. My Mom had Wyatt (her brother) and Wyatt was maybe ten months old. It was a memorable experience for me because it had my Dad and my Mom together. To work with him again, I never forgot his nuances and his quirks.

Q: Can you see yourself disciplining Ryder much like how Helen has to discipline the kids in the movie?

KATE: I think about that all the time. I almost think like Ryder is going to discipline us! Chris and I have this thing that Ryder is going to say, "Ooh you're going into your teepee guys. It's not the 60s anymore. Going to Big Sur for the weekend Mom? Great." (Laughs) We'll see. I think I'll be good. I think I'll be able to lay down the law when I have to.

Q: Is motherhood what you expected it to be?

KATE: It's incredible, and then some. It's overwhelmingly beautiful. Nobody ever tells you how hard it's going to be. It's like everybody keeps all the hard stuff away from you. It's amazing. I think the hardest part for me was going from being the kind of person that I was to having the baby, to the overwhelming sensation of love that you never knew you had the capability of feeling, and then realizing that your life shouldn't change. You integrate your kids into your life. All of a sudden you have these feelings like I have to be perfect and I'm a mother now and I have to breast feed the right way or people are going to think I'm weird. All we can show them is what we are and be honest with them about who we are and give them as much love as one being can possibly give.

Q: We read that paparazzi were trying to barge in outside the hospital...

KATE: It's just sad that that part of your life can't be yours especially when you're so open. I have nothing to hide; I'm available to discuss anything. Having guys dressed up in scrubs to get into the hospital is sad. It was very hurtful, and even my parents didn't experience it when they first got together and it was a big deal; it was never like that. I guess it's the nature of the importance of celebrity today. I think it's pretty bad for everybody now. I think they're becoming an industry on their own. They have their teams and they follow people and go to certain neighborhoods. In Los Angeles, four to five cars follow you every day everywhere you go. Is it really that interesting?

Q: How was making the jump from child birth to doing your movie,"The Skeleton Key," right now?

KATE: It's crazy because I've got bruises up and down my body. I have been climbing two story trellises and running in the mud and knocking myself, crashing cars. It's excellent. It's a psychological thriller with Gena Rowlands and John Hurt.

Q: Did Goldie give you any advice while you were pregnant?

KATE: Being pregnant, I got so much advice I just started tuning it out. If one more person told me what I had to do when the baby comes, I was going to shoot 'em. As a parent I have such great parents and they're my role models as a parent. I was lucky enough to watch them raise Wyatt. I can only hope that when Ryder and the next kids come they like me as much as I like my mom. I learned from my parents. They're my biggest support system right now.

Q: How do Goldie and Kurt like being called grandparents?

KATE: She is very happy to take on that role. Actually I call her by her nickname Go Go and Kurt's nickname is Go Gi. It kind of works out perfectly Go Go and Go Gi. They didn't show me any trepidation. They were just so thrilled. I do remember being rolled out of the surgery room right after I had him and I looked up at my Pa (Kurt Russell) and I said, "Did you meet Ryder Russell?" because it was the first time he heard his name and that was a great moment for me and for him.

Q: How is Chris as a father?

KATE: He's great. He doesn't change too many diapers. He says it's because everybody gets so excited when the baby poops that he doesn't even get a chance to get close to him. (Laughs) Our whole world is poop right now. Did he poop? What color is it?

Q: Has the baby strengthened the marriage?

KATE: I just think that it takes on a different level of respect. We're sharing something so gigantic and something is so much more important. It definitely takes on a different feeling. I think it's the best feeling. I think it's the best we've ever felt together.

Q: What music are you listening to these days?

KATE: ohn Renbourn is something we've been listening to a lot lately. Chris is just a wellspring of music. He's always discovering new bands. Almost a year ago we were listening to The Polyphonic Sprees. My husband is weird. You sell a song to a commercial and they're out. He's really into more independent music. I listen to his music all the time. When he's not around it gives me a chance to listen to him. Before I met him I was such a big Black Crowes fan. I have all these shows and all these bootlegs that I just always put them on and listen to them because they're a great band.

"Raising Helen" opens in theaters this Friday.