Nia Long Covers Essence August 2012

Joined by her handsome sons, Nia Long garnered herself a little added exposure by covering the August 2012 issue of Essence magazine.

The 41-year-old actress looked as happy as ever as she hammed it up alongside 19-month-old Massai Zhivago and and 9-month-old Kez Sundayin while telling the publication that she "has never felt more fulfilled" than she does in the present.

Highlights from Miss Long's interview are as follows. For more, be sure to pay a visit to Essence!

On being in the best shape of her life:
“I’m in my forties, post baby and I’m thinner than I’ve been in years. The last step will be letting my hair go natural. That’s when you’ll know I’m free…”

On if a husband is in her future plans:
“Marriage is not a priority for me. I’m not saying I’ll never do it; It’s just not where we are as a family,”

On her maturation since having children:
“I’m a lot calmer. Less clingy and demanding. When Ime has to be gone for long stretches at a time, as he had to the first few months after Kez was born, I took it as an opportunity to nest. It had been a minute since I had an infant and I had to get back into the rhythm of being a new mom. I really enjoyed having the space to do that at my own pace. Motherhood is not easy, but it’s natural. I worked hard to have the career I wanted, but I’ve also been deliberate about my personal life. None of this is a mistake.”