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favorite on-screen moms© The CW

Celebrate Mother’s Day with the best life lessons our favorite on-screen moms taught us

These are the celebrity moms that have lifted us up and taught us valuable lessons to live by


MAY 10, 2023 4:31 PM EDT

Whether you grew up with your mom, aunt or abuela, these on-screen moms carry maternal instincts that have taught us valuable life lessons. From how to handle a break up to embracing our unique beauty, mothers are essential to our growth. Mother’s Day is around the corner and is a time to reflect on all the important messages these caregivers have lent to us. From Latina moms to horror TV shows moms, each of these celebrities represents the true meaning of motherhood.

The wide diversity of mothers on TV and movies reveals the different roles and parenting styles but despite all dissimilarities, moms are skillful humans in the development of character. Here are our favorite role models we grew up with.

SAG-AFTRA Foundation's Conversations With "Jane The Virgin"© GettyImages

Follow your dreams

Gina Rodriguez shows us how passion and a vision leads to a future. The Jane the Virgin actress is a matriarchal figure dominating the show, and she taught us that whether you are a single mother or not, you can achieve your dreams. Also, she is proof that staying rooted in your goals is important, “Life is full of tough moments, you have to fight for what you want.”

favorite on screen moms© Netflix

Dry your hair before heading out

Most Latinas have a conservative and radical mom like Lydia. The Cuban abuela from One Day at a Time follows the golden rule of drying your hair to prevent getting the cold or flu, “Everybody knows that going outside with wet hair is almost as deadly as walking barefoot in your own home.”

The Golden Girls© GettyImages

Listen to your mom

Sophia Petrillo, played by Estelle Getty, has always been the wisdom lady of The Golden Girls. She is best known for her brazen remarks and unapologetic decisions. She is the mother we all need when things get awry. She also has a penchant for real talk and is not afraid to express her opinion. “You want poetry, you listen to Neil Diamon. You want good advice, you listen to your mother.”

best on screen moms© Google

Jennifer Lopez

The mom from Maid in Manhattan is a hard-working woman with a dream. She taught us the real meaning of staying true to your values when Lionel tells her, “To serve people takes dignity and intelligence. But remember, they are only people with money. And although we serve them, we are not their servants. What we do, Miss Ventura, does not define who we are. What defines us is how well we rise after falling.”

The Addams Family© GettyImages

Embrace your femininity

Motricia Addams may have an obsidian soul, but she taught us how to be feminists. “I’m just like any modern woman trying to have it all. Loving husband, a family. It’s just... I wish I had more time to seek out the dark forces and join their hellish crusade.” She can have darkness in her heart but is always there for her family.

Phylicia Rashad Wins People's Choice Award© GettyImages

Show up looking flawless

Clair Huxtable taught us that you always have to show up with your best outfit, “When all else fails make sure you look good.”

Mean Girls© GettyImages

Always keep your cool

Though Mean Girls was a movie full of drama, Regina George’s mom taught us to embrace our relationships with our mother. Sometimes mom can be as cool as our friends, “I’m not like a regular mom. I’m a cool mom.”

Premiere Of "The Blind Side" - Arrivals© GettyImages

Serve with love

In The Blind Side, Sandra Bullock shows her unconditional love for Michael. She is an example that when we help others, we change from the inside out. “You’re changing that boy’s life. Leigh Anne Touhy: No. He’s changing mine.”

Patrick McMullan Archives© GettyImages

Make the right Choice

Lily Van der Woodsen is proof that the choice you make in life is yours. You can’t change the circumstances but you can change the outcome, “Sweetie, if I’ve learned anything in life, it’s that sometimes things get in your path, and you have a choice.”