Who Is Matthew Macfadyen's Wife? All About British Actress Keeley Hawes

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty

Matthew MacfadyenandKeeley Haweshave been married for nearly a decade.

The English actors first met in 2002 on the set of the BBC spy dramaSpooks(known asMI-5in the U.S.). At the time, Hawes was newly married to DJ and cartoonist Spencer McCallum, whom she shares one son with. Eventually, Macfadyen and Hawes' work relationship evolved into a romance, and Hawes divorced McCallum in 2004, marrying theSuccessionactor later that year.

Since then, the couple have welcomed two children: daughter Maggie and son Ralph.

The pair have also shared the screen again, starring in the seriesStonehouse, which aired in January 2023.Hawes toldTheGuardianthat they had “far too nice a time” working with each other on the show.

“Ultimately, he’s an actor that I would have loved to work with anyway. So, yes, it was a joy,” she shared.

So, who is Matthew Macfadyen’s wife? Here’s everything to know about actress and producer Keeley Hawes.

She’s an actress and producer

David Livingston/Getty

Hawes has conquered both the acting and producing worlds. Her breakout role was intelligence officer Zoe Reynolds onSpooks, where she met Macfadyen. The actress is also known for playing Lindsay Denton in the police dramaLine of Dutyand Julia Montague in the political thrillerBodyguard.She has also appeared in several films, includingHigh-Rise,MisbehaviourandTo Olivia.

With decades of industry experience under her belt, Hawes founded her own production company, Buddy Club Productions, in 2019. “Producing and making things happen myself just feels like a natural progression for me,” she toldVariety. “The older you get, the younger everyone else is, and then you realize you are the one with the most experience. That can be really useful on both sides of the camera.”

According to Buddy Club’sInstagrampage, the company aims to “produce innovative & ambitious television drama.” The production company has since produced series likeCrossfireandFinding Alice, both of which star Hawes.

She’s from London

Born Clare Julia Hawes, the actress grew up in Marylebone, London, where she was the youngest of four children and enjoyed borrowing books from the local library. In a December 2018 interview with theFinancial Times,Hawes recalled that she lived in Marylebone “before it was as gentrified as it is now” and had “a very happy childhood really.”

“It wasn’t especially luxurious, but quite often when I started out [the media would say] it was like this ‘rags to riches’ story and that’s not the case,” she said.

She and Macfadyen met on the set of a BBC spy drama

Fred Duval/FilmMagic

Hawes was a mother of one and newly married to her first husband when she and Macfadyen became close on the set ofSpooks.The complicated situation didn’t stop their burgeoning romance. “Matthew just came straight out with it and said ‘I love you’ in the rain one day,” Hawes later said, perVanity Fair.“I thought, ‘Oh dear, here we go.’ " She and McCallum divorced in 2004, and she married Macfadyen later that year.

The actress later toldThe Guardian, “Spookswill always stand out. We all had such fun on that, all of us. And I met my husband.”

She and Macfadyen share two children

Dave M. Benett/Getty

Macfadyen and Hawes share two children,MaggieandRalph. Hawes also has a son,Myles McCallum, from her first marriage.

The couple share a dog named Buster as well, who is often featured on Hawes' Instagram. In April 2022, she postedphotos of the pupposing, napping and running. “This good boi living his best life🦴,” she wrote.

She didn’t come from an “acting family”

Karwai Tang/WireImage

Hawes didn’t always plan on being an actress; her father was a cab driver, and her mother stayed at home. It just so happened that the Sylvia Young Theatre School moved into the church across the street from where she lived. Hawes told theFinancial Timesthat her parents encouraged her to audition for a spot at the school after she performed in a school production ofThe Pied Piper.Her audition was a success, and Hawes began to book small professional projects.

She and Macfadyen star inStonehousetogether

Jeff Spicer/Getty

The couple enjoyed working together for the first time since leavingSpooksin 2004. “These characters and these real people are so different from us in every way and from our marriage and our relationship,” Hawes toldTown & Countryin February 2023. “But the writing was brilliant and we got to hang out and stay together.”

Macfadyen said that getting to see each other every day was “really nice.” He added, “So often we’re sort of scattered in different countries. But the idea of going to work together was just great. We even took the dog.” He also called his wife “a brilliant actress” and the experience “really lovely,“theRadio Timesreported.

She is open about her mental health

David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty

The actress has been open about living with depression. “It’s something that never goes away,” she toldYoumagazinein 2019. “I have become better equipped at looking after myself. … Keeping busy helps, being forced to carry on, because inevitably it will pass.”

In August 2022, Hawes spoke toYoumagazineagain and explained why she believed telling her story could help others. “Everyone is human,” she said. “I find it hugely helpful when I read other people’s experiences. It’s not that somebody else’s pain and upset makes you feel better, but it does make you feel less alone.”

She added: “I’m not the poster girl for it, but it is something that I experienced.”

She and Macfadyen have a healthy work-life balance

Jon Furniss/WireImage

Macfadyen and Hawes may be busy actors, but they still make time for each other and their children. “People often say to me, ‘When do you see each other? You’re both always working,’ " Hawes said during her 2022 interview withYoumagazine. “It’s infuriating because we see so much of each other. We’re not particularly social. I prefer going to bed than going out.”

In April 2015, Macfadyen discussed their work-life balance withThe Big Issue.“Keeley is flying at the moment. She’s up for a BAFTA,” he said. “It is so exciting — about f—— time! Trying to keep our careers going and focus on our family is tricky, but that is part of the fun. How do we make this work? Will we traumatize the children if we are not there for a few weeks? But when one of us is working away, the other is usually at home.”

Ultimately, their marriage takes priority. “I love being married to Matthew, and I know Matthew loves being married too,” she told theTelegraphin 2010. “It ties everything up and it’s a statement to each other and to the world. Marriage and being a mother are absolutely crucial to my happiness and my life.”

She and Macfadyen have walked many red carpets

Keeley Hawes and Matthew Macfadyen attend the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards on January 15, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.Neilson Barnard/Getty

Neilson Barnard/Getty

Hawes and Macfadyen rarely attend a Hollywood event without one another.

In January 2024, the couple were photographed on the red carpet at the75th annual Primetime Emmy Awardswhere Macfadyen won outstanding supporting actor in a drama series for his role inSuccession.

source: people.com