Robin Wright, now 60, enjoys a peaceful existence in the English countryside alongside her architect boyfriend, Henry Smith, 52. The actress has left behind the fast-paced life in America for a sprawling estate in the Chilterns, joining other Hollywood figures seeking tranquility in the UK.
Embracing Freedom in the Chilterns
The Chiltern Hills, spanning Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, and Bedfordshire, offer a serene escape near the Cotswolds. Wright cherishes the kindness of locals and the sense of freedom. “I love being in this country. There’s a freedom of self here. People are so kind,” she shares. “They’re living. They’re not in the car in traffic, panicked on a phone call, eating a sandwich. That’s most of America. Everything’s rush, competition, and speed.”
Her perfect mornings start with birdsong outside her home, followed by walks with her dogs. The move crystallized after enduring noisy renovations by Los Angeles neighbors. “Everyone’s building a huge house and I’m just done with all that—I love the quiet. And I’ve met my person. Finally,” Wright explains.
Meeting Her Partner and Future Plans
The couple met in a Chilterns pub during Wright’s stay at a rented Airbnb with her stepsister, Lucinda Carmichael. They bonded over five months of COVID-19 challenges. Next, they plan to relocate to a seaside rental with their Labradors, Rusty and Rocky.
Reflecting on turning 60, Wright feels content. “I don’t see it as the end of an era. It’s just another number that’s a little bit bigger. It hasn’t shifted me in any way because I feel like I did that shift when I was 50, where I said, ‘I’m going to do it my way,'” she states. “It’s liberating to be done. Be done with searching, looking, and getting 60 percent of what you wanted. That’s exactly what I wanted.”
She desires companionship for aging and travel. “I love being alone and I’ve done that many times. But I’m like, I want to grow old with somebody, and travel and see the world.” Marriage remains off the table. “No. God no. Why? That’s just unnecessary.”
Family and Past Relationships
Wright shares daughter Dylan, 34, and son Hopper, 32, with ex-husband Sean Penn. Their 13-year marriage, marked by separations and reconciliations from 1996 to 2010, finally ended that year. She also divorced first husband Dane Witherspoon in 1988 after two years and filed from third husband Clément Giraudet in 2022 after nearly four years.
She was engaged twice to Ben Foster but never married. Despite past turmoil, optimism persists. “I’m such a romantic. You can go through tumultuous, distressing relationships, but we rebound, don’t we? Our hearts rebound with a belief that it’s still there and it can be achieved,” she reflects. “I don’t want to worry anymore. I don’t want to doubt, I don’t want to suspect.”
Career Highlights and Fitness
Known for roles in Forrest Gump, The Princess Bride, Wonder Woman, and her Golden Globe-winning portrayal of Claire Underwood in House of Cards, Wright stays fit. During Wonder Woman filming in her 50s, she reached peak condition through intense training. “We all trained weeks before we started shooting every day of the week. We went to weight training, and the diet was insane,” she recalls. “We had to ingest like 3,500 calories of food a day, so you’re constantly doing smoothies in between your three meals. We had martial arts training and horse training.”
Other stars like Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes, and Tom Ford have also relocated from the US to the UK recently.
