It’s been a minute since Succession aired its final season, but prepare to revisit your weird crush on Tom Wambsgans because awards season has officially arrived. Matthew Macfadyen—best known as the person who brought us this hand flex—
—is up for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama at the 2023 Emmys, and chances are he’ll be arriving on the red carpet with his wife, Keeley Hawes. If you don’t already know everything about her due to being a die hard Durrells in Corfu fan (PBS HIVE, RISE), gather round because we have a lot to catch up on.
Keeley and Matthew Met on Set…and She Was Married to Someone Else
These two starred in Spooks together, which happens to be where they fell in love. Don’t worry, I’ve done the important life work of sourcing a Matthew Macfadyen Spooks fan video for us to watch together:
Somewhat awkwardly, Keeley was married to Spencer McCallum at the time, but everything worked out in the end.
“I love being married to Matthew,” she told The Telegraph back in 2010. “And I know Matthew loves being married, too. 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.”
And for what it’s worth, Keeley is still close to her ex, saying, “Spencer and I were best friends before we married, and we’ve managed to stay that way. Happily, both my husband and my ex-husband get along brilliantly. They are both generous people, to each other and to the children.”
They “Make the Effort” to Work on Their Romance
As Keeley put it to The Mail, “You have to work at it. We still fill up the dishwasher and put a wash on–that’s life–but you also have to make the effort to be romantic. When life takes over, going out to dinner together isn’t top of your list, but before you know it, the children are older and around less and you’re sort of back together again. I couldn’t love him more. It helps that he’s the nicest man in the world….”
And they recently worked together once again on Stonehouse!
Matthew chatted with Town & Country about spending time with Keeley on the show, saying, “We got to see each other, which is really nice. 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.”
Keeley Stars in The Durrells in Corfu
Honestly, this entire article is mostly just an elaborate ruse for me to talk about this delightful show, which will have you wanting to pick up and move to Greece.
But if you want a non-PBS show as a reference point (rude), you also probably also know Keeley from The Bodyguard.
She’s Very Open About Her Mental Health
Keeley has depression and told The Mail, “It’s something that never goes away. I think it’s in your DNA if you suffer with it… I have become better equipped at looking after myself. I’ve tried various things over the years. Keeping busy helps, being forced to carry on, because inevitably it will pass.”
Keeley and Matthew Have Two Cute Kids
Meet Maggie and Ralph, whom Matthew and Keeley share along with Keeley’s son Myles from her first marriage to Spencer. But they keep their kids private, so here’s this cuteness instead:
We’ll be updating this when Matthew and Keeley hit the next awards season red carpet!
