Kristin Scott Thomas says remarriage at 64 made her happiest yet, credits husband with Slow Horses role

Dame Kristin Scott Thomas says she is happier than ever after remarrying at 64, a turn she describes as transformative for both her personal life and her work. The BAFTA-winning actress quietly wed Bloomberg editor-in-chief John Micklethwait in a small ceremony attended by close family and friends last September, and she is currently back on screen in Apple TV+'s Slow Horses.

Scott Thomas, now 65, has long balanced a demanding career with a high-profile personal life. After her first marriage to French fertility specialist François Olivennes ended in the mid-2000s, the star spoke publicly about the likelihood she would remain single—until she found a partner who aligns with her values. Speaking to The Times, she reflected on what she seeks now, noting that after years of experience, she has a different perspective on love and partnership. 'to have two hearts, two brains, two minds, two energies all striving for the same thing is fantastic,' she said. She added that in those years you look for something different than in your youth, and she has found someone who thinks the same things.

In recounting her life before this marriage, Scott Thomas has described a path shaped by resilience and evolutions in both career and love. She previously spoke about the idea that romance could become more feasible later in life after a long career that required constant travel. In 2013, she candidly told the Sunday Telegraph that she might stay single for years to come because maintaining relationships could be exceptionally difficult when she was never in one place for long.

The star’s family history also threads through her public narrative. Her father, Lieutenant Commander Simon Thomas, died in a dramatic 1966 fighter plane accident when Kristin was only five. An air investigation report later declassified in 2015 revealed details of the Sea Vixen jet crash off the Dorset coast during a training exercise. Her mother, Deborah, later married another Fleet Air Arm pilot, Simon Idiens, who also perished in an air accident, a sequence that underscored the volatility that surrounded Kristin’s early life. A later strand of the family history includes a brief relationship Deborah had with a partner who died in a flying accident, underscoring the pattern of loss that shaped the family.

With her personal life steadied by marriage to Micklethwait and her professional life buoyed by a renewed role on Slow Horses, Scott Thomas has positioned herself for a new phase of both acting and public presence. The Slow Horses star plays Diana Taverner, MI5’s senior official, in the fifth season of the BAFTA-winning spy drama. The performance marks a notable return to screen work, and the timing intersects with comments she has made about finding purpose in aging with a partner who shares core values.

Her return to Slow Horses is notable not only for the chance to play Diana Taverner again but also for the way it intersected with her personal life. She indicated that the offer to take on the role came partly through Micklethwait’s social circle—friends of the editor-in-chief were fans of Mick Herron’s books and described the author as a genius, which piqued Scott Thomas’s interest in the project. The collaboration mirrors a broader narrative about how personal relationships can influence professional choices, especially when both partners operate at high levels of public life.

In discussing what the future holds, Scott Thomas has framed her second marriage as part of a broader synthesis of life experience and professional momentum. She has spoken about the shift toward relationships built on shared values and mutual support, rather than the demands of a career that often requires staying on the move. By all accounts, the union has reinforced a sense of contentment she characterizes as “fantastic,” a word she has used to describe her current outlook as she navigates the interplay between a demanding acting schedule and the comfort of a private life built with a partner who understands her professional commitments.

As Slow Horses enters a new chapter, Scott Thomas’s dual triumph—an enduring personal partnership and a continuing, high-profile acting career—offers a portrait of resilience and renewal. The combination of family history, public-facing work, and a late-life reunion with a partner who complements her ambitions underscores a broader cultural moment: the possibility of finding happiness and professional fulfillment later in life, even amid sustained public attention and a demanding schedule. The star’s journey—from early life marked by loss to a mature, collaborative partnership—offers a narrative of growth and reinvention that intersects with the contemporary cultural landscape surrounding entertainment and celebrity.