Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Wife: Everything to Know About British Director Sam Taylor-Johnson

Sam Taylor-Johnson is a British filmmaker and producer. She graduated from Goldsmiths University in 1990 and is considered one of the most successful Young British Artists, according to the school's official bio. She got her start in fine-art photography, then moved on to film, working on shorts like Still Life and David. Now, Sam is best known for titles like Fifty Shades of Grey, Love You More, Nowhere Boy (which earned her a BAFTA nomination) and Back to Black.

Aaron first met Sam in 2008, when he auditioned to play John Lennon in her directorial debut, Nowhere Boy. At the time, Aaron was 18 and Sam was 42, but they instantly hit it off.

Regarding his audition, Sam told The Telegraph that she was pretty impressed. She said, "I knew instantly—I could see how much research he'd done already just by the way he was standing and the few words he said."

The pair started dating after filming wrapped in March 2009, then got engaged in October of that same year. They tied the knot in the chapel at Babington House in June 2012.

Sam later told Harper's Bazaar, "As soon as we finished [filming Nowhere Boy], he told me he was going to marry me. We had never been on a date, or even kissed." Aaron added, "And a year to the minute after we met, exactly one year to the minute, I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me."

Following the nuptials, the couple did something unconventional, but given their relationship, unsurprising: they took each other's names. Aaron had previously been Aaron Johnson; Sam was Sam Taylor-Wood. Upon the premiere of Anna Karenina in 2012, Aaron told The Standard, "I just don’t see why women need to take the man’s name. I wanted to be a part of her just as much as she wanted to be part of me."

Several fans have criticized the 23-year age gap between Aaron and his wife, but it's not a big deal to the couple. In fact, the Kick-Ass actor has stepped up to defend their romance on several occasions.

In a 2024 interview with Rolling Stone, he said, "What speed are you supposed to enjoy life at? It’s bizarre to me. What you gotta realize is that what most people were doing in their twenties, I was doing when I was 13.”

The actor also got candid about dealing with public scrutiny while chatting with Vulture. He explained, "The attention was intrusive. But having to deal with that early in my career probably got me to a place where I can more quickly just go, 'Oh, f*** it' instead of wanting to rip someone's head off for asking questions I don't like."

Additionally, in 2017, Aaron told Mr. Porter, “I don’t really analyze our relationship. I just know that it works. I just feel secure and loved and safe. We have this very deep connection. We’re just in sync.”

Aaron and Sam have two biological daughters: Wylda, born in 2010, and Romy, born in 2012. Aaron is also a stepdad to Angelica (28) and Jessie (19), Sam's daughters from her previous marriage to an art dealer named Jay Jopling.

While speaking with Esquire about fatherhood, Aaron said, "I enjoy the normality of things, the everyday stuff. Getting my kids ready in the mornings, taking them to school and activities—that’s plenty. That feeds my soul."

In addition to Nowhere Boy, Aaron and his wife have collaborated on the 2018 film A Million Little Pieces. Aaron starred in the movie as James Frey and Sam directed the project. The couple also co-wrote the script, and according to The Telegraph, Sam revealed that they "had debates" in the process. Still, Aaron clarified that they "rarely argue." He said, "We just have that trust when we collaborate—we are not afraid to play."

"I really enjoy it," he continued. "There's nothing more empowering than supporting my wife in her passions and ambitions; I've never felt more—what's the opposite of emasculated? Empowered."

Meanwhile, Sam noted that she feels "lucky to have such a supportive husband," adding that working together was "a dream come true."

While the couple have not collaborated as of late, they're still by each other's sides. Aaron accompanied Sam to the world premiere of Back to Black, an Amy Winehouse biopic she directed in 2024. In turn, Sam then appeared by Aaron's side when Nosferatu and Kraven the Hunter debuted later that year. She was once again on the red carpet with the actor for the 2025 premiere of his movie, 28 Years Later, in which Aaron plays a scavenger in a post-apocalyptic world. His most recent project is the forthcoming World War II action thriller, Fuze, out April 24, and I wouldn't be surprised if his wife joins him on the press circuit.

The pair previously owned a home in the Hollywood Hills, but sold it in 2021 for $7.5 million. They have since relocated the family to England, where, according to Esquire, they have owned an old Somerset farmhouse since 2010.  As the publication reports, Aaron has settled right in, with a reputation for being a fabulous baker, too. “That’s what I love doing,” he tells Esquire. “I have pigs. I have bees!”

The actor reportedly dated Georgia Groome from 2008 to 2009, after they played love interests in the film Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging. However, neither of them confirmed the dating rumors.

Aaron has also been romantically linked to Alice Connor. The pair reportedly dated from 2006 to 2007, after meeting on the set of The Thief Lord.

Sam was previously married to English art dealer and gallerist Jay Jopling. After they tied the knot in 1997, they welcomed two daughters (Angelica and Jessie). But after 11 years of marriage, they divorced.

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