Jenny Agutter found love when she was least expecting it. After enjoying 15 years of singledom in Los Angeles, the Call The Midwife star headed to an arts festival in Bath in 1989, where she crossed paths with the famed hotelier, Johan Tham.
© GettyRecognised as the former director of Cliveden Hotel in Buckinghamshire – which boasts royals and A-listers among its clientele – Johan was instantly smitten with the actress.
Reflecting on their first meeting in a 2022 interview with Mail Online, Jenny explained: "One of the things about meeting people and forming relationships as an actor is that others have an idea of who you are before they meet you. That's hard in any relationship, particularly with men.
"When John and I met I did not feel he had any sense of who I was at all, but he wanted to find out, and that made a big difference. I'm still finding out about him 31 years on."
Following their first meeting, the couple eventually started dating and in August 1990, they tied the knot in an idyllic ceremony held in Oxfordshire. Of their decade-spanning marriage, Jenny said: "It's lovely, very, very grounding."
© Photo: RexThe bride opted for an A-line gown complete with long, lace sleeves, an elegant high neck and an embroidered bodice. Sweeping her brunette locks into a low chignon, Jenny opted for a mid-length veil and demure droplet earrings.
In December of that same year, Jenny and Johan welcomed their son, Jonathan. Now 32, Jonathan has studied medicine at Cambridge and currently works as a doctor. Jenny is also a stepmother to Johan's two daughters.
© GettySpeaking to Radio Times in 2015, Jenny opened up about her journey into motherhood. "In my 20s I felt much more maternal than in my 30s, but there was no one around to have a child with," she began.
"I thought about having one on my own, but knew I wouldn't cope. I needed support. I was less broody when I was in a position to have a child, but thrilled when I became pregnant. However, they don't tell you that, the moment you're pregnant, your life is taken over. Everything you do, think and feel is affected."
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© Photo: Getty ImagesWhen she's not on set, Jenny loves nothing more than spending time with her husband and son. "I'm happiest with my family, sharing a cultural experience like theatre, film or a concert, or a meal together, or enjoying a walk in the countryside," the star told Church Times in 2017.
Jenny and Johan split their time between London and Cornwall, the latter of which Jenny, 70, has described as one of her favourite places in the world.
The couple's coastal home is located in the Lizard area, and Johan purchased it years before he met Jenny. "Interestingly enough, when I was collecting watercolours, years before I met him, I ended up with a collection of Cornish paintings of the area that I live in anyway," Jenny revealed to Homes & Gardens. Clearly, it was meant to be!
