Happy Valley actor James Norton has made an ultra-rare comment about his future plans to start a family one day.
During a candid interview with The Sunday Times, James, who split from his ex-fiancée Imogen Poots last year, spoke about turning 40 and "getting older."
© Jacopo RauleReflecting on the future, he said: "Getting older is a struggle if you are freaking out about the choices you've made, but I don't carry regret. And, you know, some of the choices recently weren't mine, yet I don't feel begrudging. Maybe next year I'll have a family and a relationship."
Elsewhere, the 39-year-old spoke candidly about why the past few years wouldn't have been the best time to welcome a child, despite his peers having families of their own.
© Shutterstock"Most of my friends have kids so I'm not quite in step with my peers — but the past few years have been the busiest I've been, so it would not have been fair to bring a child into that," he revealed.
James went on to say: "Also, the inherently unfair benefit of being a man is there is less rush. I am lucky I can have kids later, so now I'm happy, actually, with my life. I feel really excited by the choices I've made."
James' split from Imogen Poots
James is thought to be single after splitting from his fiancée Imogen, two years after they got engaged. The former couple had been dating since 2017 and embarked on a whirlwind romance after starring in a theatre production of Belleville at the Donmar Warehouse.
© Getty ImagesThe pair did long-distance, with Imogen splitting her time between London and New York. Musing on their relationship, the actress told ES Magazine in 2020: "It's all I've ever known. I've never known something to fall apart because of distance."
The Grantchester actor also spoke about the reality of spending time away from loved ones while filming.
In an interview to promote crime drama, Happy Valley, James said: "It comes as a cost because you don't see each other a lot, but we are willing to pay that for the benefit of having someone in your life close to you who gets it, who is forgiving, who will give up their Sunday to do an annoying self-tape (audition)."
© Getty ImagesPrior to dating Imogen, James had been in a two-year relationship with actress Jessie Buckley. Of their split, Jessie told The Times: "We have broken up, yes. It was acrimonious, but it's a tough job to have a relationship and he is a great man and we are great friends. That's it. How diplomatic can I sound?"
She added: "If you are away for a year filming, you are just not physically around at points."
