Billy Elliot director Stephen Daldry walked down the aisle with his longtime confidante Lucy in a surprise wedding. And while Stephen had spent many years in the company of stage designer Ian MacNeil, following the terrorist attacks he decided to make it official with his New York gal pal.
“Lucy and I got married shortly after 11 September in New York,” Stephen said. “It was one of those moments when you have to decide and focus your life and take positive action when everything else seems to be falling apart.”
“She is a New Yorker and it seemed appropriate to get married in New York,” said the Oscar nominee. “I don’t want to say anything else about her, because I don’t want to expose her to that sort of attention.”
The Manhattan nuptials were said to be a quiet affair. None of Stephen’s family crossed the pond for the ceremony, though his sister Annabel did confirm her brother had tied the knot.
“Stephen and Lucy did marry… but I’m not sure what day the wedding was,” she told UK tabloid the Daily Mail. “I’m afraid I don’t know Lucy’s surname or what she does but he and Lucy have known each other for a long time. She… lives in New York and Stephen has a house outside of London so I imagine it will be a trans-Atlantic relationship.
“It’s just something he has decided to do. Stephen’s just living his life.”
Stephen, already a father figure to Billy Elliot star Jaime Bell, is unsure about starting a family with his new bride. “You know… I don’t know. Who knows?,” he said. “I love her very much and we are very happy.”
The acclaimed director’s next film, The Hours, stars Nicole Kidman as Virginia Woolf and is scheduled to hit screens next year.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
