She's best known for portraying Cora Crawley, the Countess of Grantham, in famed period series and film Downton Abbey, but Elizabeth McGovern has had huge success in other credits throughout her more than thirty year career in film and TV.
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Elizabeth with her husband Simon Curtis
The actress has received nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy award. Away from the glitz and glam of tinseltown, however, Elizabeth lives a normal life with her husband and their two children. Want to know more about her family? Here's what we know…
Elizabeth McGovern husband
Elizabeth, 58, decided to permanently move to the UK after meeting film and theatre director and producer Simon Curtis. The two married in 1992 and shortly after welcomed their two daughters.
Elizabeth's husband Simon is also in the film and TV industry and is a well-established director and writer. Simon's credits include David Copperfield, My Week With Marilyn, Goodbye Christopher Robin and many more.
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Elizabeth and her husband with their daughter Matilda
Elizabeth McGovern children
Elizabeth and Simon have two daughters together, Matilda and Grace, and the family-of-four live in Chiswick, London. The couple prefer to keep their daughters out of the spotlight, however Matilda has joined her famous mum and dad at a number of events over the years, including awards ceremonies.
Matilda has accompanied her actress mum to many events
Elizabeth McGovern previous relationships
Although she's been happily married to Simon for 28 years, the actress once was engaged to fellow Hollywood heavyweight Sean Penn. The couple met on the set of 1984 film Racing with the Moon, when Elizabeth was just 22 years old and got engaged shortly after.
Speaking to the Daily Mail about the historical relationship, the actress said: "We got engaged after finishing the film but were both very young – I was 22. It was too soon, which I sort of knew. We were together on and off for two years."
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