Jonathan Pryce in Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light, © BBC / Shutterstock

Wolf Hall star Jonathan Pryce's famous wife he left marriage for

The 77-year-old plays Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in the BBC drama

TV and film writer
5 hours ago

Sir Jonathan Pryce is back on our screens as Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in the BBC's hit historical drama Wolf Hall, which returned after an almost ten-year hiatus. 

The 77-year-old actor, who has won Tony and Laurence Olivier Awards for his work, has an impressive list of stage and screen credits and is perhaps best known for playing Prince Philip in Netflix's The Crown, as well as the High Sparrow in the HBO series Game of Thrones. But did you know that his wife is also a famous face? Discover their love story here…

WATCH: Mark Rylance stars in the BBC’s Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light

Jonathan's famous wife

Jonathan is married to actor and director Kate Fahy, 74.

Kate, who has starred and directed in several theatre plays, has appeared in various major TV shows, including episodes of Silent Witness, A Spy Among Friends, Death in Paradise and Casualty. 

© Richard Young/Shutterstock

Jonathan Pryce and Kate Fahy married in 2015

The pair first met back in 1972 while working at the Liverpool's Everyman Theatre together. At the time, Jonathan was married to another woman but just two weeks after locking eyes with Kate, left his wife of almost three years. 

Recalling his "extraordinary meeting" with his now-wife, Jonathan told MailOnline: "I'd been married for nearly three years and was very happy. 

"But two weeks after I met Kate I left my wife and she left her husband. It really was just this extraordinary meeting - a real coup de foudre."

© David Fisher/BAFTA/Shutterstock

The couple first met in 1972

The couple went on to welcome three children: Phoebe, 34, Gabriel, 38, and Patrick, 41, before eventually tying the knot in 2015. 

Following in her parents' footsteps, Phoebe has forged a career as an actor. She played Skylar Bryce in Holby City and also starred alongside her father in The Globe's 2016 production of The Merchant of Venice

© Alastair Muir/Shutterstock

Phoebe Pryce starring opposite her dad in The Merchant of Venice at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

Meanwhile, both Gabriel and Patrick have pursued careers away from the spotlight. Speaking about his sons during an interview with The Guardian in 2018, the Slow Horses star said: "One is a chef and runs a restaurant in London, which is quite well known: Rita's."

Why Jonathan waited 30 years to marry his wife

On why they waited over 30 years to make things official, Jonathan previously told The Guardian: "We'd not married before because it was not deemed necessary. Everything we have had together is in our joint names."

Sharing details of their big day, he added: "We had a ceremony with just family and enlarged the group for a very nice lunch afterwards. It's been 48 years. The big 50 – now that will be a party."

© Playground Entertainment / Nick Briggs / BBC

Jonathan Pryce plays Wolsey in Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light

On the secret to their long-standing relationship, the Game of Thrones star gave all the credit to his wife. "If you get to live with Kate Fahy, it will last. I claim nothing," he said.

"She's just an extraordinary person. Although thank God I've changed. I think so. She still laughs at my jokes, much to the children's dismay."

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