Sam and Aaron Taylor-Johnson have been together for more than a decade. Here's a timeline of their relationship.
- Actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson and director Sam Taylor-Johnson have been married since 2012.
- They met through the 2009 movie "Nowhere Boy," which starred Aaron and was directed by Sam.
Actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 31, and director Sam Taylor-Johnson, 55, have been together for more than a decade.
The pair, who have an age difference of 23 years, met through the 2009 film "Nowhere Boy" and have spoken about their long-lasting romance in various interviews.
Here's a complete timeline of their relationship.
2008: They met when Aaron auditioned for the role of John Lennon in 'Nowhere Boy,' Sam's feature film debut
Their exact ages at the time of their first meeting remain largely unclear.
Various publications have stated that he was 19 and she was 42 when they made the movie, which was released in 2009. The Hollywood Reporter said that Aaron was 18 at the time. Fans have speculated that she knew the actor when he was younger because she was a family friend, but the claims appear to be baseless.
According to The Telegraph UK, Sam and Aaron met at the audition in 2008, a year prior to the film's release.
In a 2017 interview with The Sunday Times UK, Sam (née Taylor-Wood) said the couple almost didn't meet because Aaron was only available to audition on a date that she was absent.
Aaron had a limited schedule because he was filming "Kick-Ass." Meanwhile, Sam and her first husband, an art dealer named Jay Jopling, had split after 11 years of marriage and she was moving out of their shared home on the day that Aaron was free. So, Aaron auditioned for the biopic at her house.
"It was so inconvenient," Sam said. "In the end, I was like, 'OK, he'll have to come to my home.' I opened my door to John Lennon. I instantly knew he was the guy."
Sam's divorce from Jopling, with whom she shares daughters Anjelica and Jessie Phoenix, was made public in September 2008. Anjelica Jopling also had a small role in "Nowhere Boy" as a younger version of John Lennon's sister, Julia.
Sam told The Telegraph UK that she was immediately impressed by how much Aaron prepared for his audition.
"I could see how much research he'd done already just by the way he was standing and the few words he said," she recalled.
Aaron later told Harper's Bazaar that he still remembers how Sam looked at that first audition.
"I remember it very, very clearly," he said. "I know exactly what she was wearing. This white shirt that she still has, that I love. It definitely changed my life, though not in the way I expected."
Aaron has spoken out about their age gap multiple times. Speaking to The Telegraph UK in 2019, the actor said: "When I met Sam I'd already lived a life far beyond that of most of my contemporaries – I didn't relate to anyone my age. I just feel that we're on the same wavelength."
The stars said that they kept things professional on the set of their movie
"We had this intense connection," Sam told The Sunday Times UK of working with the young actor.
"He was very intense and absolutely mind made-up," she said of how their relationship blossomed.
The director also told The Telegraph UK that they clicked from the start.
"We were very professional through the entire film," the couple told Harper's Bazaar in 2019. "No funny business at all."
Sam also said that "everyone on set knew" that they had a connection.
2009: Aaron proposed to Sam after wrapping the film
"As soon as we finished, he told me he was going to marry me," Sam told Harper's Bazaar. "We had never been on a date, or even kissed."
"And a year to the minute after we met, exactly one year to the minute, I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me," Aaron said.
The actor later reflected on their engagement in an interview with The Telegraph UK, saying: "I knew instantly that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this person."
He added: "I knew I wanted a family with her, I knew I wanted kids, and a month later she was pregnant with our first child."
Their engagement was announced by Sam and Aaron, then 19, at the UK premiere of "Nowhere Boy" in fall 2009.
April 2, 2010: Aaron spoke about fatherhood during an appearance on 'Friday Night With Jonathan Ross'
The interview occurred while Sam was pregnant with the couple's first child. Aaron said that he wasn't nervous because he was already acting as a step-father to Sam's two daughters from her first marriage.
July 2010: Their 1st child together, daughter Wylda Rae, was born
Sam was 43 and Aaron was 20 at the time of their baby girl's birth. According to People, Wylda was born in London.
March 4, 2011: Sam directed R.E.M.'s music video for "ÜBerlin," which starred Aaron
The track was from the band's 15th studio album, "Collapse Into Now," released that year. The entire video showed Aaron dancing through the East End of London.
January 18, 2012: Their 2nd child, daughter Romy Hero, was born
According to People, their baby was born at home in London.
"Both mother and daughter are well," a rep said in a statement shared with the publication.
June 21, 2012: The couple got married and changed their last name to Taylor-Johnson
Aaron, then 22, and Sam, then 45, wed in Somerset, England according to E! News.
Of the name change, Aaron told London's Evening Standard: "I just don't see why women need to take the man's name. I wanted to be a part of her just as much as she wanted to be part of me."
January 2015: Sam spoke about the 'stability' of their relationship and gushed about Aaron being an attentive father
"Being in an amazing relationship, having come out of a difficult one, it felt so good," Sam told The Guardian while promoting "50 Shades of Grey," which she was encouraged to direct by Aaron. "And I feel like that stability has enabled me to get on with doing this momentous project."
"The great thing about Aaron is that he's happy not working and being at home with the kids while I work," the director added. "We're actually fighting over it. He's like, 'No no, I like being an at-home dad, doing the cooking and the school runs.'"
April 2015: Aaron said that it was 'important' for him to hyphenate his name after they wed
"It was so important to me," the actor told The Guardian in 2015 of seeing his name written as Taylor-Johnson for the first time in the credits for his 2012 movie "Anna Karenina."
"Actually I wanted it on 'Savages' as well but they told me the posters had already gone out," he added, referring to another of his films released earlier in 2012. "Then they said: 'Look, we hired Aaron Johnson.'"
The "Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging" star told the publication that he fought for his name to be updated in "Anna Karenina" after that experience.
"I said: 'I want it changed! This is important,'" he recalled.
"It felt beautiful," he said of seeing the final product. "It felt right."
January 8, 2017: Aaron gave his wife a shout-out after winning a Golden Globe for his role in Tom Ford's 'Nocturnal Animals'
In his acceptance speech for best supporting actor in a motion picture, the actor said, "I want to thank my wife for being there with me and supporting me through this. Thank you for putting up with me, Jesus, I was not very pleasant in this role. You're my soulmate and I love you very much. I'm blessed. I have four beautiful daughters: Anjelica, Phoenix, Wylda, and Romy, I love you all very much."
February 2017: Aaron said that the public's fixation on their relationship was 'intrusive'
"The attention was intrusive," he told New York Magazine of the early reaction from people.
"But having to deal with that early in my career probably got me to a place where I can more quickly just go, 'Oh, fuck it' instead of wanting to rip someone's head off for asking questions I don't like," he added.
March 2017: Aaron revealed that he has a tattoo of his wife's name on his chest near his heart
The "Avengers: Age of Ultron" star no longer has an Instagram account but when he did, he posted a photo in honor of Sam's 50th birthday with the caption "forever in my ❤."
The tattoo was also seen in the couple's joint photo shoot for a 2019 Harper's Bazaar feature.
March 2017: Aaron gushed about fatherhood and feeling 'secure and loved and safe' in his relationship
"I get more fulfillment from being a father than I do from being an actor," he said in an interview for Mr Porter. "I'm still constantly wanting to give it up."
The actor also spoke about raising his daughters to be empowered.
"Their mum is one of the strongest, most independent women I know. A role model," he said.
Regarding his marriage, Aaron said, "I don't really analyze our relationship."
"I just know that it works," he continued. "I just feel secure and loved and safe. We have this very deep connection. We're just in sync."
June 2017: Sam said that her husband has an 'old soul'
"I literally found my soulmate," she told The Sunday Times UK in June 2017. "I feel so blessed: every day I wake up happy."
She also described her and the actor, who she said has an "old soul," as "in such sync."
"We spend every minute of the day together," she said. "My friends call him Benjamin Button because he has — on the outside — such youth, and on the inside, he is so wise and settled. He doesn't like parties. He likes being at home and cooking for the family. He likes walking the dogs. He loves his chickens — he collects the eggs and makes breakfast for everyone."
"He is an amazing man," Sam added.
The director also said that she's not bothered by their age gap because, "When you're solid with someone in your own love, you don't think about it."
June 2017: Sam commented on their age difference in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter
"If I gave a second thought to other people, I would be the unhappiest person, probably still in a miserable marriage," she said.
She continued: "People like to talk about it. I'm like, 'Yeah, but it works better than my last marriage.' It's lasted longer than a lot of my friends' marriages."
June 13, 2018: Sam posted a tribute to Aaron in honor of his 28th birthday
"HBD to the most incredible husband, father, man @aarontaylorjohnson I ❤️U," she captioned a photo of him that was shared on Instagram.
June 21, 2019: Sam posted a black-and-white selfie of them in honor of their 7th wedding anniversary
"Seven Years today ❤️" she captioned the Instagram post.
June 29, 2019: They attended Zoë Kravitz and Karl Glusman's wedding in Paris
"To the wedding we go... @karlglusman @zoeisabellakravitz," Sam captioned a photo of her and Aaron heading to the event.
Kravitz and Glusman's wedding was also attended by Jason Momoa (Kravitz's step-father) and her "Big Little Lies" costars. The couple's breakup was revealed in early 2021.
August 2019: They participated in a joint interview for The Telegraph UK
"We just have that trust when we collaborate — we are not afraid to play," Aaron said of working with his wife.
Sam said that they "had debates" while cowriting the script for their film "A Million Little Pieces," but Aaron said that they "rarely argue."
The director also called herself "lucky to have such a supportive husband" and said that working together for the film was "a dream come true."
"I really enjoy it," Aaron said. 'There's nothing more empowering than supporting my wife in her passions and ambitions; I've never felt more — what's the opposite of emasculated? Empowered."
In regards to their age gap, the actor also said: "I've never for a second felt a difference in age."
"Sam is far more outgoing and energetic and achieving than I am," he added.
November 2019: The couple said that collaborating on 'A Million Little Pieces' was their greatest decision
"It was the best thing we've ever done," Sam told Harper's Bazaar in their joint interview.
In response, Aaron added: "Even better because we did it together."
In the same interview, the couple said that in the time they've been together, they've "only been apart for maybe two or three days."
December 4, 2019: The couple appeared on 'The Late Late Show With James Corden' and discussed collaborating on 'A Million Little Pieces'
Sam directed the 2019 drama, Aaron starred in it, and the pair cowrote the screenplay. The film was based on a book of the same name written by James Frey and Aaron starred as a drug addict.
When asked about what it was like to direct her husband's sex scene in the film with costar Odessa Young, Sam said: "We wrote it together, so I kind of knew what we were getting into when we were writing it. And then it's another thing when you're filming it."
The director recalled "feeling something" while seeing the actors film the scene, especially because it was shot on Valentine's Day.
December 2019: They said that after being together for more than 10 years, they weren't concerned with the chatter surrounding their relationship
"We've been together for over a decade now, so I feel like it is less of a conversation for people," Sam told The Daily Beast while discussing "A Million Little Pieces."
She continued: "It doesn't worry me, and it's not something that is difficult to talk about because it's such a positive story, that we're a decade later together and working together and raising a strong family together. That may be a positive message for people out there."
June 21, 2020: Sam posted a black-and-white photo in honor of their 8th anniversary
"8 years later. Happy anniversary ❤️ #aarontaylorjohnson ❤️," she captioned the photo, which showed them sitting together on massive rocks.
That same day, Sam also posted a photo of him lounging in honor of Father's Day.
October 28, 2020: Aaron starred in musician Rhye's music video for 'Black Rain,' which was directed by Sam
Aaron danced shirtless, by himself, for the entirety of the four-minute-long music video. The song was included in Rhye's 2021 studio album "Home."
March 2021: It was reported that Sam and Aaron will team up for another film together
According to Deadline, the movie is called "Rothko" and based on the novel "The Legacy of Mark Rothko" by Lee Seldes.
The film will also reportedly star Russell Crowe and "Chernobyl" actor Jared Harris.
April 2021: The couple reportedly listed their home in LA for $7.5 million
The news was reported by Dirt on April 2, 2021.
The reported listing led fans to speculate about the couple's relationship status and suggest that the two stars were headed for a split. But selling a shared home doesn't necessarily mean they're breaking up. The pair could be selling their property to live elsewhere.
May 26, 2021: Sam reacted to Aaron being cast as the Marvel villain Kraven the Hunter in an upcoming Sony project
Multiple outlets reported Aaron's casting in late May. In the comics, Sergei Kravinoff/Kraven the Hunter is one of the most skilled game hunters and a popular foe of Spider-Man. The movie is currently set for release on January 13, 2023.
Sam weighed in on Aaron's role by posted an image of Kraven on Instagram with the caption, "My husband ❤️ #kraventhehunter #aarontaylorjohnson."
June 1, 2021: Celebrity tattoo artist Dr. Woo revealed that Sam got her husband's name inked near her collarbone
Dr. Woo posted a photo of Sam's new ink, which is Aaron's name written in cursive.
The artist also tattooed a hummingbird on Aaron's chest, near the tattoo of Sam's name that he got years prior.
"Captured a healed hummingbird on Aaron and added some love ✍ for Sam ✨❤️" he captioned the Instagram post.
June 13, 2021: Sam shared a photo of Aaron in celebration of his 31st birthday
"Happy Birthday mon amour ❤️," she captioned an image of Aaron wearing a white dress shirt and sitting near a window.
September 10, 2021: Sam documented a breakfast date with her husband
"Breakfast with the beast ❤️" the director captioned a photo posted on Instagram, which showed Aaron with his elbows resting on a table while dining at Animal Restaurant in Los Angeles, California.
December 25, 2021: Sam posted photos of the couple celebrating Christmas at the beach
The first image, which was turned upside down, showed Aaron with his feet planted along the shoreline and his arms raised above his head.
In the second photo, Sam leaped while waving her arms in the air.
June 13, 2022: Sam shared a black-and-white photo of her husband in honor of his 32nd birthday
"Happy Birthday my darling husband ❤️ @aarontaylorjohnson," she captained the image, which showed him flipping into a pool.
June 21, 2022: The couple celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows
In his Instagram post, Aaron said that the "beautiful day" involved professing their love "in front of our nearest and dearest friends and family."
"It was a celebration of love and joy!" he wrote. "A decade of marriage. It was a magical unforgettable day and the sun did not stop shining on us both.. we are blessed beyond belief. ❤️ Sammy you are my love, my life, my soulmate, my wife, my world!"
Sam expressed similar sentiments in her post, which featured two photos of the couple kissing at the celebration.
"10 glorious years," she said. "My incredible husband, father to all 4 girls. I love you, I love you, I love you love conquers all."