IMELDA STAUNTON's Hidden Past Reveals the SECRET to Her Long-Lasting Relationship!

The secret to Imelda Staunton and Jim Carter’s 40-some-year marriage? Prioritizing their life together.

Actors Staunton and Carter have an impressive resume between the two; from Staunton’s role as Queen Elizabeth in The Crown to Carter’s long-running appearance as Mr. Carson in Downton Abbey. Staunton and Carter met on the first day of rehearsal when they were both performing in Guys and Dolls at the National Theatre in London in 1982. To this day, the time spent not working is the most important to the couple.

"Success means working. Success is a really tricky word, and it should be spelled with a very small S. I think it poisons people," Staunton told British Vogue in an interview for the July 2024 issue. "I feel Jim and I have made our lives work as a marriage within this business, and we take our life more seriously than our jobs."

"Of course, we both take [the job] very seriously," she continued. "But you go, 'What’s the most important thing here? That I play another part? Or that we go on a very nice holiday, or that we have that time in the garden, that we have our life?' "

Staunton noted that she’s aware of “how fortunate” they both are to have their careers, but it’s ultimately putting down time first that makes everything work so well.

Here’s everything to know about Imelda Staunton and Jim Carter’s relationship.