Television star Anne-Marie Duff has broken her silence on a secret romance with a "very famous" actor, revealing she was "devastated" when their relationship ended. The 55-year-old actress, best known for her roles in Shameless and Bad Sisters, opened up for the first time about her "perfect first love" in a candid new interview.
A Passionate Relationship at Drama School
Anne-Marie attended Drama Centre London in the 1990s, where she made friends with actors such as Paul Bettany and John Simm. It was there that she fell "madly in love" with a younger drama school student who is now a very successful actor. While she is keeping his identity secret, she described their relationship as "the most perfect first love"—kind, uncomplicated, fun, a bit messy, and "a bit sexy-sexy-sexy."
"It was a bit like in [the opera] La Boheme—there were all these young students, all these young artists, and it was all about the craft. It was bliss," she recalled. The relationship lasted four years, and when it ended, she was heartbroken. "We were drifting apart, but I finished it, which was just awful. I was devastated," she admitted. She explained that she ended it because she realized she loved him more as a friend.
Moving On Through Work and Travel
To get over the breakup, Anne-Marie threw herself into work and travel. "I was in my mid 20s, and life went on, and I was doing lots of theatre. I was in my happy place, work wise, and off travelling the world … India and Sri Lanka and Bangladesh," she said. The actress has been previously linked to David Tennant, with whom she co-starred in a 1999 production of Maxim Gorky's Vassa. She later married James McAvoy in 2006 after meeting on the set of Shameless. The couple have a son, Brendan, now 16, and split in 2016.
Reflections on Love and Being Single
Speaking about the end of her marriage, she reflected: "I think that love comes in many guises. I think we put an awful pressure on love to be one thing. And it isn't." She noted that some people find lasting love, while others have different love stories, and neither is superior. The BAFTA-winning actress confirmed she is currently single but open to love. "I would love to be in love. I'd love to meet somebody. I work better in a team. And I'm fun to be with. I'm a good laugh," she said.
