Tom Bateman and Daisy Ridley have spent years proving that a high-profile Hollywood relationship does not have to become a public spectacle. The British actors met while working on Murder on the Orient Express, quietly developed a romance away from cameras and eventually married without turning their wedding into a major celebrity event.
For anyone searching for Tom Bateman’s wife, the answer is Daisy Ridley, the English actress best known worldwide as Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Ridley publicly confirmed in January 2023 that she and Bateman had married, ending years of engagement speculation while still keeping most details of their wedding private.
Their relationship has since developed into a creative partnership as well. Ridley came up with the idea that became the psychological thriller Magpie, while Bateman wrote the screenplay, giving the couple a rare opportunity to build a film together while continuing their separate acting careers.
Who Is Tom Bateman’s Wife?
Tom Bateman’s wife is Daisy Ridley, one of the most internationally recognized British actresses of her generation.
Ridley was born in London in 1992 and became a global star after being cast as Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. She returned for The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, establishing Rey as one of the central characters of the sequel trilogy.
Outside Star Wars, Ridley’s filmography has expanded considerably. Her credits include Murder on the Orient Express, Ophelia, Chaos Walking, Sometimes I Think About Dying, The Marsh King’s Daughter, Young Woman and the Sea, Magpie and Cleaner.
Her recent work has continued across mainstream movies and independent productions. Ridley also voiced a character in the 2026 immersive project Nevatars and joined the cast of Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, which is scheduled for release in November 2026.
Despite her fame, Ridley has consistently kept her marriage away from excessive public attention.
How Did Tom Bateman and Daisy Ridley Meet?
Bateman and Ridley met while making Kenneth Branagh’s 2017 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express.
Ridley played Mary Debenham, while Bateman appeared as Bouc. The ensemble cast also included Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Michelle Pfeiffer and Johnny Depp.
Their relationship reportedly developed after working together on the movie. Later accounts described the two as becoming close friends before their connection turned romantic.
Ridley later revealed a particularly memorable detail about how she began seeing Bateman differently.
During an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, she explained that Penélope Cruz made a comment about Bateman that encouraged her to consider whether there might be something more than friendship between them. Ridley said she and Bateman had been together ever since.
It is an unusual Hollywood origin story, particularly because the couple managed to keep much of what followed away from the press.
When Did Tom Bateman and Daisy Ridley Get Married?
The exact date and location of Tom Bateman and Daisy Ridley’s wedding have not been publicly disclosed.
Speculation about an engagement had circulated for several years. Ridley was photographed wearing a ring on her left hand, prompting repeated questions about whether she and Bateman were planning to marry.
In a 2019 interview, Ridley avoided confirming an engagement, simply describing it as a nice ring.
That changed in January 2023.
When asked directly about the ring during an interview, Ridley confirmed that she had married Bateman. She did not reveal extensive wedding details, keeping with the couple’s longstanding approach to privacy.
For that reason, it is more accurate to say Ridley confirmed their marriage in 2023 rather than claim that their wedding definitely took place that year.
Why Do Tom Bateman and Daisy Ridley Keep Their Marriage Private?
Privacy has been a consistent feature of their relationship.
Ridley’s rise through Star Wars brought intense global attention almost overnight. She has spoken in interviews about wanting some areas of her life to remain separate from her public career.
Bateman has followed a similar approach.
Neither actor regularly uses their marriage as part of their public image, and they do not continually share relationship updates with fans.
That does not mean they completely avoid appearing together.
In September 2022, Bateman and Ridley made one of their first prominent public appearances as a couple at a special London screening of Blonde. They have since attended selected industry events together.
The approach has allowed them to acknowledge their relationship without making every part of it public.
Tom Bateman and Daisy Ridley Worked Together on Magpie
One of the clearest examples of their relationship becoming a professional partnership arrived with Magpie.
Ridley developed the original concept for the psychological thriller, while Bateman wrote the screenplay.
The film centers on Annette, played by Ridley, whose troubled marriage becomes increasingly unstable after her husband grows fascinated with an actress working alongside their young daughter.
The premise involves infidelity, resentment and a marriage breaking down, subjects that could sound surprisingly uncomfortable for a husband and wife to develop together.
Ridley, however, has joked about the contrast between the film and their real relationship. She said people close to them have described Bateman and Ridley as an exceptionally happy married couple.
Bateman’s screenplay was also shaped around Ridley’s strengths as a performer, demonstrating how closely their creative relationship had developed since first meeting on a film set years earlier.
Who Is Tom Bateman?
Bateman had already established himself as a British stage and screen actor before his relationship with Ridley became public.
Born in Oxford in 1989, he grew up in a large family and is one of 14 children. His parents were teachers, and Bateman later trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art after being involved with the National Youth Theatre.
His stage background became an important part of his early career. He joined the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company and later moved steadily between theatre, television and film.
Among his screen credits are Da Vinci’s Demons, Jekyll and Hyde, Vanity Fair, Beecham House and Behind Her Eyes.
He returned as Bouc in Death on the Nile, another Kenneth Branagh adaptation of an Agatha Christie mystery.
More recently, Bateman starred opposite Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina in Based on a True Story and appeared as George Tesman in Hedda. His upcoming credits include the screen adaptation of The Love Hypothesis.
Daisy Ridley Built a Career Beyond Star Wars
Although Ridley remains closely identified with Rey, her career after the Star Wars sequel trilogy has increasingly moved between independent dramas, thrillers and physically demanding true stories.
Sometimes I Think About Dying showed a quieter side of her work, while Young Woman and the Sea cast her as American swimmer Gertrude “Trudy” Ederle, the first woman to swim across the English Channel.
She later led Cleaner and We Bury the Dead, continuing a pattern of choosing projects far removed from the science-fiction franchise that made her famous.
Ridley’s schedule remains active in 2026, including projects in film and immersive entertainment.
That busy career has developed alongside Bateman’s own projects, with Magpie standing out as the clearest intersection between their professional lives.
Their Relationship Has Lasted Nearly a Decade
Bateman and Ridley met during production of Murder on the Orient Express in the period leading up to its 2017 release.
Nearly a decade later, they remain married and occasionally work together while continuing to maintain separate careers.
Unlike many celebrity couples, their relationship has not been built around constant red-carpet appearances or social media updates.
Instead, much of their story has become public gradually: meeting on a movie set, engagement rumors, Ridley’s eventual marriage confirmation and later their collaboration on Magpie.
For Bateman and Ridley, keeping some details private appears to be a deliberate choice rather than evidence of distance from Hollywood. Both continue to work regularly, but their marriage remains one part of their lives they largely control themselves.
FAQ
Who is Tom Bateman’s wife?
Tom Bateman is married to British actress Daisy Ridley, best known for playing Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
When did Tom Bateman marry Daisy Ridley?
The couple has not publicly disclosed their exact wedding date. Ridley confirmed in January 2023 that she and Bateman had married.
How did Tom Bateman and Daisy Ridley meet?
They met while working together on the 2017 movie Murder on the Orient Express. Their friendship later developed into a romantic relationship.
Was Daisy Ridley engaged to Tom Bateman?
Engagement speculation circulated for several years after Ridley was photographed wearing a ring. She avoided confirming the rumors at the time and later revealed that she and Bateman were married.
Do Tom Bateman and Daisy Ridley have children?
Neither Bateman nor Ridley has publicly announced having children as of September 2026.
Have Tom Bateman and Daisy Ridley worked together since Murder on the Orient Express?
Yes. Ridley developed the idea for Magpie, while Bateman wrote the screenplay. The psychological thriller stars Ridley as Annette.
What is Tom Bateman known for?
Bateman is known for Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, Behind Her Eyes, Vanity Fair, Based on a True Story and Hedda.
What is Daisy Ridley best known for?
Ridley is best known internationally for playing Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.
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