Latest news with #KeeleyHawes
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
How Keeley Hawes became a British style muse at 49
In the hit Amazon Prime series The Assassin, Keeley Hawes shines as a 'perimenopausal James Bond' in the form of a former hitwoman forced out of retirement. Throughout the six-part caper, Hawes's muted, functional wardrobe befits her no-nonsense character, as well as her vocation – there's always a chance her clothes will be splattered with blood, after all. Cue an assortment of khaki overshirts and subtly tapered chinos, dungarees paired with oversized plaid shirts, and classic accessories including a trusty pair of Ray Ban Clubmaster sunglasses and Vans Old Skool Trainers. And not to be forgotten is a waterproof backpack that is well and truly put through its paces during various scrapes. It might not be the most fashion-forward on-screen wardrobe doing the rounds at the moment – that title belongs to Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep filming The Devil Wears Prada 2 – but there's something compelling about it nonetheless. One of the best looks in the series sees Hawes in a navy shirt tucked into black trousers that give a nod to the barrel-leg trend while remaining low-key enough for everyday wear – proof that practicality and chic needn't be mutually exclusive. At the London premiere for The Assassin, however, Hawes looked a world away from a hitwoman with utility front of mind. She wore a painterly floral print dress by Erdem, with shades of burgundy and blue interspersed with hand-painted portraits by the artist Kaye Donachie. The dress was accessorised with a silver pair of Manolo Blahnik Maysale mules and co-ordinating jewellery by Otiumberg and Completed Works. 'I've been styling Keeley for just over a year and we have such a fantastic time working together as she loves fashion and is very collaborative on all our looks,' says stylist Rosie Arkell-Palmer, who worked on the premiere ensemble. 'Keeley really rocks a suit; whether it's a fitted skirt-suit or oversized tailoring, she always looks confident and super cool. We also love romantic details in styles and fabrics and look to designers like Erdem, Dior and Stella McCartney to find a good balance between the masculine and feminine.' The Assassin is just one example of this winning formula, which is, in turn, the result of the style evolution we've witnessed this much-loved British talent undergo in recent years. On and off screen, the 49-year-old has always looked good, memorably starring in everything from The Durrells and Tipping The Velvet to Line of Duty and The Bodyguard. But while she hasn't exactly been thought of as a fashion player throughout her career – fans are yet to see her front campaigns à la Olivia Colman for Burberry, for example – she's increasingly becoming a British style star. From fashion week front rows to Dior dinners and glitzy award shows, her diary is increasingly fashion-forward, featuring frequent appearances with her husband of 21 years, Matthew Macfadyen, who remains at the height of his Succession fame. In February 2025, Hawes attended Erdem's AW25 show, holding her own next to fellow actresses Lily James, Hayley Atwell and Katherine Waterston in a double-breasted black Erdem suit paired with the house's signature Bloom bag (a covetable leather piece with a sculptural flower bud handle). This wasn't her first front row appearance; she also took a top spot alongside Alexa Chung and Zadie Smith the year before at Jonathan Anderson's AW24 show. 2024 was also the year Hawes attended her first Met Gala, together with Macfadyen. At the annual highlight of the fashion calendar, Hawes rubbed shoulders with A-listers and even the mistress of the Met herself. 'A very memorable fashion moment was meeting Anna Wintour,' she told Harper's Bazaar in a recent interview. 'She is just such an iconic fashion figure. I think she's amazing.' Luckily, Hawes was dressed for the 'Garden of Time' themed occasion in a Marc Jacobs dress created in collaboration with artist Brandy Kraft, which was paired with black Jimmy Choo platform heels. When she's not on the red carpet, Hawes seems to favour an enviable array of soft luxury brands. 'I like quite classic clothes,' she said in a 2024 interview with The Telegraph. 'It's taken me a long time, actually, just to be happy and comfortable and settled, but that's what I like. I don't worry about getting dressed anymore. I can put clothes on and leave, which is a revelation, really.' During the interview, she wore a coat from The Row, high-waisted black trousers from Khaite and a cardigan from much-missed Matches-owned brand Raey – something of a holy trinity of low-key chic labels. A scroll through her Instagram shows further fashion awareness: quirky S.S. Daley knits and Citizens of Humanity jeans, sharp Rejina Pyo tailoring, pretty Huishan Zhang dresses. It's certainly an inspiring line-up. While Hawes's character in The Assassin likely wouldn't be moved by her recent sartorial tour de force, fashion fans have a new British style muse on their hands. Here's hoping the evolution continues from strength to strength.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
'Gripping and delightful' ITV drama rockets up Netflix charts as it makes streaming comeback four years after original release
A 'gripping and delightful' ITV drama has rocketed up the Netflix charts as it makes its streaming comeback - four years after its original release. Finding Alice, starring Keeley Hawes, 49, follows the title character as she deals with the sudden loss of her husband. But Alice soon learns that her late partner had been hiding a string of disturbing secrets from her. A synopsis for the series reads: 'After her husband dies in the new home he designed for them, Alice uncovers a string of sinister secrets he kept hidden from her.' Now it seems fans are rediscovering the drama, which has climbed to fourth place in Netflix's Top 10 UK chart since it landed on the platform on August 1. The show, which originally aired on ITV in 2021, also features a star-studded cast including Joanna Lumley, 79, along with Gemma Jones, Nigel Havers, Sharon Rooney, and Rhashan Stone. The gripping drama starring Keeley Hawes, 49, follows the title character as she deals with the sudden loss of her husband. But Alice soon learns that her late partner had been hiding a string of disturbing secrets from her Viewer and critic reactions were mixed at the time of release, and the series currently holds a 69% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 13 critic reviews. However, many praised Keeley's lead performance, calling it one of the show's strongest elements. Decider wrote: 'Finding Alice strikes the right balance between drama and comedy, sadness and laughter, with a fine performance by Keeley Hawes at its center.' What She Said added: 'Good gripping stuff heightened by (Keeley) Hawe's unique characterisation.' Meanwhile, Paste Magazine described her performance as 'magnetic'. While The Guardian raved: 'I simply cannot convey to you the delight of seeing this beautiful piece of order suddenly arising out of the chaos of the past year. Enjoy.' But not everyone was impressed with the drama series. The Mail on Sunday commented: 'It's intended, I think, as a 'darkly witty' take on grief and loss and discovering your newly deceased spouse was hiding all manner of secrets (oh, that), Now it seems fans are rediscovering the drama, which has climbed to fourth place in Netflix's Top 10 UK chart since it landed on the platform on August 1 The show, which originally aired on ITV in 2021, features a star-studded cast including Joanna Lumley, 79, along with Gemma Jones, Nigel Havers, Sharon Rooney, and Rhashan Stone They continued: 'But the script was such that everyone simply came over as gratingly annoying and unpleasant.' Meanwhile, The Times said of Keeley's character: 'I still can't get past the fact that I don't believe in her character for a single second.' The Telegraph praised the show for its 'good performances' and some 'funny lines' from Joanna. However, they noted that the show is 'pitched oddly between a thriller and a romcom' and awarded it a three out of five star rating. Finding Alice is now available to stream on Netflix until July 2026. Fans can also watch the full series for free with ads on ITVX and STV Player. FINDING ALICE: WHAT HAVE THE CRITICS SAID: Decider 'Finding Alice strikes the right balance between drama and comedy, sadness and laughter, with a fine performance by Keeley Hawes at its center.' What She Said 'Good gripping stuff heightened by (Keeley) Hawe's unique characterisation.' The Guardian 'I simply cannot convey to you the delight of seeing this beautiful piece of order suddenly arising out of the chaos of the past year. Enjoy.' The Mail on Sunday 'It's intended, I think, as a 'darkly witty' take on grief and loss and discovering your newly deceased spouse was hiding all manner of secrets (oh, that), but the script was such that everyone simply came over as gratingly annoying and unpleasant.' The Times 'I still can't get past the fact that I don't believe in her character for a single second.' The Telegraph
Daily Mail
05-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Keeley Hawes gives an insight into romantic getaway with Succession star husband Matthew Mcfadyen to The Dolomites
Keeley Hawes gave an insight into her romantic getaway to The Dolomites with her husband Matthew Mcfadyen on Monday. The actress, 49, and the Succession star, 50, enjoyed a trip to the Lefay Resorts and Residences for some relaxation. Sharing a series of photos to Instagram, Keeley wrapped herself in a dressing gown and soaked up the stunning scenery. Other photos showed the couple posing for a photo in the mirror before heading for a massage. Keeley also snapped a picture of the pool and a plate of pancakes and fruit that she had tucked into for breakfast. She captioned the update: 'Didn't want to leave… Thank you.' Keeley recently revealed how they both 'get shouted at in the street' due to their respective acting careers and what life is like at home. Joining Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett on season seven of Dish from Waitrose on Wednesday she joked they'd both spent a lot of time in people's living rooms. She explained: 'People immediately think they know you, yeah-when you're in their living rooms. People call me Mrs. Durrell a lot, which I always find very flattering.' The actress continued: 'Matthew had it more recently with Succession, but something like Bodyguard or like Line of Duty, where literally people are shouting things from vans and people and, you know, it becomes part of the culture for that week or whatever. It's really exciting. It's really flattering, and really lovely.' Elsewhere discussing life at home, Keeley admitted that she hates cooking while Matthew really 'invests time' into making their meals. She added: 'Being married to someone like Matthew who really enjoys it, Matthew wakes up in the morning and the first thing out of his mouth will be 'What should we have for dinner tonight?' At like seven o'clock in the morning. I'm like, 'I don't know. I don't care. 'You know, but he will really invest and invest time and really enjoy the process. And after twenty years of somebody else doing it and, preparing things, and it happening for you, I think there's probably an element of that. So, there is a lot of toast in my diet. 'Matthew grew up in Indonesia a lot of the time and surrounded by this amazing cooking and these tastes and trying different things,' she explained. The couple rang in her 20th wedding anniversary back in October and looked as loved up as ever in a social media update. The couple recently revealed they are looking forward to their 'third act' as a couple when their children fly the nest. They are proud parents to daughter Maggie, 19, and son Ralph, 17, while Matthew is also a step-dad to Keeley's son Myles, 24, from her first marriage. Matthew said he is looking forward to spending quality time with Keeley and heading off on numerous mini-breaks when they have more time to themselves. He told CBS: 'It's like a third act. It's exciting. We're like, "OK, mini-breaks!" In the trenches when they're little, it's like, 'This is it for ever', but of course it's not.' The actor added: 'Then you realise, luckily, ours are really lovely, funny humans who are making you laugh and telling you off.' The star went on to admit this is the first time his children have been interested in his work. Matthew said: 'We don't always watch each other's stuff and our children certainly don't watch our things. That's sort of galling – no interest. That keeps you humble. 'But they will watch Deadpool for sure. They suddenly perked up when they heard I was doing that. They finally showed a modicum of interest. My daughter was like, 'Will you meet Blake?' Keeley and Matthew have been married since 2004 and Matthew is also step-father to Myles McCallum, Keeley's son with first husband Spencer McCallum, a cartoonist.
Metro
04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Netflix fans rush to binge 'gripping' psychological drama that's soared up chart
A drama series that left viewers caught off guard with its 'dark comedy' is now one of the most-watched shows on Netflix in the UK. First premiering on ITV in 2021, Finding Alice starred Keeley Hawes as Alice, who is left heartbroken after the sudden death of her husband Harry (Jason Merrells). His death occurs soon after they move into the new home he designed for them and their teenage daughter Charlotte (Isabella Pappas), but while navigating her grief, Alice must contend with uncovering 'a string of sinister secrets he kept hidden from her'. At the same time Alice has to deal with her late husband's parents –Minnie (Gemma Jones) and Gerry (Kenneth Cranham), who keep turning up uninvited to their home for unexplained reasons. Meanwhile Alice's own parents Roger (Nigel Havers) and Sarah (Joanna Lumley) only add to her problems, which also include suspicious police officers, unexpected visitors and the realisation that business debt wasn't the only secret Harry had been keeping. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. Although the response to the show from critics and viewers was mixed, it did have many fans. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'I simply cannot convey to you the delight of seeing this beautiful piece of order suddenly arising out of the chaos of the past year,' The Guardian wrote in its review. 'Finding Alice strikes the right balance between drama and comedy, sadness and laughter, with a fine performance by Keeley Hawes at its centre,' Decider wrote. 'Good gripping stuff heightened by Hawe's unique characterisation,' WhatSheSaid added. Although some said it was a 'slow burn' and 'farfetched', others said it was 'original', 'moving' and 'a real treat'. This week the six-part series was added to Netflix, where its quickly shot up the charts and is now the fourth most watched show on the streaming platform in the UK. Speaking to the BBC at the time of the show's release, creator Roger Goldby spoke about its exploration of grief. 'Death in its instance is very traumatic and horrendous but it's the legacy of the grief that comes after that we're all touched by at some point in our lives to varying degrees,' he said about the idea for Finding Alice. 'It can be destabilising, catastrophic, shocking and all-encompassing when the rest of the world is carrying on around you. It's negotiating your way through that journey that interested me rather than the death itself. More Trending 'And one of the most important things was to be authentic, real and truthful and treat it with respect. It's not a documentary, but we wanted to be very honest.' Finding Alice was a massive hit for ITV when it aired, drawing in around 7 million viewers each episode. Although it was renewed for a second season, it was eventually canned due to scheduling conflicts. View More » Finding Alice is streaming on ITVX and Netflix. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Kate Garraway awkwardly jokes about 'being fired' from Good Morning Britain after ITV cuts MORE: The tragic story of the little girl who 'haunts' the Wednesday season 2 castle MORE: Netflix hit watched 250,000,000 times returns — and 6 more shows to binge in August
Telegraph
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Founder of stage school that launched Keeley Hawes and Amy Winehouse's careers dies
The founder of a theatre school that taught Keeley Hawes and Amy Winehouse has died. Sylvia Young has been hailed as a 'visionary' following her death aged 86. Her daughters Alison and Frances Ruffelle confirmed she 'passed away peacefully' on Wednesday, in a statement posted on the Sylvia Young Agency Instagram account. The Sylvia Young theatre school, which was established in 1972, has produced a wide range of stars from singers such as Dua Lipa and Rita Ora, to actors including Doctor Who's Billie Piper and Nicholas Hoult. McFly star Tom Fletcher met his wife, podcaster and presenter Giovanna Fletcher, at the school, which they attended from the age of 13, with Young attending their wedding. In a tribute, Fletcher posted on Instagram: 'My life would not be what it is without Sylvia Young. 'I remember watching Sylvia on Live And Kicking when I was 12 years old, she was talking about her school and all the fun they had there. 'I phoned up for a brochure and applied for a scholarship without telling my mum and dad. I didn't get the scholarship, but I got a place with a 'deal' attached because Sylvia wanted me there – something I quickly learnt the majority of the 140 students had.' She said 'meticulous' Ms Young 'knew what every child was up to and how to get the best out of everyone'. She added: 'I loved sitting in Sylvia's office and watching her work. 'She was meticulous, she knew what every child was up to and how to get the best out of everyone, she was devoted to helping her kids and I know how much she cared for each of us. Sometimes she cared when others didn't – helping some incredible talent flourish in the process. 'No one ever wanted to upset Sylvia and that's not because she would get angry and shout, quite the opposite, Sylvia's disapproval was enough. We all knew how lucky we were to be at that school, doing what we loved. We all wanted to impress her, and that never stopped.' In a comment on Young's daughters' social media post, actress Bonnie Langford added: 'Such sad news, Sylvia was such an inspiring, kind and generous person. 'She made a difference to so many and will be missed by so many, love to all the family and all those who she made feel were her family. Heartfelt condolences to you Frances and Alison...' Radio presenter Tony Blackburn, who was a friend of Young, also paid tribute in a post on X. He said: 'So sorry to hear Sylvia Young has passed away, she founded the Sylvia Young theatre school, which has been responsible for starting so many careers in TV and theatre.' Ms Young's family released a statement calling their mother a 'true visionary', who 'gave young people from all walks of life the chance to pursue their performing arts skills to the highest standard. 'Her rare ability to recognise raw talent and encourage all her students contributed to the richness of today's theatre and music world.' Young's daughters added: 'Her family were everything to her, her wonderful husband, our dad, Norman, and her grandchildren Eliza, Nat, Felix and Coral, plus her great-grandson, Rex. 'We share her love with her wide and inclusive family, her friends, her students. You all meant the world to her. 'We will miss her so very much.' Young was the subject of an episode of This Is Your Life in 1998, and was appointed an OBE in 2005 for her services to the arts. She married Norman Ruffelle in London in 1961, and is the grandmother of singer Eliza Doolittle.
