He was 18 and she was 42 when they met. And somehow, even without going out on a date or even kissing, Aaron knew that she was the woman for him.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Sam Taylor-Johnson have been together for over 10 years now and in the process, they have quashed many stereotypes and forged a rock-solid relationship that could inspire many unconventional couples.
But it was not easy for them. Director and artist Sam is 24 years older than Aaron and that fetched them intense scrutiny and criticism when the news of their relationship became public. Although, both Sam and Aaron believe that the criticism never took a toll on their relationship. Instead, they kept coming closer to each other and supported each other fiercely through all the challenges.
Aaron also mentioned that he instantly knew that Sam was "the one" for him the moment he laid eyes on her.
The Kick-Ass star told Harper's Bazaar, "I remember it very, very clearly." He added, "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."
The couple met on the set of Nowhere Boy in 2008, the critically acclaimed John Lennon biopic, that Sam was directing and Aaron was acting in, reports ELLE. Aaron was 18 and Sam was 42 back then. "We were very professional through the entire film," he said of their relationship during filming. "No funny business at all."
While they kept hiding their feelings and their relationship, gradually, their colleagues came to know about it. "And as soon as we finished, he told me he was going to marry me. We had never been on a date, or even kissed," said Sam. And marry they did, in 2012. This shows that the spark that they had was not one that was meant to be momentary. It was not a fleeting moment of attraction between two successful and beautiful individuals. They knew this was meant to be!
The intensity of their love and commitment for each other could be felt from this statement of Aaron's where he admits that even after 10 years they can't be apart from each other for long. And this is the kind of relationship we all dream of.
“In the 10 years we’ve been together, we’ve only been apart for maybe two or three days.” He added, "And those were the worst days of those 10 years."
Through these years, they have also had their fair share of scrutiny and criticism for the 24-year age gap. The Nocturnal Animals actor revealed that he still struggles to come to terms with all the scrutiny and talk about his marriage to the 50 Shades of Grey director.
He told New York Magazine, "The attention was intrusive. But having to deal with that early in my career probably got me to a place where I can more quickly just go, 'Oh, f*ck it' instead of wanting to rip someone's head off for asking questions I don't like."
Sam, on the other hand, told THR, "If I gave a second thought to other people, I would be the unhappiest person, probably still in a miserable marriage." She added, "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."
However, the Avengers star confessed that he will never be able to completely get over the criticism or scrutiny that they are subjected to. "I'll never be Jennifer Lawrence or Tom Cruise, someone who can hold a movie and then be charming and charismatic doing promotion. I haven't got what they've got. But at least I'm now comfortable just being myself," he said.
Sam had battled two bouts of cancer before they met and built a beautiful, mature relationship. From the very beginning, they knew that they are meant to get married, start a family and be there together for each other. But the criticisms were getting wilder by the day and in 2015, Aaron hit back at them to Times magazine, saying, "I knew I wanted to be with her. I wanted kids, we had kids and I was really into that, taking time off and involving myself in the bubble of her pregnancy."
The couple has two daughters together: Wylda Rae and Romy Hero as well as two children from Sam's previous marriage to art dealer and gallerist, Jay Jopling. "We're already a team," Aaron told The Hollywood Reporter. "We are already parents that run our house, so when we work together it's the best."
They are a private couple and like keeping it that way, which is why they rarely open about their private lives or give a peek into their kids' lives.
“We live behind walls,” Aaron said to Bazaar. “Literally, figuratively, and deliberately. You’ll never see our children or any of our most personal moments on social media or in the press. We have our professional lives and our life together, and we keep them apart.”
References
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/a29663490/sam-aaron-taylor-johnson-interview-2019/
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/a29663490/sam-aaron-taylor-johnson-interview-2019/
