Robin Wright is the latest Hollywood star to trade Los Angeles for life in the U.K.—and she says the move has been nothing short of liberating.
In a new interview with The Sunday Times (published Aug. 30), Wright didn’t mince words about her feelings toward the U.S. “America is a (expletive) show,” she said. She wasn’t talking politics—just day-to-day living. “I love being in this country. There’s a freedom of self here. People are so kind. They’re living. They’re not stuck in traffic, panicked on a phone call, eating a sandwich at the same time. That’s most of America—rush, competition, speed.”
For her, being in England feels like exhaling. “It’s liberating to be done. Be done with searching, looking, and getting 60% of what you wanted.”
Wright has been based in the U.K. for the past few years, bouncing between rental homes while filming. Compared with Los Angeles, she says life feels quieter—and that’s exactly what she wants. “Everyone’s building a huge house and I’m just done with all that. I love the quiet.”
There is one cultural quirk she’s still wrapping her head around: Britain’s obsession with class. “It’s very evident when you’re in a room and you feel the judgment or the praise of someone who’s more elevated,” she explained. “I’m trying to figure it out. Why are you guys so obsessed with who went to this boarding school or this university?”
On the personal side, Wright says she’s found love again. She’s been with Henry Smith, a British-Australian architect, for about a year. “I’ve met my person. Finally,” she said. “I love being alone and I’ve done that many times. But now? I want to grow old with somebody, and travel and see the world.”
Marriage, however, isn’t on the table. Wright, who has been married three times (including to Sean Penn, with whom she shares two children, Dylan and Hopper), says that chapter is behind her. “No. God no. Why? That’s just unnecessary.”
Next up, Wright is returning to the screen with The Girlfriend, a new thriller series for Amazon Prime. She plays a mom who gets a bad feeling about her son’s (Laurie Davidson) new girlfriend, played by Olivia Cooke. The series premieres Sept. 10. Photo by Georges Biard, Wikimedia commons.
