Stockard Channing Opens Up About Her Life as a 'Recluse' After Longtime Partner's Passing and Her Return to Hollywood

In an intimate interview with the U.K.'s Sunday Times, Grease legend Stockard Channing, now 82, offers a rare peek into her life away from the limelight following the death of her longtime partner Daniel Gillham in 2014. Channing shared that since just before the pandemic, she's been living in London, having moved from Maine after finding solace in the city post-Gillham's passing. "The pattern of my life shifted, so I shifted my life," she explained, adding that her move "vaguely coincided" with political shifts in the U.S. Channing, who met Gillham on the set of 1988's A Time of Destiny, was previously married four times before their relationship. Reflecting on her marital history, she mused, "I’ve lived alone since I lost Daniel and I’m happy being a recluse." While Channing admitted that children would be nice for companionship now, she joked, "Children can be just as selfish as everybody else out there." Days spent in her London apartment are simple, according to the actress. "If I'm leaving the apartment I comb my hair, but I don't have a wardrobe of designer outfits," she revealed, mentioning that her vintage '80s and '90s wardrobe still serves her well. Channing has managed to keep busy despite her quieter lifestyle, with a return to the big screen later this year in Practical Magic 2 alongside Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, and Dianne Wiest. Additionally, she's working behind the scenes on a stage production at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. However, Channing isn't certain about her future plans. "Acting is like everything in life; you never know what’s going to happen," she said. Though she may have stepped away from Hollywood fanfare, one thing remains constant - Channing's unapologetic candor and authenticity. As she put it, "Pottering is my meditation; moving things from that pile to that pile."