Dominic West is no stranger to TV aficionados, having starred in hit shows including The Wire and The Affair, but some people heard the actor’s name for the first time after he was linked to Lily James.
West, who has been married to Catherine FitzGerald since June 2010, was spotted getting cozy with James on an electric scooter during a trip to Rome in October 2020. After riding around the Spanish Steps and Piazza di Pietra, the Pursuit of Love costars had lunch with their manager, Angharad Wood, at a local restaurant. West was photographed without his wedding ring while kissing the Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again star’s neck and stroking her hair as they dined al fresco.
The photos raised questions about the status of the Brassic star’s 10-year marriage to FitzGerald, but when he returned to his native country later in the week, the spouses assured fans that they were doing just fine.
“Our marriage is strong and we’re very much still together. Thank you,” they wrote in a note to reporters before posing for photographers and kissing outside their home in Chippenham, England.
The scandal led several of West’s past interviews to resurface online as curious social media users began to look into his marriage to FitzGerald, who is a landscape designer and gardener. (The couple met while attending Trinity College Dublin in the 1990s but did not start dating until years later.)
In a 2016 interview with London’s Evening Standard, the Golden Globe nominee said, “I think women should be more indulgent of affairs. I really do. It’s daft to kick someone out over a fling. Isn’t it? Everyone should turn a blind eye to men’s behavior between the ages of 40 and 50. Let it all blow over.”
Later that year, West told The New York Times that FitzGerald has only seen select scenes from The Affair, in which he played a serial adulterer.
“My wife has watched little bits and said, ‘Very well done and marvelous, and I don’t need to watch any more,’” he said at the time.
Scroll down for five things to know about West.