She won an Emmy for her TV turn as the hard-charging owner of the soccer club at the center of Ted Lasso. Now, she’s about to be a big part of this summer’s big-screen season, including an upcoming role alongside Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt in Universal Pictures’ The Fall Guy. But behind the scenes, there’s a whole lot more to know about English actor Hannah Waddingham.
Long a star of the British stage before getting her first big Hollywood break (as Septa Unella, the “shame nun” on Game of Thrones), the 49 year-old star will be easy to spot this summer (and beyond) at the movies. In addition to playing taskmaster film producer Gail Meyer in The Fall Guy (get your tickets here!), she’ll voice a big animated meanie opposite Chris Pratt in The Garfield Movie, as well as kicking it with Tom Cruise in the next Mission: Impossiblesequel.
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Ready to learn more about the fascinating life of this dynamic single mom? Let’s dive in!
Hannah Waddingham as executive producer Gail Meyer in The Fall Guy. Photo: Youtube
Is Hannah Waddingham Married?
No, The Fall Guy and Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham is not married.
Though she was linked for a decade to Italian businessman Italian Gianluca Cugnetto, Waddingham and Cugnetto never tied the knot and today, she remains single. The couple’s long-running courtship did produce a child, now 9 years old, whom Waddingham proudly raises as a single mom.
Waddingham’s ongoing bachelorette status does come with some pretty high standards, as the actor explained in a late 2023 interview for the Reign with Josh Smith Podcast. “My love life is dry. I’m so busy and just a bit picky,” said Waddingham. “I’m nearly 50 and I’m like, ‘Dude, if you are not going to step up, step off and be gone!’ I’d rather hang with my girlfriends and gay friends and be respected.”
What to Know About Hannah Waddingham’s Daughter
Born in 2104, Waddingham’s daughter, Kitty, is now 9 years old. Thanks to her mother’s understandable commitment to letting her child grow up in private, media has kept a respectful distance from prying too deeply into the family’s personal life, though Waddingham herself has indicated that her daughter — born after Waddingham was reportedly told she wouldn’t be able to conceive —has been a special blessing.
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“My primary function is being a single mama,” Waddingham explained to People last year about balancing motherhood with her ascending Hollywood stardom. “…I keep saying to her that we are a team and that I have to do this. I have to strike while the iron is hot. I'm not so conceited that I would think that I will always have this kind of focus. I've always said to her, ‘Mommy must take this time while the light shines on me, because the light shines on you.’”
Where Else Have You Seen Hannah Waddingham?
Hannah Waddingham attends the 74th Primetime Emmys at Microsoft Theater on September 12, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
The Fall Guy might be the latest place to catch Waddingham onscreen, but chance are you’ve seen her in big-ticket American productions already. In addition to her breakout role on Game of Thrones, Waddingham held recurring roles on SYFY in Krypton and the critically acclaimed 12 Monkeys before taking up her star turn on Ted Lasso.
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On the big screen, Waddingham has most recently starred as the Mother Witch in 2022’s Hocus Pocus 2, and now it looks like her movie career is just a wand-wave away from kicking into seriously high gear. On top of The Fall Guy, she’s also set to voice main animated baddie Jinx in The Garfield Movie, as well as a still-secret role opposite Tom Cruise in the yet-untitled Mission: Impossible movie sequel due out in 2025. As a fun side note, her Garfield role isn’t the first time Waddingham has voiced an animated character: She’s also teamed up with Community creator Dan Harmon to voice a Greek goddess in Harmon’s adult animated sitcom Krapopolis.
Catch Waddingham alongside Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt in Universal Pictures’ The Fall Guy, opening in theaters everywhere on Friday, May 4. Grab your tickets here!
