Stockard Channing, 82, has offered a rare glimpse into her life as a "recluse" in London, a lifestyle she adopted after the death of her partner, Daniel Gillham, in 2014.
Channing, who achieved fame for her role as Betty Rizzo in the 1978 film "Grease," explained in a recent essay that losing Gillham, a cinematographer, after 25 years together was "more devastating than" she initially realized. This profound grief "shifted the pattern" of her life, prompting her move from Maine to London in 2019.
"I've lived alone since I lost [my partner], Daniel [Gillham]," Channing wrote in the essay published in The Sunday Times. She noted that her grief had a "lag effect" and that "at my age, life is guided by bodily functions."
Despite previously being married four times, Channing reflected on her relationship with Gillham, which began in 1990. Her earlier marriages, starting with Walter Channing Jr. in 1963, followed by Paul Schmidt, David Debin, and David Rawle, she described as "epochs of me," comparing her youthful rebellion to her "Grease" character.
She detailed her current daily routine in London, which includes staying in bed for extended periods to journal. Her meals consist of simple fare like ramen and salads, and she favors non-designer clothing, with her current wardrobe largely consisting of pieces from the 1980s and 1990s. Channing also engages in activities like reading, Pilates, and what she calls "pottering," which she describes as "moving things from that pile to that pile" as a form of meditation.
While she mused that it would be "great to have someone taking care" of her, Channing acknowledged that children, though once a consideration, can be "just as selfish as everybody else out there." She clarified that she is "happy being a recluse" away from the Hollywood spotlight.
Channing noted that different age groups recognize her from various roles, including "Practical Magic" for younger audiences, "The West Wing" for adults, and "Grease" for "real grown-ups."
Regarding her future in acting, Channing indicated she is uncertain about taking on new projects after directing a show in Edinburgh this year, though she conceded that "acting is like everything in life; you never know what's going to happen."