A long-standing Hollywood cliché sees leading men parading a succession of young, beautiful partners, celebrated as eternal bachelors while their female peers face less flattering labels. Yet a noticeable shift is underway, with a wave of male celebrities in their fifties and beyond deciding to leave their 'golden bachelor' days behind for marriage and family life.
The 53-Year-Old Turning Point
This week, TV chef James Martin, 53, became the latest to join the trend, getting engaged to personal trainer Kim Johnson, 39. This marks a significant U-turn for Martin, who in 2019 publicly declared marriage did not interest him "in the slightest". The engagement comes two years after he split from long-term girlfriend Louise Davies, following a 12-year relationship.
Intriguingly, 53 appears to be a pivotal age for this life-changing decision. In 2014, the world's most eligible bachelor, George Clooney, also aged 53, married human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, then 36. This followed a whirlwind romance that began in July 2013. Clooney had famously vowed never to marry again after his divorce from actress Talia Balsam in the 1990s.
Reflecting on his change of heart, Clooney later admitted, "I was like, 'I’m never getting married. I’m not gonna have kids.' And I didn’t know how un-full it was until I met Amal." The couple, now parents to eight-year-old twins Ella and Alexander, are considered a Hollywood success story.
A Pattern of Midlife Matrimony
James Martin and George Clooney are far from alone. Last year, actor Justin Theroux, then 53, secretly married actress Nicole Brydon Bloom, then 30, in Mexico. The couple are now expecting their first child. Theroux was previously married to Jennifer Aniston from 2015 to 2017.
The trend extends to other ages as well. Sex and the City star Chris Noth, who played the commitment-phobic Mr. Big, waited until he was 57 to marry longtime girlfriend Tara Wilson, then 30, in 2012. They had been together for a decade and already had a son.
Similarly, British rom-com king Hugh Grant surprised friends by marrying Anna Eberstein, then 39, when he was 58. The couple, who have three children together, had been dating since 2012. Grant had previously been a vocal sceptic of marriage, telling People magazine in 2015, "I'm not really a believer in marriage." He later admitted he was "just plain wrong".
From Playboy to Family Man
Perhaps the most iconic transformation is that of Warren Beatty. Once Hollywood's most notorious playboy, linked to stars like Madonna and Diane Keaton, he settled down at 54 with actress Annette Bening, then 33, in 1992. Beatty knew instantly, calling his director after their first meeting to declare, "I love her, and I'm going to marry her." They have now been married for over three decades and have four children.
Will Forte joined the club at 51, marrying Olivia Modling, then 30, in 2021. The couple, who have two daughters, decided to wed in a surprise ceremony 10 weeks after the birth of their first child. Forte described his wife as "the most patient, understanding woman in the world".
This collective shift among high-profile men suggests a redefinition of the 'golden bachelor' ideal. For these celebrities, the appeal of a stable partnership and family life ultimately proved stronger than the allure of perpetual singlehood, leading to heartfelt public recantations of their former vows and a new chapter in their personal stories.
