Actress Natascha McElhone has reportedly entered a romantic relationship with her co-star Assad Zaman. The pair grew close during their time working on the Sky series Hotel Portofino, marking a significant personal milestone for McElhone.
A 20-year age gap and the set of Hotel Portofino
Natascha McElhone, 56, and Assad Zaman, 36, have reportedly begun a serious romance. According to the report, the relationship developed while the two were filming Hotel Portofino,a production that aired between 2022 and 2024. In the series, Assad Zaman played a doctor who was secretly in love with the son of the character playyed by Natascha McElhone.
From the 2008 loss of Martin Kelly to 'After You'
This new chapter follows a period of profound personal hardship for Natascha McElhone, who lost her husband, plastic surgeon Martin Kelly, in 2008. Kelly passed away from an undiagnosed heart condition while McElhone was pregnant with their third child. As the report notes, McElhone spent the following years as a single parent to three sons—Theo, Otis, and Rex—describing the experience as "all consuming."
To navigate this grief, Natascha McElhone authored After You, a collection of journal entries detailing her journey through loss. Her current relationship reflects a broader narrative of rediscovery and emotional evolution after long-term caregiving. Having dedicated her energy to her children for nearly two decades, the The Crown actress is now entering a new phase of her personal life.
Assad Zaman's transition to The Vampire Lestat
While his personal life draws attention, Assad Zaman is also experiencing a professional surge. The Newcastle upon Tyne native portrays Armand, a 500-year-old vampire, in the series Interview With The Vampire. The production is being rebranded as The Vampire Lestat for its third season on BBC Two.
Zaman's role is a modern interpretation of a character previously portrayed by Antonio Banderas in the 1994 film. This transition highlights a trend of reviving gothic literary properties for modern audiences , placing Assad Zaman in the lineage of previous stars like Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.
The silence of representatives and the 17-minute 'Flesh Impact'
Despite the reports of a budding romance, representatives for both Natascha McElhone and Assad Zaman have not yet issued official comments. This leaves the exact nature and confirmation of the relationship unverified by the actors' own teams.
Elsewhere in the industry, the Venice Film Festival is preparing to premiere Flesh Impact, a 17-minute short film directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal. The project features Dakota Johnson as a young Marilyn Monroe and Ellen Burstyn as an older version of the star . According to the report, Ellen Burstyn will also be honored with the Golden Lion Lifetime Achievement Award at the festival.
Sian Brooke's digital struggle despite 'The Undeclared War'
In a contrasting bit of industry news, actress Sian Brooke has spoken about her lack of technical proficiency. Despite playing a computer-savvy intelligence analyst in the series The Undeclared War, Brooke admits she relies on her children for basic digital tasks. The Blue Lights star joked about her inability to navigate Instagram,illustrating the frequent gap between an actor's professional persona and their private reality.
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