Keeley Hawes bio, height. career path, chidren, husband, net worth 2025

Biography of Keeley Hawes

Keeley Hawes is a multifaceted British actress, model, singer, and producer. She rose to fame playing Alex Drake in the hit TV series "Ashes to Ashes," which earned her a Glamour Award. She also scored a BAFTA nomination for her standout performance in "Line of Duty." Hawes also lent her voice to Lara Croft in the video game "Tomb Raider." In 2022, she played the lead role in the dramatic horror film "The Midwich Cuckoos."

Childhood, Youth, and Family

Born Claire Julia Hawes in winter 1976 at London's St. Mary's Hospital, she was the fourth child of a taxi driver and homemaker, with three older brothers – two of whom followed their father into the cab business. The actress describes her parents as wonderful people but rarely shares details about their lives.

Despite growing up in the relatively affluent London neighborhood of Marylebone, her family was far from well-off. The six of them lived in a council flat, but the actress says that despite the tight quarters, her childhood was wonderful. She'd ride around the neighborhood on a moped with her brothers and play poker until their mother called them for dinner.

Her mother also emphasized proper speech, which later proved beneficial to Keeley:

Coming from central London, I wasn't a Cockney – my mother made sure we put 't's at the end of words, and then I went to drama school. I do speak somewhat grandly, but listen, I've just been working with Tom Hiddleston, and I feel very... Londonish, talking to him.

The ten years she spent honing her speaking skills at Sylvia Young Theatre School, where Hawes studied alongside Emma Bunton and Melanie Blatt, paid off. Both went on to become major artists in Britain too.

During her school years, Keeley participated in both amateur performances and television projects, including "Little House on the Prairie" and "The Waltons." When she was in sixth grade, a modeling scout approached her on the street and signed her to Select Model Management. For a time, Hawes also collaborated with Cosmopolitan.

Acting Career

Keeley Hawes rose to prominence in the mid-1990s after appearing in films such as "Troublemakers," "Karaoke," and "The Beggar Bride." She went on to star in adaptations of British classics including "Our Mutual Friend" (Lizzie Hexam), "The Vicar of Dibley" (Rosie Kennedy), and "The Last September" (Lois Farquar).

In 2002, she played the lead role of Kitty Butler in the erotic drama "Tipping the Velvet" and also began starring in the spy series "Spooks," playing Zoe Reynolds. Later, she appeared in "Agatha Christie's Marple," and in 2005 was cast as the lead in "Under the Greenwood Tree" as Fancy Day.

She starred alongside Sarah Parish and James McAvoy in the comedy "ShakespeaRe-Told" and opposite Matthew Macfadyen in "Death at a Funeral."

Keeley Hawes in Under the Greenwood Tree

Keeley played the lead character, Alex Drake, in the crime drama "Ashes to Ashes," and later brilliantly portrayed Miss Delphox in one episode of "Doctor Who." She continued building her successful career in the entertainment industry.

My character runs the most secure bank in the universe, and there's a wonderful scene where you see the wealthiest people in the universe walking across this massive concourse... It reminded me of the bar scene from «Star Wars» - they all looked so dazzling, in crazy outfits. I appear with my monster called The Teller, some poor, sweating fellow in a suit... it's very funny, but quite dark.

In the ambitious BBC miniseries "The Hollow Crown," which showcased all of William Shakespeare's historical plays together, Hawes portrayed Queen Elizabeth. On set, the actress worked with stars like Benedict Cumberbatch, Jeremy Irons, and Tom Hiddleston.

She then landed the lead role in the biographical drama "The Durrells," playing a widowed mother who moved from London to the island of Corfu to overcome financial difficulties and support her children.

This widow was the mother of famed naturalist Gerald Durrell, whose books Keeley had been engrossed in since childhood. "My Family and Other Animals" even became a staple on her bookshelf. "We couldn't travel, but Durrell's books opened up other worlds for me," Keeley later recalled.

Keeley Hawes talks about The Durrells

In 2021, Hawes starred in the dramedy "Finding Alice," for which she also wrote the screenplay. The plot centers on her partner, Jerry (Kenneth Cranham), who suddenly dies after moving into a new "smart" home, leaving Alice to confront the numerous secrets Jerry had been hiding from her.

A year later, Keeley reappeared on screen in another leading role, this time as Dr. Susannah Zellaby in the sci-fi series "The Midwich Cuckoos," an adaptation of John Wyndham's novel.

Personal Life of Keeley Hawes

Keeley Hawes has been married twice. She started dating her first husband, animator Spencer McCallum, in 1995, but they didn't tie the knot until 2001 when their son Myles was already one and a half years old.

Their marriage didn't last long – in 2002, while filming the series "Spooks," the actress fell for her co-star Matthew Macfadyen and filed for divorce right away.

She later recalled her first encounter with Matthew: Hawes has managed to stay on good terms with her first husband, explaining, "I have a couple of wonderful friends, my husband and my ex-husband. When children are involved, you just have to work things out."

Keeley Hawes» Tomb Raider sound effects - The Graham Norton Show

She married Matthew in 2004, and just two months after their wedding, she gave birth to a daughter, Maggie. Two years later, the couple welcomed a son named Ralph. Keeley and Matthew are still happily together, with the actress saying everything's wonderful in their family.

Keeley Hawes Now

In the fall of 2022, Keeley Hawes appeared before British audiences in the role of a family woman named Jo in the thriller "Crossfire." Her character, along with her family and friends, is vacationing at a luxurious hotel in the Canary Islands. Their perfect vacation is shattered by a sudden shootout, forcing Jo and the other survivors to do whatever it takes to stay alive. Hawes also served as the executive producer for the film.

Interesting Facts

When Keeley hit 40, she declared in an interview that she'd never do nude scenes again, refusing to compare her twenty-year-old self with how she looks now. When asked what she sees in the mirror, the actress admits: "Someone much older than I actually am... But I think that's true for everyone."
At the beginning of her career, Hawes appeared in several music videos, including "Saturday Night" by Suede, "Marvellous" by The Lightning Seeds, "Come Around" by The Mutton Birds, and "She's a Star" by James.

James – She's A Star
In addition to her work in film, Keeley has experience performing at the Royal National Theatre, where she played Belle in the play "Rocket to the Moon," as well as participating in the Theatre Royal Haymarket production of "Barking in Essex."