The private world of celebrated playwright Tom Stoppard and acclaimed actress Sinéad Cusack has become public through a new biography. The book details a ten-year relationship between Stoppard and Cusack, who was married to actor Jeremy Irons at the time. Their affair, long known within theater circles, was conducted discreetly, often at Stoppard’s home in France. It reportedly ended when Cusack chose to focus on rebuilding a relationship with a son she had given up for adoption decades earlier.
This story touches on three major figures in British arts and theater: a knighted playwright known for his intellectual works, an Irish actress from a famed acting dynasty, and an Oscar-winning actor. Their interconnected lives spanned decades of collaboration and complex personal choices.
The Foundations of the Relationship: Theater and Collaboration
The connection between Tom Stoppard and Sinéad Cusack was rooted deeply in their professional world. Stoppard, the celebrated writer of plays like “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” and “Arcadia,” is considered one of the greatest English-language playwrights of his generation. Cusack, a respected Irish actress and member of the famous Cusack acting family, has had a distinguished career on stage and screen, earning multiple Tony and Olivier Award nominations.
Their paths crossed professionally in a significant way with Stoppard’s play “Rock ‘n’ Roll.” The play premiered in London in 2006 and moved to Broadway. Cusack starred in the production, which earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play in 2008. This period of intense creative collaboration is noted as the backdrop against which their personal relationship developed.
Simultaneously, Cusack’s marriage to Jeremy Irons was a long-standing public fact. The couple married in 1978 and have two sons together, Max and Samuel Irons. Irons himself had a notable professional link to Stoppard, having won a Tony Award in 1984 for his performance in the Broadway production of Stoppard’s play “The Real Thing”. This created a complex web of personal and professional ties within a small, elite circle of artists.
The Details of the Decade-Long Affair
According to the biography by Hermione Lee, the affair between Cusack and Stoppard lasted for roughly ten years. To maintain discretion, they often spent time together at Stoppard’s house in Lacoste, France. Reports indicate they would sometimes travel to this French home separately to avoid drawing attention.
The new Stoppard biography reveals that it was Cusack’s reconnection with her son, Richard Boyd Barrett TD, which brought the affair to an end.
Throughout this period, Cusack remained married to Jeremy Irons. In a 2009 interview, Irons spoke openly about the challenges of long-term marriage, saying, “Sinead and I have had difficult times, every marriage does because people are impossible. I’m impossible, my wife’s impossible, life’s impossible.” He also expressed a deep commitment to the union, stating, “I really value family, I’ve fought for it”.
The relationship between Stoppard and Cusack was reportedly an open secret within London’s theater community, considered more a matter of private life than public scandal by those in the know.
Why the Relationship Ended: A Mother’s Reunion
A key factor in the end of the affair was a profound personal event in Sinéad Cusack’s life. As a teenager in 1967, Cusack had given birth to a son and placed him for adoption. That son, Richard Boyd Barrett, grew up to become a politician in Ireland, elected as a member of the Dáil Éireann.
After years of searching, mother and son were reunited in the mid-2000s. Cusack became actively involved in his life, even campaigning for him during his elections. This rekindled relationship required her to spend considerable time in Dublin, which pulled her away from the life she shared with Stoppard in France.
Choosing to focus on this newly restored family bond, Cusack amicably ended her romantic relationship with Stoppard. She subsequently gave him her blessing when he began a new relationship with Sabrina Guinness, whom he later married.
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The Aftermath and Lasting Legacies
Following the affair, all three individuals continued their successful careers and personal lives. Tom Stoppard married Sabrina Guinness in 2014. He continued to write, with his final play, “Leopoldstadt,” premiering in 2020 to critical acclaim, winning both Olivier and Tony Awards for Best Play.
Sinéad Cusack and Jeremy Irons remain married, having weathered the revealed complexities of their long partnership. Cusack has continued her acting career, and both she and Irons have supported their sons, who have also entered the acting profession.
The revelation of the affair, detailed in Hermione Lee’s comprehensive 2020 biography, provided the public with a deeper look into the intertwined personal lives of these prominent figures. For those in the theater world, it simply confirmed long-held knowledge, highlighting the distinct separation between public personas and private realities in the arts.
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