Stockard Channing, the iconic actress best known for her role as Betty Rizzo in the beloved 1978 film “Grease,” has opened up about her solitary life in London in a recent essay for the Sunday Times. At 82, Channing reflects on losing her longtime partner, cinematographer Daniel Gillham, who passed away in 2014. She candidly describes the profound impact his death has had on her life.
Life After Loss
In her essay, Channing reveals, “I’ve lived alone since I lost [my partner], Daniel [Gillham].” After 25 years together, the loss was “more devastating than” she initially realized. This grief has had a “lag effect,” shifting the pattern of her life and prompting her to move from Maine to London in 2019.
A New Routine
Channing embraces her reclusive lifestyle, expressing satisfaction in her choice to reside away from the Hollywood spotlight. Her daily routine is simple and introspective; it mostly consists of staying in bed, journaling, and attending to her dog. “At my age, life is guided by bodily functions,” she humorously notes.
Her meals are unpretentious, ranging from ramen to salad, and she wears non-designer outfits, humorously admitting that her brand-name clothes are “all from the Eighties and Nineties.” Besides journaling, she enjoys reading, doing Pilates, and engaging in what she describes as “pottering,” which she considers a form of meditation.
Reflections on Life and Love
Channing, who does not have children, shares her mixed feelings about motherhood. While she once contemplated having kids, she quips that “children can be just as selfish as everybody else out there” and muses that it would “be great to have someone taking care” of her now.
Throughout her life, Channing has been married four times, with her relationship with Gillham being the longest. Reflecting on her past, she remarks, “They all represent epochs of me,” indicating how her marriages influenced her development over the decades. She associates the different phases of her life with the cultural context of the times, stating, “I grew up in the Sixties, reacting to that repressed notion of marriage and sexuality from the Fifties — kinda like Rizzo.”
A Legacy of Characters
Channing acknowledges that different generations recognize her for various roles—“For younger girls, it’s ‘Practical Magic,’ for grown-ups it’s ‘The West Wing,’ and for real grown-ups it’s ‘Grease.’” This diverse recognition points to the lasting impact her work has had across multiple age groups.
The Future of Acting
Looking ahead, Channing is unsure about her acting future after directing a show in Edinburgh this year. However, she remains open to possibilities, acknowledging, “Acting is like everything in life; you never know what’s going to happen.”
