Stockard Channing, 82, made her first red carpet appearance in two years on Wednesday, just days after admitting she’s become a “recluse” since the death of her partner in 2014.
The 82-year-old actor attended the European premiere of Practical Magic 2 at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London on Wednesday. She reprises her role as Frances “Fran” Owens, the witch aunt of Sally Owens (played by Sandra Bullock) and Gillian Owens (played by Nicole Kidman) in the fantasy sequel.
It was her first time back on the red carpet since a low-key appearance at the press night for Hello, Dolly! at the London Palladium in July 2024.
It comes after Channing told The Sunday Times about her move to London from Maine following the death of her partner, cinematographer Daniel Gillham, in 2014. The couple had been together for 24 years after meeting on the set of World War II drama A Time of Destiny.
“I’ve lived alone since I lost Daniel and I’m happy being a recluse,” she said.
“My partner, Daniel, died in 2014 and it was more devastating than I realised; it had a lag effect,” she continued. “The pattern of my life shifted, so I shifted my life from Maine.”
Channing was married and divorced four times before her relationship with Gillham – first to sculptor Walter Channing Jr in 1963 until their divorce in 1967, and second to Slavic language professor, Paul Schmidt, from 1970 until 1976.
She married her third husband, writer-producer David Debin, in 1976, but the couple split four years later. In 1980, she wed businessman David Rawle, with their marriage lasting eight years.
Speaking about her relationship history, Channing said that her marriages “all represent epochs of me” and that she did once think about having children but decided against it.
“I think about them now because it’d be great to have someone taking care of me,” she added. “But hey, children can be just as selfish as everybody else out there.”
Channing is best known for playing Betty Rizzo in the 1978 musical Grease, as well as roles in To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, The West Wing and Practical Magic.
She last appeared in the Paramount+ Sonic the Hedgehog spin-off Knuckles (2024) as Wendy Whipple, the mother of witless deputy sheriff Wade (Adam Pally).
She has regularly taken on theatre work, appearing as Clytemnestra in Greek tragedy Elektra at Brighton’s Theatre Royal last year.
Speaking at the European premiere in London, Kidman told The Independent that Practical Magic 2, released 28 years after the first film, exists because of fans: “It’s about sisterhood, it’s about family... When it first came out, it reached a smaller section of people than we’d hoped for, and then suddenly it found its way.”
Bullock described how “special” and “easy” it was to return to her character, Sally Owens, adding: “It found its people and its tribe through social media; all the themes got to live over and over and over again... And when you see something that beloved, you don't wanna mess with it. But then Alice Hoffman wrote the book.”
Practical Magic 2 is out in theaters on September 10 in the U.S. and September 11 in the U.K.
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