Daisy Ridley Explains How Penélope Cruz Helped Her Fall in Love with Husband Tom Bateman: 'We've Been Together Ever Since'

Mar. 15, 2025

Daisy Ridley, Tom Bateman and Penélope Cruz.Photo:Jason Mendez/Getty; Kayla Oaddams/Getty

Jason Mendez/Getty; Kayla Oaddams/Getty

Daisy Ridleyis sharing howPenélope Cruzplayed an important role in kickstarting herrelationshipwith husbandTom Bateman.Ridley, 32, appeared onThe Drew Barrymore Showon Tuesday, Oct. 29, to promote her new movieMagpie, where hostDrew Barrymoreasked theStar Warsactress to detail how she met Bateman, 35, on the set of their 2017 filmMurder on the Orient Express.“We are an acting cliché,” Ridley joked. “We got on immediately and we were like best, best, best friends,” she said with a laugh, after Barrymore asked whether sparks flew immediately. “But I didn’t look at him that way until someone quite fabulous in our film said something that made me look at [him differently] — Penélope Cruz. And I was like, ‘Huh,’ and yeah.““And did she say it the way Penélope Cruz would?” Barrymore asked.“I mean, imagine. Penelope says anything and you’re like ‘Yes,’ and that was it,” Ridley responded. “We’ve been together ever since, yeah.“Olivia Colman, Josh Gad, Judi Dench, Willem Dafoe, Daisy Ridley, Tom Bateman, Michelle Pfeiffer, Derek Jacobi, Kenneth Branagh, Leslie Odom Jr., Penelope Cruz and Johnny Depp in Murder on the Orient Express.Jordan Nuttall/FoxRidley and Bateman costarred with Cruz, 50, and a host of other stars — including Kenneth Branagh, Willem Dafoe, Johnny Depp and Judi Dench — inMurder on the Orient Express, the first of Branagh’s three murder mysteries adapted from author Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot novels.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.The couple typically keep their love life private; Ridley only confirmed they had tied the knot in a January 2023 interview withRolling Stone, after multiple years of speculation that she and Bateman were engaged.Now, the pair are promoting their new movie together; Ridley conceived the original idea forMagpieand Bateman wrote its screenplay, with both actors also working on the movie as producers.Tom Bateman and Daisy Ridley on Oct. 1, 2024.Swan Gallet/WWD via GettyThe new film follows Ridley’s character, Annette, as her marriage begins to crumble when her daughter is cast in a movie — and her husband Ben (Shazad Latif) grows enamored with their daughter’s on-screen mother.“It’s funny because people tell me and Tom that we’re the happiest married people they know,” Ridleyrecently told PEOPLEwhile discussing the movie, which also features Pippa Bennett-Warner, Hiba Ahmed, Cherrelle Skeete and Alistair Petrie.Magpieis in theaters now.

Daisy Ridleyis sharing howPenélope Cruzplayed an important role in kickstarting herrelationshipwith husbandTom Bateman.

Ridley, 32, appeared onThe Drew Barrymore Showon Tuesday, Oct. 29, to promote her new movieMagpie, where hostDrew Barrymoreasked theStar Warsactress to detail how she met Bateman, 35, on the set of their 2017 filmMurder on the Orient Express.

“We are an acting cliché,” Ridley joked. “We got on immediately and we were like best, best, best friends,” she said with a laugh, after Barrymore asked whether sparks flew immediately. “But I didn’t look at him that way until someone quite fabulous in our film said something that made me look at [him differently] — Penélope Cruz. And I was like, ‘Huh,’ and yeah.”

“And did she say it the way Penélope Cruz would?” Barrymore asked.

“I mean, imagine. Penelope says anything and you’re like ‘Yes,’ and that was it,” Ridley responded. “We’ve been together ever since, yeah.”

Olivia Colman, Josh Gad, Judi Dench, Willem Dafoe, Daisy Ridley, Tom Bateman, Michelle Pfeiffer, Derek Jacobi, Kenneth Branagh, Leslie Odom Jr., Penelope Cruz and Johnny Depp in Murder on the Orient Express.Jordan Nuttall/Fox

Jordan Nuttall/Fox

Ridley and Bateman costarred with Cruz, 50, and a host of other stars — including Kenneth Branagh, Willem Dafoe, Johnny Depp and Judi Dench — inMurder on the Orient Express, the first of Branagh’s three murder mysteries adapted from author Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot novels.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The couple typically keep their love life private; Ridley only confirmed they had tied the knot in a January 2023 interview withRolling Stone, after multiple years of speculation that she and Bateman were engaged.

Now, the pair are promoting their new movie together; Ridley conceived the original idea forMagpieand Bateman wrote its screenplay, with both actors also working on the movie as producers.

Tom Bateman and Daisy Ridley on Oct. 1, 2024.Swan Gallet/WWD via Getty

Swan Gallet/WWD via Getty

The new film follows Ridley’s character, Annette, as her marriage begins to crumble when her daughter is cast in a movie — and her husband Ben (Shazad Latif) grows enamored with their daughter’s on-screen mother.

“It’s funny because people tell me and Tom that we’re the happiest married people they know,” Ridleyrecently told PEOPLEwhile discussing the movie, which also features Pippa Bennett-Warner, Hiba Ahmed, Cherrelle Skeete and Alistair Petrie.

Magpieis in theaters now.

source: people.com