The real reason Sam Taylor-Johnson, 58, and actor husband Aaron, 34, are struggling to work together again – 17 years after meeting on the set of Nowhere Boy

Sam Taylor-Johnson has opened up on her yearning to work with her husband Aaron Taylor-Johnson again – and the reason why doing so has become difficult.

The filmmaker, 58, met the actor, 34, 17 years ago on the set of Nowhere Boy, in which he played a young John Lennon in the biographical film that she directed.

While their collaboration was a success, the pair have only teamed up once more in the years since, with the duo co-writing the 2019 film adaptation of James Frey’s memoir A Million Little Pieces – which Sam directed and Aaron starred in.

And speaking at an In Conversation event hosted by the magazine A Rabbit’s Foot on Wednesday night, Sam explained that the couple’s family commitments have made it ‘complicated’ for them to work together again.

Explaining the situation, Sam shared: ‘It’s quite weird leaving the house and thinking: “I’ve left the best actor at home”.’

She added: ‘It’s the best collaborative partnership, where we know each other so well and get to work together. But we do have four children, so it’s complicated.

Sam Taylor-Johnson has opened up on her yearning to work with her husband Aaron Taylor-Johnson again – and the reason why doing so has become difficult [pictured in December 2024]

The filmmaker, 58, met the actor, 34, 17 years ago on the set of Nowhere Boy, in which he played a young John Lennon in the biographical film that she directed [pictured in 2009]

‘If his parents are free to babysit then we can make another film together.’

After falling in love in 2008, the two were engaged a year later and tied the knot in 2012, before going on to welcome two daughters Wylda, now 14, and Romy, now 13.

Their family also includes Sam’s eldest daughters Angelica, 27, and Jessie, 18, whom she shares with ex-husband Jay Jopling.

The Anna Karenina actor has previously opened up about keeping their youngest children out of the public eye during a past interview with Harper’s Bazaar. 

‘We live behind walls. Literally, figuratively, and deliberately. You’ll never see our children or any of our most personal moments on social media or in the press.’

He continued to the outlet, ‘We have our professional lives and our life together, and we keep them apart.’

However, Aaron has been spotted with his stepdaughters and a few months earlier in October, he shocked fans by sharing a rare photo with Jessie on social media.

Meanwhile, Sam said in May that she can’t believe the ‘fascination’ people have had with her and Aaron’s 23-year age gap.

Aaron pictured as a young John Lennon in Nowhere Boy, one of the two projects the couple have worked together on

While their collaboration was a success, the pair have only teamed up once more in the years since, with the duo co-writing the 2019 film A Million Little Pieces [Aaron pictured in the film]

Speaking at an In Conversation event on Wednesday night, Sam explained that the couple’s family commitments have made it ‘complicated’ for them to work together again

‘It’s the best collaborative partnership, where we know each other so well and get to work together. But we do have four children, so it’s complicated’ [pictured with Sam’s eldest daughters] 

The couple have a fiercely private relationship and Sam has admitted people’s initial interest in the couples relationship was ‘intense’ because ‘people want to understand things when they can’t.’

She revealed that the interest has now ‘gone away a little bit’ as the couple have been together for 14 years.

Discussing her relationship on BBC Radio 4’s This Cultural Life, she said: ‘I guess that interest was more when we got together, which was now 14 years – at the beginning, was quite intense.

‘And that sort of fascination, because he’s younger than me, which you know, we couldn’t really fathom the fascination. But I guess it’s sort of gone away a little bit.

‘Mostly when I’m doing press and things like this it sort of resurges a little bit. But yeah, I guess people want to understand things when they can’t.

‘They want to pick up art when they can’t fathom what a certain love story that doesn’t fit in a box is.’