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Kelly Macdonald's famous ex-husband who she shares two sons with

The Scottish actress was married to Scottish musician Douglas Payne for 14 years

Nicky Morris
Deputy TV and Film Editor
May 29, 2025
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Kelly Macdonald is back on our screens in Netflix's highly anticipated psychological thriller, Dept. Q. The series follows troubled detective, DCI Carl Morck (Matthew Goode), who is tasked with investigating cold cases and enlists a team of misfits to help him solve the disappearance of a public servant four years earlier. 

Kelly plays Carl's therapist, Dr Rachel Irving, in the nine-parter, which is adapted from novels by the Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen. 

The Scottish actress is famed for her impressive TV and film career, with credits including Line of Duty, Operation Mincemeat, Trainspotting and Nanny McPhee. But did you know that her ex-husband is also a famous face? Keep reading to find out more about Kelly's home life…

Kelly's famous ex-husband

Kelly, 49, was married to Scottish musician Douglas Payne, the bassist in the rock band Travis, for 14 years. 

man and woman posing on red carpet© Broadimage/Shutterstock
Kelly Macdonald was married to Douglas Payne for 14 years

The pair's split was confirmed in September 2017 by publicist Craig Bankey, who said that while the former couple would have preferred to keep the information private, they were "united in parenting their two children". 

Kelly's children

Kelly and Douglas, 52, share two sons together, Freddie, 17, and Theodore, 12. 

Sharing an insight into her home life in her hometown of Glasgow, Kelly recently told The Guardian: "I'm surrounded by boys and animals. I have a very low-key life, it suits me."

woman standing in dimly-lit doorway in jumper© Netflix
Kelly Macdonald plays Dr. Rachel Irving in Dept. Q

Opening up about the guilt that comes with being a working mum, the actress said: "The guilt never gets easier. 

"I think that's just a working mum thing – you never feel like you're doing either thing as well as you should be. They understand what I'm doing and where I am, and we've got technology at least, so we can see each other's faces."

kelly macdonald dramas© Photo: BBC
Kelly lives in Glasgow

Kelly's love life

Kelly likes to keep her private life away from the spotlight, so not much is known about her current relationship status. 

Dept. Q is available to stream on Netflix.

WATCH: The trailer for Netflix's Dept. Q

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