It seems Tom Bateman and Daisy Ridley were destined to be together. While the actor is currently starring in The Love Hypothesis, it turns out that his wife actually inspired the fan fiction that the script was based upon.
The Love Hypothesis was first and foremost a novel by Ali Hazelwood, which was developed from a fan fiction about two characters from the Star Wars universe, Kylo Ren and Rey, who are played by Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley.
Neither Tom or Daisy were aware of the connection before he agreed to star in the film. "I was told about it after I was offered the job," Tom told ScreenRant. "They said, 'By the way, this is loosely where the inspiration came from, and I thought that meant that that was what inspired Ali Hazelwood to start writing, because the book is obviously so different from anything. But it wasn't until the announcement of the cast that I became fully aware of how much love there is from the fans out there. It just made me very excited to be part of it."
In an interview with Extra TV, Tom shared how Daisy reacted to his casting for The Love Hypothesis. “She just went, ‘I heard about that,’ but we didn't think it was going to be a big thing until the Montreal shooting and I was made aware that it was a bigger deal than I thought it was. But she thought it was great. She basically said, ‘Anything that gets anyone reading,’” he recalled.
In celebration of the rom-com hitting screens on Prime Video on September 23, HELLO! are taking a closer at everything we know about the couple as we explore their relationship timeline.
© GC ImagesThey met on set
The couple met on the set of Murder on the Orient Express. The film's producer, Judy Hofflund, revealed details that the pair had formed a romantic connection during the premiere in London. "Something kinda happened with Tom and Daisy right? That's public news. I should keep my mouth shut. Oh well," she told People.
© Getty ImagesMarriage
In 2019, speculation circulated that the couple were engaged. "The thing is, I've never talked about my personal life," Daisy told Marie Claire at the time. "So I won't talk about it now. I'm so aware of how much information about my life is out there, so if there's one thing I don't want to talk about…"
During the press tour for her film Sometimes I Think About Dying, Daisy confirmed that she and Tom had tied the knot. "Yes! I got married," she told Rolling Stone in January 2023 when asked about her ring.
© Getty Images for Miu MiuPrivate romance
Tom and Daisy often keep intimate details of their relationship private from the public. The actress opened up to Tatler during an interview in 2021 about protecting her relationship from constant attention. "When I signed on to Star Wars, there was nothing in my contract that said, 'Your life will be talked about,'" she shared. "It got to the point where I realized so much of my life was out there," she continued. “I thought it would be nice to have something that’s for me, that isn’t for everybody else. I just thought I would keep that separate."
© Getty Images for IMDbWorking together
The couple teamed up on the 2024 film Magpie. The noir thriller was written by Tom and was based on Daisy's original idea, who starred as the lead role. "Being able to write to what I know her strengths are was so rewarding," Tom said during the 2024 premiere. "I could be really daring and bold and write a whole scene with no dialogue and just her character’s thoughts. Sam [Yates] our director, he agreed. He said 'Man you can just stick a camera on Daisy and she’s got it going and she can hold that.'"
However, the plot of the film is very different from the couple's real relationship behind the screen. "It’s funny, because people tell me and Tom that we’re the happiest married people they know," Daisy told People.
© Dave Benett/Getty Images for BFIRed carpet appearances
Tom and Daisy often support one another during red carpet premieres – coordinating their sartorial agendas for the ultimate couple photos. They made their red carpet debut in 2022 at a special screening of Blonde at The Soho Hotel.
