Sometimes, it is not easy to recognize that one has made a mistake. Other times, we do it, and regrets and guilt flood in. This is the case of actor Charles Dance, who has recently opened up about the guilt he feels for having destroyed his marriage by having an extramarital affair. The Game of Thrones actor, 77, has revealed that several years after marrying Joanna Haythorn he “gave in to temptation.”
It was in 1970 when the actor married the sculptor. Four years later, they welcomed his son, Oliver. His daughter, little Rebecca, would come into their lives in 1980. However, what seemed like an idyllic marriage was derailed years later when Charles cheated on his wife, causing the end of the relationship. Now, years later, he has opened up about this issue.
Speaking to Gyles Brandreth on the Rosebud podcast, the actor recently opened up. “For the most part it was a wonderful marriage, but then, unfortunately, I succumbed to some temptations along the way and the marriage ended because of my behavior. In the end I had to confess,” explained the The Crown interpreter.
Charles claimed to be grateful that his ex-wife, whom he divorced in 2004 after infidelity, was able to forgive him. Currently, they maintain a close friendship. “We lived in Somerset, in this huge place, and Jo had her studio at one end and I had mine at the other, and we became a bit like George and Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” he said. . “After a while. Finally, I came back and thought, ‘We really need to have a very serious conversation.’ And I had to confess and it was a shock to Jo, bless her,” he revealed.
“I never considered myself attractive. I really didn’t… It wasn’t until I did The Jewel in the Crown years later that people talked about me as ‘the thinking woman’s ball’. I was always very grateful if girls behaved as if they were attracted to me,” expressed the actor.
The actor acknowledged that there is no justification for what he did to his wife. “But there’s no justification for it, you know? In our business, Gyles, temptation often presents itself and you have to be well balanced and balanced and not have a particularly powerful libido to not succumb to that,” he expressed, demonstrating how bad he felt about himself.
“Then the marriage came to an end – a big regret. But after about 18 months, Jo and I, fortunately, became best friends and still are, thank God. I had a flat not far from where I live and We saw each other quite often, so in the end everything worked out,” he explained. When asked if she would do anything differently now, she didn’t have any hesitation. “Of course. My goodness, the benefit of hindsight. It took me a long time to learn the law of cause and effect,” she said.
