Both were in other relationships at the time, but once
they were single they reconnected, spurred on by 9/11,
in the immediate aftermath of which Bettany foundhimself phoning Connelly repeatedly to make sure she
was OK. They got together soon afterwards and in2003 they married and had Stellan.
It has often been stated that Bettany is the playfulextrovert of the couple, whereas Connelly is more
reserved. “I think that’s a little reductive. One couldmake a kind of broad statement that he’s quite good at
a party, probably a bit better than me.” So what isshe better at? “The calendar,” she pauses, laughing.
“I don’t know if that’s something to be proud of, andI don’t know that he wouldn’t be good at it, I just spend
more time looking at it.” There is a tendency in long-term relationships to fall into types, defining oneself in
opposition to your partner. “I’m weary of that —getting older and becoming a gargoyle of
oneself, leaning into those tendencies. I try tofight against it. I think we presented more
differently [when we first met] but I feel likeactually that’s diminished over time.”
Bettany has a reputation as a bonvivant, particularly as a result of his
friendship with Johnny Depp, whichcame under the spotlight recently
during Depp’s defamation trial; thetwo have partied together in the
past. Connelly certainly had hermoment as a teenager in New York:
“I liked to dance — my girlfriend and I,we used to go to clubs a lot.” But these
days her disco dancing tends to happenin the kitchen. “Last night we were all
making dinner, I was listening to Songsin the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder, one of
my favourites. There was singing anddancing, a bit of soccer playing.”
She is mostly vegan and relaxes withdaily runs and tennis, along with hiking
and skiing when the family are at theirhouse in Vermont. I ask if she has any
vices — she looks almost absurdly healthy.“For sure,” she insists, although she won’t
reveal what these vices might be. “It’snothing illicit and it’s not particularly food vices. I am
really boring and irritating that way, because I actually
just like really healthy food, like vegetables.”Connelly’s look matches her personality — intelli-
gent, without frippery — and she has found her perfectfashion collaborator in Nicolas Ghesquière, artistic
director of womenswear at Louis Vuitton. “He’s oneof my favourite people — we’ve been friends for,
like, 20 years. I think he is such a genius,” she says.Connelly’s many Vuitton gowns are kept in her envi-
able walk-in wardrobe. “It’s quite deco and the ceiling isbeautiful. I have these little lights that I love, little clus-
ters of glass balls. I often do Zoom meetings in there.It’s so fancy.” Not so fancy that the wardrobe is off
limits to Connelly’s children, who are allowed toplunder it. Stellan was the main culprit until he got too
tall to borrow his mum’s clothes. “He and I share a lovefor a good leather jacket, so there was a time when that
really worked, but his arms are too long now, much tohis chagrin.”
Connelly is by her own admission aperfectionist. “I am very hard on myself,
I’m still the same kid who wants to dothings well. If I do something at work
and I don’t feel happy with it, I’llthink about it until I come up with a
way to address it. I am not easy-going in that way. Whatever I do
I want to do it well, like when I makeAgnes’s toast in the morning —
that almond butter is on everycorner of the bread.”
As an actress she is famous forher all-consuming and immersive
approach to work, so was it possiblethat she had met her match in the
almost scarily focused Cruise? Shelaughs. “Well, I didn’t see it as
a competition. I wouldn’t darecompete with him on pretty much
anything.” It’s just possible that TomCruise was thinking the same thing
about Jennifer Connelly. ■Top Gun: Maverick is in cinemas now
From left Connelly with David Bowie in Labyrinth and in A Beautiful Mind. Below With her husband, Paul Bettany
© Paramount Pictures/Entertainment Pictures, TriStar Pictures, Universal Pictures, Getty Images
The Sunday Times Style • 15