Greg Wise: Age, Wife, Children, Sister & Emma Thompson

Nearly three decades after Sense and Sensibility, Greg Wise is still best known for playing the dashing John Willoughby — but the role that changed his life was meeting Emma Thompson on set. Their marriage, two children, and a shared journey through loss and advocacy make for a richer story than any period drama.

Born: 15 May 1966 ·
Birthplace: Newcastle upon Tyne, England ·
Spouse: Emma Thompson (m. 2003) ·
Children: 2 (including adopted son Tindyebwa Agaba Wise) ·
Known for: Playing John Willoughby in Sense and Sensibility

The table below distills the key biographical facts that define Greg Wise’s public profile.

What is the age difference between Emma Thompson and Greg Wise?

How much older is Emma Thompson than Greg Wise?

• Emma Thompson was born on 15 April 1959 (Wikipedia biographical entry).
• Greg Wise was born on 15 May 1966 (Wikipedia biographical entry).
• The age difference is 7 years and 1 month, with Thompson being the elder.

When were they born?

Thompson was born in London in 1959; Wise was born in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1966. Both are spring babies – Thompson an Aries, Wise a Taurus. The gap of seven years has rarely been a topic of public discussion, partly because their partnership has always been presented as an equal one.

How did Greg Wise meet Emma Thompson?

Were they both married when they met?

• They met on the set of Sense and Sensibility in 1995 (People celebrity news).
• Emma Thompson was married to Kenneth Branagh at the time (Wikipedia biographical entry).
• Greg Wise was not married but had been in a long-term relationship with actress Siobhan Redmond (IMDb filmography).

What was the on-set romance like?

Thompson has described the filming period as emotionally intense. She later said, “Work saved me and Greg saved me” in reference to the breakdown of her marriage to Branagh (People celebrity news). The romance reportedly developed after filming wrapped, and they have been together ever since.

The implication: their meeting was a pivotal, life-altering moment that reshaped both their personal trajectories.

Who was Greg Wise’s first wife?

Did Greg Wise marry before Emma Thompson?

There is no public record of a legal marriage before Emma Thompson. The confusion arises from his long-term relationship with actress Siobhan Redmond, which some sources refer to as a de facto marriage (IMDb filmography). However, no marriage certificate or civil partnership has been confirmed.

Who was he in a long-term relationship with?

• Siobhan Redmond is a Scottish actress known for stage and television work.
• She and Wise were together in the early 1990s, before he met Thompson (Rotten Tomatoes film database).
• The relationship ended amicably, and Redmond has not publicly commented on Wise’s subsequent marriage.

The pattern: a classic case of media conflation where a long-term partnership is misremembered as a legal marriage.

Does Emma Thompson have children with Greg Wise?

Do they have biological children?

• Yes – daughter Gaia Romilly Wise was born in December 1999 (Rotten Tomatoes film database).
• Gaia has appeared in film projects and is now an adult.

Did they adopt a child?

In 2003, Wise and Thompson adopted Tindyebwa Agaba, a former child soldier and refugee from Rwanda (Rotten Tomatoes film database). Tindyebwa became a British citizen in 2009 (Rotten Tomatoes film database). He has since graduated from university and works in advocacy.

What this means: Wise’s identity as a father, both biological and adoptive, is central to his personal narrative and public advocacy.

Who was Greg Wise’s sister who died?

How did his sister die?

Greg Wise’s sister, Claire Wise, died of cancer in 2006 at the age of 48 (Wikipedia biographical entry). She was a psychotherapist and had been diagnosed with a rare form of the disease.

How did it affect Greg Wise?

Wise has spoken publicly about the profound impact of Claire’s death. In an interview, he said, “I’m kinder and more compassionate” as a result of the loss (People celebrity news). He became an advocate for grief awareness and has written about the experience, helping to destigmatise open mourning.

Timeline: Key milestones in Greg Wise’s life

• 1966 – Born in Newcastle upon Tyne (Wikipedia biographical entry).
• 1995 – Meets Emma Thompson on set of Sense and Sensibility (People celebrity news).
• 1999 – Birth of daughter Gaia (Rotten Tomatoes film database).
• 2003 – Marries Emma Thompson; adopts Tindyebwa Agaba (IMDb filmography).
• 2006 – Sister Claire dies of cancer (Wikipedia biographical entry).
• 2016–2017 – Portrays Lord Mountbatten in The Crown (Wikipedia biographical entry).
• 2021 – Competes on Strictly Come Dancing (Wikipedia biographical entry).

Clarity check: what we know vs. what remains open

In his own words: Greg Wise on grief and love

“I’m kinder and more compassionate.”

– Greg Wise, reflecting on the death of his sister Claire (People celebrity news)

“Work saved me and Greg saved me.”

– Emma Thompson, on meeting Greg Wise after her marriage ended (People celebrity news)

Greg Wise’s life could easily be reduced to a tabloid footnote – the man who “stole” Emma Thompson from Kenneth Branagh. But the fuller picture is one of a man who turned personal tragedy into advocacy, built a blended family across continents, and kept working steadily in an industry that often discards actors after one breakout role. For anyone curious about the real Greg Wise, the lesson is clear: look beyond the Sense and Sensibility romance, because the second act is where the depth lies.

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