Elizabeth McGovern’s Husband: The Actress Once Engaged to Sean Penn Is Married to a Famous Director

Elizabeth McGovern once dated Sean Penn on and off for years. Once the pair got engaged, their relationship shifted, and she broke things off and has since explained why.

McGovern is a veteran actress who started her acting journey in school plays, specifically at North Hollywood High. She later graduated from The Oakwood School and continued with stage training at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, including the drama division of The Julliard School of New York.

The actress got her first role in the TV mini-series "California Fever," where she played the role of Lisa Bannister in 1979. The following year, she was cast in the short drama "Last Year's Model."

McGovern debuted in the coming-of-age 1980 movie, "Ordinary People," playing Jeannine Pratt alongside Howard E. Rollins Jr., James Cagney, and others. The role was followed by her stint in the historical drama film, "Ragtime" in 1981, for which she received an Oscar nomination.

The Illinois native has continued to pursue stage acting while juggling film roles in between and is best known for starring in the drama series, "Downton Abbey," as Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham.

With an illustrious showbiz career that spans decades, the actress's relationship has intrigued fans who want to know the men she has dated within the entertainment industry.

Elizabeth McGovern Was Once Engaged to Sean Penn, but She Called off Their Engagement

McGovern had met actor Sean Penn in her early twenties, and they began a relationship. The duo got engaged, but she broke off their engagement, and he later married singer Madonna. In an October 2010 interview, she explained why she and the two-time Academy Award winner did not work out.

The pair crossed paths on the set of the romantic movie, "Racing with the Moon." She noted that Penn was an "important relationship for me" before explaining that his strong feelings overwhelmed her.

"It was also the first real experience of boys I'd had, which was kind of nice. In the beginning, it was fun. We were similar in age and in the same place professionally, so we were experiencing everything together," she said.

McGovern said Penn's life was dramatic, which was what he was all about. He lived for it. The exes dated for two years on and off, but she was not keen on marriage while he was; at least, that is what he told her. She revealed:

"He was the kind of guy who was like: 'This is my girl; I've got to own her.' It was all about dramatics. But it was so exhausting. I couldn't sustain it. We also wanted to do different things. He likes to pretend he's not really a Hollywood person, but he is."

McGovern and Penn lived different lives; she preferred spending time doing stage plays in New York instead of hanging out in Los Angeles when she was not working.

In a January 2022 interview, McGovern delved more into her relationship with Penn and revealed how things could have panned out had they walked down the aisle.

"There's a road I could have taken, but I decided to call it off. It just felt like we were on different tracks. We were only in our early 20s. It would have been nothing short of a miracle had that become a lifelong partnership because we were both really young and figuring out who we were," McGovern explained.

Elizabeth McGovern Found Happiness with a Famous Director, Simon Curtis

Despite things not working out between Elizabeth McGovern and Penn, she found happiness with famous director Simon Curtis – whom she married in 1992. Curtis' credits include "David Copperfield," "Goodbye Christopher Robin," and "My Week With Marilyn," among others.

The producer started his directing career at the Royal Court Theatre, where he served as a Deputy Director, and has since worked with BBC Television and Films.

Curtis has also worked side-by-side with his wife of 30 years. He directed the 2022 sequel "Downton Abbey: A New Era," in which she starred as Cora Grantham.

During the premiere of "Downton Abbey: A New Era" in April 2022, McGovern frankly talked about working with her husband while sharing her initial concerns:

"I felt so proud of him, I was a little bit worried going into it because it's really difficult going into a thing that's so established with so many actors doing their parts for so long, but he rose to the occasion and was really brilliant, and he's done a fantastic film."

In 2010, McGovern had spoken about meeting Curtis, saying, "It wasn't a heady thing for me. I can't think of it any other way than just feeling very, very, very at home."

The pair began their courtship as friends and spent time together when Curtis produced "Tales From Hollywood," a wartime drama. He later landed a job in New York, and she decided to fly down to see him, and he offered to pick her up at the airport.

When McGovern got off the plane, she saw Curtis donning "the most ridiculous outfit," she joked. At that moment, she had a realization:

"I thought, 'Oh my God, this is the man I'm going to marry; this is what I'm going to end up with!' It was a sort of this-is-my-fate feeling as if there was a part of me that knew. Then I fell pregnant, and we just took it from there."

Elizabeth McGovern & Simon Curtis Welcomed Two Daughters in Their Marriage

McGovern and Curtis welcomed two daughters together, and she relocated to the UK after they tied the knot. The family of four reportedly resides in Chiswick, London. The couple keeps their children away from the limelight, but one of them has joined them at public events, including award ceremonies.

Their eldest child is Matilda, born in July 1993. She is a television writer known for "Goodbye Christopher Robin," "Out of Her Depth," and "The Shallow End." The duo's youngest daughter is Grace, whom they welcomed in 1998. She is an actress also known for "Goodbye Christopher Robin."

When McGovern and Curtis had their firstborn, things were rocky initially. She was not entirely thrilled to learn that she was expecting her first child because she did not want to have children.

Moreover, she was now living in a foreign country as a jobless newlywed, which was a big adjustment for her. She had to start afresh, which was "a real shock." However, McGovern said she would have never overcome that period had she not married Curtis.