Robin Wright Is Going Viral: Inside Her Surprise Comeback and What’s Next

Veteran actress Robin Wright has swapped the Hollywood Hills for the rolling countryside of England, confirming that she now calls the U.K. home after what she described as a “liberating” exit from the United States. The House of Cards star, 59, said the move gives her “room to breathe, create and raise my youngest without the noise,” sparking conversation across entertainment circles about a growing exodus of A-listers seeking calmer pastures abroad. Relocation hasn’t slowed Wright’s workload. She returns to the small screen this fall in Prime Video’s psychological thriller “The Girlfriend,” opposite Olivia Cooke. The London-set series follows two women caught in a power struggle that turns deadly, and Wright, who also executive-produces, promises viewers a “feral, unapologetic ride”. Industry insiders already tout the show as Wright’s strongest TV vehicle since her Emmy-winning run as Claire Underwood. In candid press stops promoting the drama, the Princess Bride alum did not mince words about why she left Los Angeles, calling the current U.S. climate a “s---show” and adding that “constant culture wars were crushing creativity”. Her blunt assessment immediately set social media ablaze and pushed her name back into top-search territory. Wright’s fresh start also includes a blossoming romance with British art dealer Henry Smith, 52. While praising Smith as “my anchor,” she told People that marriage is off the table: “I’ve done that dance. We’re perfect as we are”. The couple reportedly share a converted farmhouse in Oxfordshire, conveniently close to London soundstages where Wright is now based. Professionally, the Texas native is doubling down on directing. After helming multiple House of Cards episodes and the feature Land, she directs two installments of Netflix’s forthcoming royal saga “Crown of Blood,” filming early next year. Wright says London’s “deep bench of stage actors” is irresistible for character-driven stories, hinting that she may cast several “The Girlfriend” co-stars in the project. Critics note that Wright’s U.K. pivot mirrors the plotlines she gravitates toward—tales of power, reinvention and moral gray zones. The Guardian’s autumn preview hails her as “fearless in depicting broken dynasties on both sides of the Atlantic,” predicting awards buzz if “The Girlfriend” sticks its landing. From Buttercup to Claire Underwood and now to expat thriller queen, Robin Wright shows no sign of slowing. With a new country, new love and a slate of dark, prestige projects, she’s rewriting her narrative—and search interest proves audiences are eager to follow every plot twist.