PHOTOSStockard Channing, 82, Emerges From Her Life as a Self-Confessed Recluse 2 Years After Quitting U.S.: Photos
Stockard Channing stepped onto the red carpet for this first time in over two years.
Aug. 27 2026, Published 1:12 p.m. ET
Stockard Channing made her first red carpet appearance in over two years.
The 82-year-old actress attended the European premiere of Practical Magic 2 in London on Wednesday, August 26, just weeks after proclaiming she is "happy being a recluse."
Stockard Channing is returning for the 'Practical Magic' sequel.
Best known to generations as Rizzo in Grease and Abby Bartlet on The West Wing, she wore a tailored navy blue pantsuit with a cream-colored blouse for the outing. Styling her brunette hair in loose waves, she accessorized with a statement lariat chain necklace and large drop-down earrings.
Channing was joined at the event by her costars, including Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Joey King, Maisie Williams and Dianne Wiest.
Stockard Channing Called Herself a 'Recluse' After Her Partner Passed
Stockard Channing moved to London in 2019.
Earlier this month, the Emmy winner confessed in a Sunday Times essay that she has resorted to being a "recluse" following the death of her longtime partner.
After Daniel Gilliam passed away in 2014, Channing "lived alone" before deciding to move across the pond in 2019.
'More Devastating Than I Realized'
Stockard Channing and Daniel Gillham were together for two decades before he passed.
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"Since just before COVID, I’ve been living in London. My partner, Daniel, died in 2014, and it was more devastating than I realized; it had a lag effect. The pattern of my life shifted, so I shifted my life from Maine," she revealed.
The star was in a relationship with the producer and cinematographer for two decades before he died at age 58.
Stockard Channing's move was partially influenced by Donald Trump’s presidential election.
'I’m Happy Being a Recluse'
The 82-year-old actress continued, "I’ve lived alone since I lost Daniel, and I’m happy being a recluse. I was married four times before Daniel, and they all represent epochs of me."
"Children were thought about and, yeah, I think about them now because it’d be great to have someone taking care of me," she continued. "But hey, children can be just as selfish as everybody else out there."
Stockard Channing was married four times before meeting Daniel Gillham.
Channing added that her move to London "vaguely coincided with [Donald] Trump getting elected and the way politics has changed in the US."
Sharing that she's no longer concerned about her appearance, she wrote, "If I’m leaving the apartment, I comb my hair, but I don’t have a wardrobe of designer outfits. Well, I do, but they’re all from the '80s and '90s."
'Practical Magic 2' Marks Stockard Channing's Return to Film
Stockard Channing played Rizzo in the pop-culture classic 'Grease.'
The Practical Magic sequel marks the actress' return to the big screen and is set to come out this September.
The highly anticipated follow-up of the 1998 film about a pair of witch sisters sees Channing reprise her role as Frances Owens, the aunt of Bullock and Kidman's characters.
