With three marriages behind him, it’s understandable that Martin Shaw approaches commitment with some caution.
Nevertheless, the veteran actor’s current living situation with his partner is quite unconventional. At 69, Shaw has chosen not to move in with his partner of ten years, yoga teacher Karen Da Silva. Instead, they live separately but close by—just 200 yards apart. Shaw explained that they share both houses.
Despite this arrangement, Shaw hasn’t ruled out the possibility of a fourth marriage, stating, “I never say never.”
He met Da Silva shortly after separating from his third wife, Vicky Kimm, a TV presenter 20 years his junior. Shaw and Da Silva reside in the Norfolk countryside.
Shaw remains in regular contact with his first wife, actress Jill Allen, whom he married at 23. They had three children, all of whom are now actors. They divorced when their youngest child was four.
When asked if he considered himself good husband material, Shaw responded, “That’s one thing I can’t answer. If I could, I’d probably still be married.”
He continued: ‘My children are close to their mother, as am I. The other two wives? A healthy completion. There’s no animosity, but no need to keep in touch. Finished, done.’
His second marriage, in 1992, to alternative therapist Maggie Mansfield, ended in a bitter divorce.
He is not alone in opting for the slightly eccentric housing arrangement with his current partner.
Director Tim Burton and actress Helena Bonham Carter, who have been together for 13 years, famously live in adjacent houses in London.
In a Radio Times interview, Martin Shaw, a former alcoholic, discussed his struggle with drinking during his youth, admitting, “I didn’t even like it.”
He elaborated, saying, “I consumed large quantities—half a bottle of Scotch, two bottles of wine, and various other drinks every day. I shudder at how foolish I was. I wanted to fit in with the crowd—Richard Harris, Oliver Reed, Peter O’Toole—and alcohol was the working-class actor’s route to becoming an entertaining, outspoken hellraiser.”
Shaw later transformed his lifestyle after adopting the Indian faith Sant Mat, and has remained teetotal and vegetarian for 42 years.
Martin Shaw holds a pilot’s license and enjoys flying a World War II Piper L4 spotter plane as a hobby.
Currently, Shaw stars in the BBC1 police drama Inspector George Gently, which begins its new season this week.
Shaw has criticized the BBC for neglecting its older audience by focusing too much on young actors and reducing the show’s budget. He expressed his frustration, saying, “It annoys me. You wonder, ‘Why are 100 protesters played by six extras?'”
Reflecting on his character George Gently, Shaw noted that he is “not one for political correctness – it’s stupid.” He added, “Another foolishness is that only young people can be on TV. It’s obvious that older people stay home to watch. The young go out.”
