Grace star John Simm’s life from EastEnders actress wife to rock star past

The fourth season of ITV’s Grace, starring John Simm as DS Roy Grace, is almost here, and fans are getting excited. Here’s a peek into his private life.

When actor Craig Parkinson, best known for playing DS Norman Potting from the show’s premiere in 2021, announced his retirement in a heartfelt message, viewers of the well-liked crime drama Grace were left stunned.

ITV is about to air the much anticipated fourth season of Grace, and there are even rumors that a fifth season may air in 2025.

In the thick of the show’s excitement, let’s take a look behind the scenes at the life of John Simm, who plays DS Roy Grace.

John is a pop culture figure from the 1990s who has shown off his versatility in acting, directing, and singing with noteworthy roles in British TV series like Life on Mars and Doctor Who, as well as movies like Human Traffic and 24 Hour Party People.

**John Simm has made his name in television back in the 90s (Image: BBC)**

90s symbol

He portrayed Jip in the popular clubbing movie Human Traffic (1999), which centers on a group of five young friends over a wild weekend in Cardiff.

According to the Mirror, three years later, he played New Order frontman Bernard Sumner in Michael Winterbottom’s satirical film 24 Hour Party People, which was based on Manchester’s Factory Records and its owner Tony Wilson.

Best recognized for his appearances in the 1990s and 2000s, the actor has been nominated twice for both the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor and the BAFTA Best Actor award. In addition, he played guitar and wrote songs for the rock group Magic Alex.

The band backed Echo and the Bunnymen on two British tours, taking their name from ‘Magic Alex’ Mardas, an electronics expert and close friend of The Beatles.

**John and his Eastenders wife cosy up (Image: Getty)**

Stunning Eastenders wife

Since 2004, John and actress Kate Magowan have enjoyed a happy marriage. Many people know Magowan from her appearances in 41 episodes of the renowned BBC serial opera EastEnders between 2013 and 2014 as Sadie Young.

The pair has been together on screen in a number of movies and television shows, such as Is Harry On The Boat? and 24 Hour Party People.

In April 2004, they tied the knot in a stunning wedding in Gloucestershire’s Forest of Dean.

According to Kate, their love is still going strong since she shared a sweet Valentine’s Day selfie of the two of them. She wrote, “22 Years My Valentine,” as a kind description for the picture, including a love emoji.

**John Simm will return as DC Roy Grace (Image: ITV)**

Massive life move

John made a big life shift during the lockdown when he relocated to Brighton with his wife Kate and their kids, Ryan and Molly, from London.

The Doctor Who actor acknowledged that the move was “serendipitous” but said it was a long-term plan unrelated to Grace in an interview with The Times.

In an interview with the journal last year, he said that “so many friends have done the same thing” and that he too enjoyed the freedom and sea air.

“Goodbye London, it’s been memorable,” Kate said on Instagram to her 10,100 followers, announcing the exciting move. Hi there, Brighton.

**John Simm became emotional during an interview on ITV (Image: ITV)**

Emotional TV appearance

When John thought back to his 2018 appearance on This Morning, where he revealed information about his role as Dan Bowker in the suspenseful ITV series Trauma, he felt quite aroused.

John addressed the previous hosts, Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford, saying, “Adrian’s character is the trauma surgeon, and he’s a blue collar worker who rushes to the hospital.”

“When he arrives, the child is still alive. I’m told he’ll be alright, but he’s not. He passes away.”

It was evident to Eamonn that John was choked up as he recounted his role, saying, “You’re getting emotional even talking about that now.”

John then shared a personal connection with his character, citing that his own son was 15 years old during the filming of Trauma, asserting, “To be an actor to convey truthful emotions, you have to go to a dark place sometimes.”