Aaron Taylor-Johnson got married at 22. Now at 34, this is his family life with four daughters.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson is making headlines as he hits the red carpet for his two highly-anticipated films, Nosferatu and Kraven The Hunter.

By his side is his wife, Sam Taylor-Johnson, who he met in 2009 while he was starring in Nowhere Boy and she was directing his performance. Famously, the actor was 18 while the director was 41.

The couple have remained strong for 16 years, recently making a red carpet appearance at the New York premiere of Kraven The Hunter.

They also brought along Sam's two daughters –– Angelica Mara Jopling, 27, and Jessie Phoenix Jopling, 18 –– whom she shares with her ex-husband, Jay Jopling.

Image: Getty.

Aaron is a proud stepfather to both girls, recently celebrating Jessie's 18th birthday with an Instagram tribute. The actor has been part of her life since she was just 2.

On Tuesday, October 8th, the Kick-Ass star shared two sweet photos on his Instagram Stories, in honour of the special day.

First up was a throwback snap of a much younger Aaron hugging Jessie, captioned, "Happy Birthday baby girl." He followed that with a more recent shot of the two, writing, "18 now... still my baby girl."

Image: Instagram/@aarontaylorjohnson

Aaron, 34, became a stepdad to Jessie and her older sister Angelica, 27, when he tied the knot with director Sam Taylor-Johnson, 57, back in 2012.

The couple also have two daughters together, Wylda, 13, and Romy, 12, making them a blended family of six.

Sam also jumped on Instagram to wish Jessie a happy birthday, posting a slideshow of photos over the years and writing, "18. My darling Phoenix. Happy Birthday. You are everything and more. I love you. I am so proud to be your Mummy."

Image: Instagram/@samtaylorjohnson

Despite their age gap and all the attention that follows, Aaron and Sam keep things pretty low-key, only sharing rare family moments like this one.

In an interview with Esquire, the actor gave more insight into his guarded family life: "I was going to have a big family. I knew I was going to be a young father. I knew I was going to have many kids."

In the same interview, he said: 'I've probably talked to you more about my kids and Sam than I have with anybody. I've got really nothing to hide, and I'm secure in what we have."

"But I'm not going to unlock things that are actually precious to me."

Who are Aaron and Sam Taylor-Johnson?

Both from the UK, Aaron, an actor, has starred in countless movies, including Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging and Bullet Train, has won a Golden Globe and is rumoured to be the next James Bond.

Meanwhile, Sam, a filmmaker and photographer, has directed her fair share of movies (Nowhere Boy, Fifty Shades of Grey) and more recently, the Amy Winehouse biopic, Back to Black.

Despite rumours swirling of a split emerging recently, the couple showed they were as in love as ever, posting a series of holiday photos on Instagram.

Image: Instagram/@aarontaylorjohnson

As far as celebrity couples go, the Taylor-Johnsons have received far more scrutiny than most because of their 23-year-age gap. But that's never bothered them.

Aaron (then just Johnson) and Sam (née Taylor-Wood) first met in 2008, when Aaron auditioned for the role of John Lennon in Nowhere Boy, Sam's feature film debut.

At 18, Aaron had just a handful of films under his belt, while Sam, then 41, was a renowned artist, director and mother of two daughters from her previous marriage.

Aaron still remembers what Sam was wearing the day they met.

"I remember it very, very clearly," the actor told Harper's Bazaar in 2019. "This white shirt that she still has, that I love. It definitely changed my life, though not in the way I expected."

Image: Getty.

Aaron proposed to Sam as soon as they wrapped.

"As soon as we finished, he told me he was going to marry me," Sam told the publication. "We had never been on a date, or even kissed."

"And a year to the minute after we met, exactly one year to the minute, I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me," Aaron said.

"I knew instantly that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this person."

The age gap meant nothing.

"When I met Sam, I'd already lived a life far beyond that of most of my contemporaries – I didn't relate to anyone my age. I just feel that we're on the same wavelength," Aaron told The Telegraph UK in 2019.

While Sam told The Sunday Times: "We had this intense connection. He was very intense and absolutely mind made-up."

The couple announced their engagement at the UK premiere of Nowhere Boy in 2009, and in July 2010, they welcomed their first daughter, Wylda Rae.

Two years later, in 2012, their second daughter, Romy Hero, was born. And in June, they got married and changed their last name to Taylor-Johnson.

Of the name change, Aaron told the Evening Standard: "I just don't see why women need to take the man's name. I wanted to be a part of her just as much as she wanted to be part of me."

Watch the trailer for Bullet Train, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, here. Post continues below.

Although both have continued to work since, Aaron prefers raising their children.

"I get more fulfilment from being a father than I do from being an actor," he said in a 2017 interview with Mr Porter. "I'm still constantly wanting to give it up."

The couple currently have three of the four kids under one roof, and two of them are teenagers.

"Teenagers, man," Aaron told Esquire in 2023. "I’ve got teenagers."

While neither Aaron nor Sam care about the commentary surrounding their age-gap relationship, they admit it was hard to deal with in the early years.

"The attention was intrusive," the actor told New York Magazine.

"But having to deal with that early in my career probably got me to a place where I can more quickly just go, 'Oh, f*** it' instead of wanting to rip someone's head off for asking questions I don't like," he added.

While Sam gave The Hollywood Reporter her two cents on it: "If I gave a second thought to other people, I would be the unhappiest person, probably still in a miserable marriage.

"People like to talk about it. I'm like, 'Yeah, but it works better than my last marriage.' It's lasted longer than a lot of my friends' marriages."

In 2017, Aaron shared he got a tattoo of his wife's name on his chest near his heart. In 2021, for their 10th wedding anniversary, Sam did the same.

Image: Instagram/@_dr_woo

The couple also renewed their vows to celebrate the milestone.

"It was a celebration of love and joy!" Aaron captioned a photo from the event on Instagram.

"A decade of marriage. It was a magical, unforgettable day, and the sun did not stop shining on us both... we are blessed beyond belief. Sammy you are my love, my life, my soulmate, my wife, my world!"

While Sam wrote: "10 glorious years. My incredible husband, father to all four girls. I love you, I love you, I love you. Love conquers all."

Image: Instagram/@samtaylorjohnson

And the secret to their success?

Aaron told Mr Porter it was all to do with not analysing their relationship.

"I just know that it works. I feel secure and loved and safe," he said.

"We have this very deep connection. We're just in sync."

Earlier this year, Aaron sat down with Rolling Stone UK and addressed the criticism surrounding his marriage.

"What you gotta realise is that what most people were doing in their 20s, I was doing when I was 13," he said.

"You're doing something too quickly for someone else? I don't understand that. What speed are you supposed to enjoy life at? It's bizarre to me."

He also praised his wife's filmmaking career while noting how challenging it can be to work with his spouse on projects like the 2019 movie A Million Little Pieces, given that criticism of a project can feel like an attack on them as a couple.

"There's a protectiveness that I feel; I think it's really difficult. There's also part of me that feels like if something didn't work, I'm the one that's responsible," he said.

The interview came just one day before a report emerged suggesting that Aaron had booked the role of James Bond, a rumour that is yet to be confirmed by the actor himself.

When asked whether he would be replacing Daniel Craig as the next Bond, Aaron diplomatically responded: "I can only really talk about the things I'm going to show and tell. So, The Fall Guy, Nosferatu, Kraven the Hunter. I'm here to promote those."

This article was originally published in July 2022, and has been updated since with new information. 

Feature image: Getty.