Actresses Who Were Never Married

Many famous actresses have led full, visible lives while choosing not to legally tie the knot. Some focused on their craft and kept their personal relationships private, others have been open about long-term partnerships, and many have embraced single parenthood by birth, adoption, or surrogacy. Across generations and film industries, the choice not to marry hasn’t limited their impact or the range of characters they’ve brought to the screen.

Below is a fact-focused look at twenty-five actresses who, as of today, have never married. You’ll find a mix of screen legends and current headliners, with snapshots of their careers, notable roles, and brief notes on how they’ve approached relationships or family life without walking down the aisle.

Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton is known for landmark films such as ‘Annie Hall’, ‘The Godfather Part II’, ‘Manhattan’, and ‘Something’s Gotta Give’, as well as directing, producing, and publishing work in photography and memoir. Her career spans studio comedies, prestige dramas, and ensemble projects including ‘The First Wives Club’.

Keaton has never married and has discussed choosing an independent path while raising two children through adoption. She has continued to work steadily in film and television, alongside projects in architecture and design.

Winona Ryder

Winona Ryder’s early breakout came with ‘Beetlejuice’, ‘Heathers’, and ‘Edward Scissorhands’, followed by ‘The Age of Innocence’ and ‘Girl, Interrupted’. She returned to global prominence with the series ‘Stranger Things’ and has appeared in franchise entries including ‘Star Trek’.

Ryder has never married and keeps her personal life comparatively private. She continues to balance independent films with mainstream work, appearing in both period pieces and contemporary dramas.

Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling gained recognition as a writer-performer on ‘The Office’ and later created and starred in ‘The Mindy Project’. Her producing slate includes comedy and YA series, along with film work such as ‘Late Night’ and voice roles in animated projects like ‘Inside Out’.

Kaling has never married and is a mother of two, sharing limited personal details while actively developing new series and features. She has authored best-selling books and maintains ongoing partnerships with multiple studios and streamers.

Helena Bonham Carter

Helena Bonham Carter’s filmography spans ‘A Room with a View’, ‘The Wings of the Dove’, and ‘The King’s Speech’, as well as large-scale collaborations including ‘Sweeney Todd’ and ‘Alice in Wonderland’. On television, she portrayed Princess Margaret in ‘The Crown’.

Bonham Carter has never married and has discussed family life and long-term relationships in selective interviews. She continues to alternate between independent cinema, studio productions, and stage roles.

Marisa Tomei

Marisa Tomei earned wide recognition with ‘My Cousin Vinny’ and has since appeared in ‘The Wrestler’, ‘In the Bedroom’, and ‘Cyrus’, along with a recurring role connected to the ‘Spider-Man’ franchise. She also works regularly in theater.

Tomei has never married and typically keeps her personal life out of the spotlight. She continues to move between independent films, major studio projects, and Broadway productions.

Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron’s work ranges from ‘Monster’ and ‘Tully’ to action titles such as ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ and ‘Atomic Blonde’. She is also an active producer with projects across film and streaming.

Theron has never married and is a mother of two through adoption. She remains involved in global philanthropy and continues to lead film franchises and develop new properties.

Kristin Davis

Kristin Davis is best known for ‘Sex and the City’ and its follow-ups, with additional credits including ‘Couples Retreat’ and ‘Holiday in the Wild’. She has appeared on stage and in various television series.

Davis has never married and is a mother of two through adoption. She is active in wildlife and humanitarian advocacy and returned to her signature role in ‘And Just Like That…’.

Lucy Liu

Lucy Liu rose to prominence with ‘Ally McBeal’, ‘Charlie’s Angels’, and ‘Kill Bill’, later starring in ‘Elementary’ and ‘Why Women Kill’. She has directed episodes of television and exhibits visual art under her Chinese name.

Liu has never married and is a parent through surrogacy. She continues to work across film, television, and animation, including voice roles in franchises such as ‘Kung Fu Panda’.

Mary-Louise Parker

Mary-Louise Parker’s credits include ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’, ‘Bullets Over Broadway’, and the series ‘Weeds’, with additional film work in titles like ‘Red’. She is an award-winning stage performer and published author.

Parker has never married and is a mother of two. She divides her time among theater, film, television, and writing, maintaining a consistent presence across mediums.

Patricia Clarkson

Patricia Clarkson is known for ‘The Station Agent’, ‘Pieces of April’, and ‘Far From Heaven’, as well as the limited series ‘Sharp Objects’. Her career is closely tied to independent cinema and prestige television.

Clarkson has never married and has described valuing a private life oriented around work and family. She continues to collaborate with auteur directors and appears regularly on stage.

Michelle Rodriguez

Michelle Rodriguez made her debut with ‘Girlfight’ and became central to the ‘Fast & Furious’ series. She has also appeared in ‘Avatar’, ‘Resident Evil’, and ‘Widows’.

Rodriguez has never married and keeps relationship details minimal in public. She works across action, science fiction, and ensemble dramas, including recurring roles in long-running franchises.

Sarah Paulson

Sarah Paulson’s television work includes ‘American Horror Story’, ‘The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story’, and ‘Ratched’, with film credits such as ‘Carol’ and ‘Ocean’s 8’. She is also active in theater.

Paulson has never married and addresses personal topics sparingly while maintaining public engagement through her projects. She frequently alternates between limited series, anthologies, and feature films.

Sienna Miller

Sienna Miller’s roles include ‘Factory Girl’, ‘American Sniper’, and ‘The Lost City of Z’, with television appearances such as ‘Anatomy of a Scandal’. She works across independent features and studio productions.

Miller has never married and is a mother of two. She continues to select projects that span contemporary dramas, period pieces, and streaming series.

Brie Larson

Brie Larson is known for ‘Room’, the indie drama ‘Short Term 12’, and her ongoing role in the Marvel franchise through ‘Captain Marvel’ and related titles. She has also directed short-form projects and records music.

Larson has never married and keeps her personal life largely private. She develops projects as a producer while appearing in blockbusters and character-driven films, including the series ‘Lessons in Chemistry’.

Zendaya

Zendaya has led the series ‘Euphoria’ and starred in major films such as ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ and ‘Dune’. She started in youth-oriented television before expanding into feature films and producing.

Zendaya has never married and manages publicity around her personal life carefully. In addition to acting, she collaborates in fashion and produces content for film and streaming.

Florence Pugh

Florence Pugh’s notable credits include ‘Lady Macbeth’, ‘Midsommar’, ‘Little Women’, and ‘Black Widow’. She records music and has appeared on programs highlighting cooking and crafts related to her interests.

Pugh has never married and shares limited information about relationships. She continues to balance independent dramas with large-scale franchises across film and television.

Emma Watson

Emma Watson became widely known through the ‘Harry Potter’ series and later appeared in ‘The Bling Ring’, ‘Beauty and the Beast’, and ‘Little Women’. She has directed and written short-form pieces.

Watson has never married and is recognized for work on education and gender-equality initiatives. She periodically steps away from acting to focus on studies, advocacy, and behind-the-camera projects.

Lupita Nyong’o

Lupita Nyong’o earned early acclaim with ’12 Years a Slave’ and has appeared in ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’. She is also an author of a children’s book and an active stage performer.

Nyong’o has never married and discusses craft and culture in interviews while maintaining personal privacy. She continues to work across global franchises, independent features, and theater.

Eva Green

Eva Green’s credits include ‘Casino Royale’, ‘Penny Dreadful’, and ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’. She often selects stylized, genre-driven projects and works in multiple languages.

Green has never married and keeps her personal life discreet. She appears in both European and Hollywood productions and participates in festival circuits and limited series.

Emilia Clarke

Emilia Clarke is best known for ‘Game of Thrones’, with film roles in ‘Me Before You’, ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’, and ‘Last Christmas’. She supports health-care causes and founded a charity focused on brain injury recovery.

Clarke has never married and generally avoids public discussion of relationships. She continues to act in film, television, and stage productions and contributes to philanthropic campaigns.

Rachel McAdams

Rachel McAdams is known for ‘Mean Girls’, ‘The Notebook’, and ‘Spotlight’, along with roles in ‘Doctor Strange’ and ‘Game Night’. Her career spans comedies, thrillers, and ensemble dramas.

McAdams has never married and is a mother, keeping family life private. She alternates between studio features and independent projects, participating in both franchises and smaller films.

Tilda Swinton

Tilda Swinton’s filmography features ‘Orlando’, ‘Michael Clayton’, ‘We Need to Talk About Kevin’, and collaborations such as ‘Only Lovers Left Alive’ and ‘The French Dispatch’. She also creates performance art and appears in experimental cinema.

Swinton has never married and has maintained a private approach to relationships and family. She continues to work across languages and genres, often partnering with auteurs for international productions.

Rosario Dawson

Rosario Dawson’s work ranges from ‘Kids’ and ‘Rent’ to ‘Sin City’ and ‘Seven Pounds’, with recent roles across the ‘Star Wars’ universe through ‘Ahsoka’. She produces documentaries and participates in civic initiatives.

Dawson has never married and shares limited personal information while focusing on creative and advocacy efforts. She remains active in film and television, including voice work and genre projects.

Parker Posey

Parker Posey is associated with independent cinema through ‘Party Girl’, ‘The House of Yes’, and Christopher Guest mockumentaries like ‘Best in Show’, with mainstream appearances including ‘Superman Returns’. She has also published a memoir.

Posey has never married and keeps her relationships out of public view. She continues to appear in independent films, television series, and festival-driven projects.

Frances Bavier

Best known as Aunt Bee on The Andy Griffith Show, Frances Bavier spent her later years in Siler City, North Carolina, and kept her private life out of the spotlight. She had no children and remains closely associated with her Emmy-winning television work.

Her marital status is disputed. Many references describe her as never married; others list a brief early marriage to Russell Carpenter from 1928 to 1933. Contemporary obituaries and later summaries acknowledge the conflicting accounts and lack of firm documentation.

Betty Lynn

Betty Lynn, who played Thelma Lou on The Andy Griffith Show, worked steadily in film and television from the late 1940s and later became a fixture in Mount Airy, North Carolina.

She never married, though she once said she had been engaged.

Aneta Corsaut

Aneta Corsaut, remembered as Helen Crump on The Andy Griffith Show and later Mayberry R.F.D., also appeared in The Blob (1958) and worked on stage and TV through the early 1990s.

Corsaut never married and had no children.

Anna Kendrick

Anna Kendrick earned major recognition with Up in the Air (2009) and the Pitch Perfect films, later branching into directing with Woman of the Hour (2023).

As of September 29, 2025, Kendrick has not married. Reliable coverage of her personal life details past relationships but no marriage.

Jacqueline Bisset

Jacqueline Bisset rose to prominence with Bullitt (1968), Day for Night (1973), Murder on the Orient Express (1974), and numerous later film and TV roles, including a Golden Globe–winning performance in Dancing on the Edge (2013).

Bisset has never married, though she has had several long-term relationships, a point she has acknowledged in interviews.

Greta Garbo

Greta Garbo, one of classic Hollywood’s defining stars, headlined films from Anna Christie (1930) to Ninotchka (1939) and retired after Two-Faced Woman (1941).

Garbo never married, had no children, and lived privately for most of her adult life.

Taraji P. Henson

Taraji P. Henson built one of the most reliable careers in Hollywood with roles in “Baby Boy,” “Hustle & Flow,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” and the hit series “Empire,” plus an Oscar nomination and multiple Emmy/Golden Globe nods. She continues to work across film, TV, animation and producing, and she’s a high-visibility advocate around mental health and pay equity.

Henson has never married. She was engaged to former NFL player Kelvin Hayden in 2018 but confirmed in 2020 that the engagement was over and later said she’s happy not pursuing marriage, repeating the point in 2024–25 interviews.

Octavia Spencer

Octavia Spencer is an Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA winner for “The Help,” and she has maintained a steady stream of work in features (“Hidden Figures,” “Ma,” “The Shape of Water,” voice roles) and prestige TV/streaming projects. She also produces, writes, and mentors new talent.

Spencer has never been married and has spoken quite openly about accepting that choice and building her life around work, friendships, and family instead.

Queen Latifah

Queen Latifah parlayed her music breakthrough into an acting career that spans “Set It Off,” “Chicago,” “Beauty Shop,” “Girls Trip,” and the CBS hit “The Equalizer.” She is one of the few performers with an Oscar nomination, an Emmy, a Golden Globe and a Grammy on her résumé.

Despite a long-term relationship with choreographer Eboni Nichols and raising a son together, Latifah has never married and has not announced plans to do so. Coverage through 2025 continues to describe them as partners, not spouses.

Lauren Graham

Lauren Graham is best known for playing Lorelai Gilmore on “Gilmore Girls,” followed by leading work on “Parenthood,” films like “Because I Said So,” and bestselling books. In October 2025 she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, underlining her long TV standing.

Graham has never married. She spent about 12 years with actor Peter Krause but has said in multiple 2025 interviews that she never had a fixed timeline for marriage or children and is comfortable with the path she chose.

Rosamund Pike

Rosamund Pike moved from early U.K. roles to global leads in “Pride & Prejudice” (2005), “Jack Reacher,” “Gone Girl,” “I Care a Lot,” and as the star/EP of Amazon’s “The Wheel of Time.” She works regularly in both British and U.S. productions.

Pike has never married. She has been in a relationship with businessman Robie Uniacke since 2009, they share two sons, and profiles through 2025 continue to describe him as her partner, not her husband.

Maya Rudolph

Maya Rudolph came to prominence on “Saturday Night Live,” then became a reliable film and voice star with “Bridesmaids,” “Loot,” “Big Mouth,” “Disenchanted,” and numerous animated movies. She often produces and anchors comedy ensembles.

Rudolph has never legally married. She has been with filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson since the early 2000s, the couple has four children, and both 2024 and 2025 reports repeat that they still haven’t formalized the relationship even though they sometimes say “husband” and “wife.”

Dakota Johnson

Dakota Johnson became an international name with the “Fifty Shades” films and has since built a steadier, more auteur-friendly slate with “Suspiria,” “The Lost Daughter,” “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” and 2025 releases like “Materialists.”

Johnson has never married. She and Coldplay’s Chris Martin were together, on and off, from 2017 until mid-2025 and were repeatedly rumored to be engaged, but the relationship ended without a wedding.

Keke Palmer

Keke Palmer has been working since childhood in titles like “Akeelah and the Bee,” “True Jackson, VP,” “Hustlers,” “Nope,” and multiple voice and hosting gigs, while also releasing music and producing.

Palmer has never married. She welcomed a son in 2023 with ex-partner Darius Jackson, later separated, and reiterated in 2024–25 coverage that she is single and co-parenting.

Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson won an Academy Award for “Dreamgirls,” headlined “Respect,” starred in films and stage projects, and now fronts a daytime talk show while continuing to act.

Hudson has never married. She was engaged to David Otunga from 2008 to 2017 and, since 2024, has been in a public relationship with Common, but 2025 reports still describe her as someone who has been engaged but not wed.

Shailene Woodley

Shailene Woodley broke out with “The Descendants” and headlined “The Fault in Our Stars,” “Divergent,” and “Big Little Lies,” while also doing eco-advocacy and indie films.

Woodley has never married. She ended her engagement to NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers years earlier, dated actor Lucas Bravo in 2025, and by September 2025 was again single, with no marriage in her history.

Share your own picks and additions in the comments—who else belongs on this list and which roles first made you take notice?