Coronation Street put a fresh-faced Michelle Keegan on the map 14 years ago, but following the immense success of her TV chart-topper Fool Me Once, it could be a tale of soap star to Hollywood superstardom.
Michelle’s role as complex Maya Stern in Harlan Coben’s Netflix hit has gripped not only binge-watchers in the UK and overseas, but the Hollywood big dogs. And as the offers start to roll in for Michelle, 36, heat’s source says that while it’s a pinch-me opportunity, she doesn’t want to be apart from husband Mark Wright.
“Mark and Michelle had no idea Fool Me Once would take off the way it has, and now it’s time to make some big decisions,” we’re told.
“Michelle has never been more in demand in her career and is wanted by all the top agents and producers in Hollywood. This is everything she was waiting for, but she knows if she wants to break America, she’ll have to move there for a bit – and she’s not sure she wants to do that, unless Mark came with her.”
Manchester-born Michelle and Essex boy Mark, 37 – who tied the knot in May 2015 – have both climbed the ladder of success in their respective careers. In 2017, TOWIE alumni Mark relocated to LA, where he pursued his Hollywood dream with a coveted presenting role on entertainment programme Extra. He moved back to the UK in 2019, but the Stateside spell was not the only time he and Michelle have been forced apart due to work commitments. In 2022, the actress spent months Down Under filming historical drama Ten Pound Poms. And Fool Me Once pulled her more than 200 miles away from the plush Essex mansion she shares with Mark, as much of the filming took place in Cheshire, with some scenes shot in Spain.
During Michelle’s recent glam appearance on Extra to talk about Fool Me Once, presenter Billy Bush described her as part of the show’s family, thanks to being married to “our Mark Wright”. After asking his old pal to join the video call, he said of the power pair, “It’s the best-looking couple I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s overwhelming!”
And now, heat has learned that upping sticks and moving to Hollywood could be on the cards for the aesthetically blessed husband and wife. We’re told, “Mark is so proud of Michelle and has said that he would also come to LA with her for a while, so she can explore all the opportunities that have come her way. Mark still does work for Extra, so has great connections. He could work out there and also fulfil his commitments in the UK. Mark is actually in awe of how hard Michelle has worked for all of this and wants her to reap all the benefits of that.”
As they’ve got older, the couple have often faced quite intrusive questioning over whether they are looking to start a family, with Michelle recently admitting it’s “horrible” being asked about baby plans.
She said earlier this month, “People don’t know if we’re trying. They don’t know the background of what’s happening. In this day and age, you shouldn’t be asking questions like that. I’m asked purely because I’m a woman. But I’m immune to it now – it’s like a reaction, and as soon as I hear it, I brush it off as it’s no one else’s business.”
At the end of 2022, the couple moved into their £3.5m mansion in Essex after spending three years building it, throwing a spectacular housewarming for their loved ones last summer. Our insider adds that despite family always coming first for the couple, the world is their oyster now their dream home is complete.
They say, “Their Essex place is their forever home and it will always be there, so they could split their time between LA and Essex. They’re both ambitious and while they love being near their families, they know they have to take these opportunities.”