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She opened up earlier this month about her 'reclusive' life in London after relocating to the United Kingdom from the United States.
And Stockard Channing made a rare departure from her under-the-radar routine on Wednesday when she walked the red carpet at the European premiere of Practical Magic 2 at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London.
The 82-year-old Grease star cut an elegant figure in a dark blue suit in what was her first red-carpet appearance in two years.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Channing for comment.
The actress was lured back into the spotlight to celebrate the sequel to 1998's Practical Magic, which starred Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as Sally and Gillian Owens, respectively, a pair of sisters from a long line of witches who were hit with a curse that kills any man whom they truly love.
Channing reprises her role from the first film as their aunt Frances Owens, who's also a fellow witch, while Dianne Wiest plays their other aunt, Bridget 'Jet' Owens.
Stockard Channing, 82, made a rare red-carpet appearance at the European premiere of Practical Magic 2 at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London, marking her first red carpet in two years after she relocated from Maine to London years earlier
Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman star as a pair of sisters and witches cursed to have any man they love die in Practical Magic 2, while Channing and her costar Dianne Wiest reprise their roles as their eccentric aunts
The two veteran stars shared a sweet reunion in which Channing embraced and held hands with Wiest, 78.
Channing cut a chic figure in a navy suit, which she contrasted with a white button-up blouse that was left undone at the top to highlight her thick chain-like necklace, which terminated in a large silver ring.
The stage and screen star added some extra sparkle with a pair of enormous dangling silver earrings that hung down past her shoulders.
She completed her look with black platform shoes and a dark leather bag, and she wore her highlighted brunette hair in thick waves that framed her taut visage.
Practical Magic 2 features new stars Joey King and Maisie Williams as the daughters of Bullock's character.
Lee Pace also joins the series as a scholar studying witchcraft who falls in love with her.
Channing rose to fame decades earlier as Rizzo in the 1978 musical Grease, in which she was the epitome of Americana.
She later introduced herself to a new generation by playing First Lady Abbey Bartlet in The West Wing.
Channing cut a chic figure in a navy suit, which she contrasted with a white button-up blouse that was left undone at the top to highlight her thick chain-like necklace, which terminated in a large silver ring
Channing and Wiest, 78, looked friendly and affectionate as they embraced and held hands on the red carpet
Channing and Wiest were joined on the red carpet by new stars (L–R) Maisie Williams and Joey King, director Susanne Bieber, Bullock, Kidman, Solly McLeod and Xolo Mariduena
Despite being famous for those roles and numerous others on film, TV and in the theatre, Channing revealed that she is happy with her quiet life in London earlier this month.
While speaking to the Sunday Times Magazine, she details how she relocated to London from Maine in 2019 following the devastating 2014 death of her partner, the producer Dan Gillham.
The New York–born star, who has been married four times, has lived alone since her partner died over a decade ago, and in the interview she declared: 'I’m happy being a recluse.'
Channing added: 'Children were thought about and, yeah, I think about them now because it’d be great to have someone taking care of me. But hey, children can be just as selfish as everybody else out there.'
She noted that President Trump's election was another reason for her move, explaining how Gillham's death 'was more devastating than I realized; it had a lag effect. The pattern of my life shifted, so I shifted my life from Maine.'
'It vaguely coincided with Trump getting elected and the way politics has changed in the US,' she said.
'People look at The West Wing and go, “ Wow, wasn’t it great when politicians had an ounce of integrity?”'
Channing has been married and divorced four times over her decades-long career. She wed her first husband, a wood sculptor named Walter Channing Jr, in 1963, and they split in 1967.
She then tied the knot with Paul Schmidt, a professor, in 1970, but they divorced after six years. Her third marriage was to the writer and producer David Deblin, whom she was with from 1976 to 1980.
Channing opened up about her 'reclusive' life in London after relocating from the US in an interview with the Sunday Times Magazine earlier in August; pictured in February 2025 in London
Channing is happy with her quiet life in London, explaining how she relocated from Maine in 2019 following the devastating 2014 death of her partner, the producer Dan Gillham (pictured in 1998)
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Channing then wed businessman David Rawle in 1980. They went their separate ways eight years later. She subsequently entered into a relationship with Gillham, a cinematographer and producer, in 1990, and they were together until his death in 2014.
The Grease star is currently making her theatrical directorial debut with a production of the one-act play, Krapp’s Last Tape, which is receiving an Edinburgh Festival run.
The Samuel Beckett classic, which premiered in 1958, features David Westhead taking on the title role of a 69-year-old man reflecting on his life through old tape recordings.
Channing's decision to direct the piece is rooted in her friendship and creative partnership with Rawle and their desire to raise funds for The Wembley to Soweto Foundation.
English (US) ·