Tilda Swinton is one of the most famous actors who's been in a million franchises, which is probably why we haven’t spent much time hearing about her partner. Famous in his own right, Sandro Kopp has a different kind of art under his belt. His palette is more in tune with the visual arts in a paint-and-pen way. Movies, which he does have some experience in, are more besides the point than the goal of his art. He does utilize some media forms though, making him just the right level of renaissance man that we’d expect to be with Tilda Swinton. Not to mention how their relationship is a true reflection of their values. They’ve been together since 2004, and the meet-cute is just adorable. And surprisingly normal, considering the breadth of interests these two have. While there are some famous couples who like to share the spotlight (like Kim K and Kanye, for example) Sandro Kopp is definitely not going to be throwing punches for his time in the limelight anytime soon. He seems to like the quiet. Now’s the time to learn a little more, though, and see who this mystery man really is.
Their Meet Cute Is Classic
Why do so many actors end up with other actors? They meet them on set, of course! If you’re spending 14 hours a day working on set, there’s no surprise that you’re going to start getting to know your co-stars, day players, and other one-liners that drop in. We’re not surprised by the fact that Tilda Swinton is no different. While Sandro Kopp is a visual artist first and foremost, he understands the movie business. Even if he’s not a big silver screen star, his IMDb has a few credits on it. Including the one where he met Tilda Swinton! The story goes that she, the White Queen, met him, a lowly centaur, on the set of The Chronicles of Narnia. And no, those aren’t fun nicknames we just gave them; those are the characters they played during the movie!
They’ve Been Together For Ages
Tilda Swinton famously has two kids, a set of twins born to her and her ex, John Byrne. They came along well before Sandro Kopp appeared, but that hasn’t stopped Kopp from helping to raise them over the last decade or so. They got together in 2004, and they haven’t really left each other’s side since. Which maybe explains the scandal. For a while, the rumors were that Sandro Kopp was in a relationship with Tilda Swinton and John Byrne. This might have been because they were all living in one big house, and Swinton made an interview comment about how they were all “the best of friends” (with no implied winking or nudging). It was totally misconstrued though, as Swinton really explains, “it’s all quite boring, really. The father of my children and I are good friends, and I’m now in a very happy other relationship… And we’re all really good friends. It’s a very happy situation. Life doesn’t have to be complicated. You just have to have compassion with yourself and stop blaming yourself when things do get complicated.”
He’s Cooler Than Us
Cooler than anyone, really. While some might poo-poo the fine arts as being pretentious, and the artists themselves insular and uncomfortable to deal with, Sandro Kopp is anything but. He takes a serious-but-casual approach to his art. From social media sketches of his love, Tilda Swinton, to Skype portraits done from half a world away, he’s always trying to subvert the classical discipline of fine art. And he’s not precious about it; to him, living an artist’s life is just the way it is. There’s no other option! In one of his interviews, he declared “I have never had the sense that doing anything other than making art was a serious option for me. Making cool stuff that I enjoy looking at has been my primary objective for as long as I can remember. Luckily some other people seem to enjoy looking at it too.” More than “some other people,” we’d say; the world loves his visual artistry, and we think that it says a lot when a classically trained artist can break into the public sector.
Their relationship might have been strewn with gossip at the beginning, but the two of them aren’t actually anything unusual. Or, rather, their relationship isn’t unusual. Tilda Swinton and Sandro Kopp are both a little bit of strange magic in their own right, but that’s beside the point. Despite some rumors that started ages ago (which we all know now have been debunked) Sandro Kopp and Tilda Swinton are still going strong. After meeting each other in 2004, the love has just gotten bigger and better. Kopp’s visual artistry has also grown, and he regularly exhibits (when we’re not in Covid-Times, of course). The two of them are just a good fit. And while he might stay out of the limelight, he’s just as cool as Swinton; if not cooler. He’s just a little quieter about it.