Pirates of the Caribbean 5 star Kaya Scodelario and her husband, actor Benjamin Walker. (Getty)
Now that Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is in theaters, you might be wondering if the actress playing Carina Smyth, Kaya Scodelario, is dating. She is married to American actor Benjamin Walker and the young couple have a son together.
The 25-year-old Scodelario was born in England as Kaya Rose Humphrey. After her parents divorced, she took her mother’s maiden name. Before getting to act alongside Johnny Depp, Scodelario was best known for playing Effy Stonem in Skins from 2007 to 2013. She also plays Teresa Agnes in the Maze Runner movies. You can follow Scodelario on Instagram and Twitter.
As for the 34-year-old Walker, he was born Benjamin Walker Davis in Cartersville, Georgia. He shot to fame on the stage first, playing Andrew Jackson in the original production of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and Brick in a revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. In 2012, he played the title role in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and had a role in Ron Howard’s In The Heart of the Sea. He also worked with Clint Eastwood on 2006’s Flags of Our Fathers. Last year, he returned to the stage to star in Broadway’s American Psycho. You can follow Walker on Instagram and Twitter.
Here’s what you need to know about Walker and their marriage.
1. They Haven’t Revealed the Name of Their Son Yet
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Scodelario and Walker have kept the name of their baby a secret. In November, she posted a picture of their son’s hands with their French bulldog Arnie by his side. “Welcome to the world little man. We couldn’t be happier or more in love with you & Arnie’s loving his new cuddle buddy,” Scodelario wrote.
Scodelario has shared other photos of their son, but hasn’t revealed any other details. She has also refrained from showing her son’s face. Walker and his wife have also not announced when exactly the baby was born or how much he weighed. The couple certainly value their privacy.
The couple announced their pregnancy with a beautiful photo on Walker’s Instagram page. He posted an image of the couple on the beach with Arnie and a heart drawn in the sand. “Happy summer from the four of us.. I love you @kayascods,” Walker wrote.
2. Walker Met Scodelario While Filming ‘The King’s Daughter’ in April 2014
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Walker and Scodelario met in April 2014 when they were filming The King’s Daughter back in April 2014. The movie was originally called The Moon and the Sun and still hasn’t been released in the U.S. It also stars Pierce Brosnan and William Hurt.
In an interview with InStyle U.K., Scodelario said they were just friends while filming, but after production wrapped, they realized they liked each other.
Early on in their relationship, they decided to try long-distance, with Scodelario staying in the U.K. and Walker in New York.
It was a real whirlwind romance, since Walker proposed in December 2014, nine months after they first met. When Scodelario posted a photo of her engagement ring on Instagram, she revealed that she got “Ben” tattooed on her ring finger.
A year after their engagement, the couple tied the knot in December 2015 to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s.
3. Walker Was Previously Married to Meryl Streep’s Daughter Mamie Gummer
Mamie Gummer and Benjamin Walker in 2010. (Getty)
Walker’s first wife is Mamie Gummer, the 33-year-old daughter of actress Meryl Streep and sculptor Don Gummer.
They got engaged in 2009, with Gummer referring to him as her “Keanu to my Uma,” since they both starred in a stage production of Les Liaisons dangereuses. The couple married two years later and lived in Brooklyn.
While Gummer’s mother’s marriage has remained strong since 1978, Mamie’s own marriage to Walker didn’t last. As Us Weekly reported in March 2013, the two divorced.
“It’s very amicable,” a representative for Gummer told Us Weekly.
4. Walker Uses His Mother’s Maiden Name as his Professional Name Because There Was Already a SAG Actor Registered With the Name Ben Davis
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Walker’s parents told the Times-Georgian in 2012 that they knew Walker was going to be an actor by the time he was in fourth grade.
“We knew from the time he was in the fourth grade that he was probably going to be an actor,” Greg Davis told the newspaper. “We didn’t push him in that direction, but we tried to provide opportunities for him to develop that way. He had a good musical background from his mother and his teachers.”
Walker’s parents are Greg and Jeannine Davis. In 2012, Greg was ran an Edward Jones office in Acworth, Georgia. Jeannine is a music teacher.
Davis told the Times-Georgian that his son was stuck using Walker as his professional name because he discovered that there was another Benjamin Davis registered with the Screen Actors Guild.
“They only let one person join with a name and they already had a Benjamin Davis, so he used his mother’s maiden name, Walker. We’ve called him Ben Walker all his life,” Davis explained to the newspaper.
5. Walker Couldn’t Be in ‘X-Men: First Class’ Because of ‘Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson’
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Walker did have a chance to star in X-Men: First Class, which could have been a big boost for his movie career. In 2010, he was cast as Dr. Hank McCoy/Beast. At first, he accepted the part, but had to withdraw because of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. The role went to Nicholas Hoult instead.
“Well, what complicated [X-Men] was that I had to choose between it and Andrew Jackson, and that was a no-brainer; I didn’t want to miss out on that show and that group of people,” Walker told Vulture in 2012. “In terms of [Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter], the team assembled, it almost didn’t matter what the movie was, I knew I wanted to work with these people. The script could’ve been toilet paper and I would’ve given it a shot.”
Walker studied acting at New York’s Juilliard School, where he earned a degree from the Juilliard Actor Training Program in 2004. As The New Yorker points out, he started doing standup while earning his degree.
Walker also hosted Find The Funny events at The Public Theatre, where he would introduce new musicians and comics to perform.
“Part of your job as an artist is to push yourself and make sure your creative juices are flowing,” Walker told the New Yorker.