Hilary Lyon is a British actress who is best known for her roles in TV shows such as Chef!, Trust Me, and Monarch of the Glen. She is also the ex-wife of Scottish actor Alan Cumming, who has starred in movies such as X2, Spy Kids, and The Good Wife.
Early Life and Education
Hilary was born in London, United Kingdom, to her parents. Her exact date of birth and zodiac sign are not known, but she is estimated to be between 57 and 59 years old as of 2024. She holds British nationality and belongs to the Caucasian ethnicity.
There is not much information available about Lyon’s education. She has not revealed the name of the high school or college she attended or the courses she studied. However, according to her IMDb profile, she is an actress who graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow in 1985.
Hilary Lyon Wiki/Bio
| Name | Hilary Lyon |
| Birthplace | London, United Kingdom |
| Nationality | British |
| Ethnicity | Caucasian |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Education | Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama |
| Spouses | Matt Ponting (m. 2001 – present) (2 children) Alan Cumming (m. 1985 – 1993) (divorced) |
| Awards | Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance (1991) Best Actor at the Atlantic Film Festival (1992) Scottish BAFTA Best Actor nomination (1992) |
| Notable works | Chef! (1993) Trust Me (2017) Monarch of the Glen (2000) |
| Social media | Instagram: hilarylyon |
| Homepage | newsunzip.com |
Career and Achievements
Lyon started her acting career soon after graduating from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. She made her professional theatre and film debuts in Macbeth at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow and in Gillies MacKinnon’s Passing Glory, respectively.
She then moved to London, where she performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre. She received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance for her role in Accidental Death of an Anarchist, which she also adapted with director Tim Supple.
She also formed a cabaret double act with fellow student Forbes Masson called Victor and Barry, which became very popular in the UK and Australia. They released two albums, Hear Victor and Barry and Faint and Are We Too Loud?, and appeared on many TV shows.
Lyon’s film career began with Ian Sellar’s Prague, in which she starred with Sandrine Bonnaire and Bruno Ganz. The film premiered at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival and won her the Best Actor award at the Atlantic Film Festival and a Scottish BAFTA Best Actor nomination.
She also appeared in movies such as Emma, Spice World, and Eyes Wide Shut. Some of her notable TV roles include Alice in Chef!, Glenda in Trust Me, Fiona Lennox in Monarch of the Glen, and Cleo Paterson in Jonathan Creek.
Marriage, Spouse & Kids
Hilary Lyon has been married twice in her life. Her first husband was Alan Cumming, whom she met at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. They got married in 1985 and divorced in 1993. They did not have any children together.
Cumming is a famous actor, writer, singer, and activist who has won many awards, including a BAFTA, a New York Emmy, two Tony Awards, and an Olivier Award. He is also known for his advocacy for LGBT rights and his bisexuality. He married illustrator Grant Shaffer in 2007.
Lyon’s second husband is Matt Ponting, whom she married in 2001. They have two children together, whose names and genders are not disclosed. Ponting is not a celebrity and his profession and background are unknown. The couple lives a low-key life and does not share much about their relationship on social media.
Net Worth and Salary
Hilary Lyon’s net worth and salary are not publicly known. She has not disclosed her income sources or assets. However, she has been working as an actress for over three decades and has appeared in many films and TV shows, so she must have earned a decent amount of money from her career.
Her ex-husband, Alan Cumming, has an estimated net worth of $16 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. He has made his fortune from his acting, writing, singing, and producing projects. He also owns a bar in New York City called Club Cumming.
Social Media Presence
Hilary does not have any official social media accounts. She does not use platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. However, there are some fan pages and hashtags dedicated to her on Instagram, such as #hilarylyon and #hilarylyonfan.
She also has an IMDb page, where her fans can find more information about her filmography and awards. She does not have a Wikipedia page, but there are some articles and blogs that feature her biography and career.
Nationality, Ethnicity & Religion
Lyon was born in London, United Kingdom, to her parents. She holds British nationality and belongs to the Caucasian ethnicity. She has not revealed any information about her religious beliefs or practices, but she may have been raised in a Christian household, as Christianity is the dominant religion in the UK.
Who Is Alan Cumming?
Alan Cumming is a Scottish actor, writer, singer, and activist who has won many awards, including a BAFTA, a New York Emmy, two Tony Awards, and an Olivier Award. He is also known for his advocacy for LGBT rights and his bisexuality. He married illustrator Grant Shaffer in 2007
He has appeared in many films and TV shows, such as X2, Spy Kids, The Good Wife, Instinct, and Schmigadoon!. He is also a successful stage performer, who has starred in plays such as Macbeth, Hamlet, and Cabaret. He has written a novel, Tommy’s Tale, and two memoirs, Not My Father’s Son and You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams. He also owns a bar in New York City called Club Cumming.
Height, Weight & Physical Stats
| Height (approx.) | In Feet Inches: 5′ 5″. In Meters: 1.65 m. |
| Weight (approx.) | In Kilograms: 55 kg. In Pounds: 121 lbs. |
| Hair Color | Blonde. |
| Eye Color | Blue |
Controversies
Hilary Lyon and Alan Cumming met at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and got married in 1985. They divorced in 1993, after eight years of marriage. They did not have any children together.
The reasons for their divorce are not publicly known, but Cumming has revealed that he is bisexual and that he had relationships with both men and women during and after his marriage to Lyon. He has also said that he suffered from a nervous breakdown when he and Lyon were trying to have a child, and that he was haunted by the childhood abuse he endured from his father.
Cumming has also claimed that his father told him on his deathbed that he was not his biological son, but the result of an affair his mother had with another man. This shocking revelation was made while Cumming was filming a genealogy documentary, Who Do You Think You Are?, in which he also discovered the tragic fate of his maternal grandfather, a British soldier who died in Malaysia.
Lyon has not commented publicly on these controversies or on her relationship with Cumming. She has remarried to Matt Ponting in 2001 and has two children with him. She lives a low-key life and does not have any social media accounts.
Trivia
- Hilary and Alan Cumming were both born in the same year, 1965.
- Lyon and Alan Cumming were both nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance in 1991, but she won and he lost.
- She and Alan Cumming both appeared in the movie Spice World, but they did not share any scenes.
- Hilary and Alan Cumming both have two children, but none of them are biologically theirs. Cumming adopted his husband’s two children, while Lyon’s children are from her second marriage.
