Those who are settling in to watch Netflix’s latest crime thriller, Dept. Q, will already be aware that there is a familiar face leading the cast.

Matthew Goode, whom viewers will know and love from his roles in Downton Abbey, The Good Wife, A Discovery of Witches and The Crown, heads up the show, which is about a brilliant detective who is wracked with guilt after his partner is left paralysed.

Away from his glittering career on screen, however, Matthew, 47, prefers to keep low-key with his wife, Sophie Dymoke, and their three children, Matilda, 16, Teddy, 11, and Ralph, aged nine.

Find out more about Matthew’s super private life and the adorable nickname his wife has for him…

Who is Matthew Goode’s wife?

Matthew’s wife is Sophie Dymoke. The pair have been an item since the mid-2000s and it’s thought that they tied the knot in 2014. Together, they live in leafy Surrey with their children.

It’s not known what her current role is, but Town & Country reports that she studied economics before venturing into the fashion industry, working for brands such as Donna Karen and Diesel.

Recalling how they met, Matthew previously divulged to the Scottish Herald: “She was sitting on my doorstep when I came home from filming in Poland or somewhere. That’s a good few years ago. She was best friends with my neighbour Emily in Clapham.

“She’d locked herself out. I was a bit flustered and quite tired. The way I remember it I opened the door and carried her bag up. But apparently I shrugged my shoulders, didn’t speak to her, opened the door but didn’t carry her suitcase upstairs.”

Despite the awkward start, they embarked on a relationship and have been together ever since. The couple keep a low profile and are rarely seen together in the spotlight, save for a glitzy night out at the BAFTAs or a film premiere.

And it seems this is a deliberate move, with the Dept. Q actor telling Vanity Fair in May of this year: “I only really see my kids and my wife. That’s it. I’m a bit of a shut-in, really. I quite like it. I don’t really do anything showbizzy.”

The profile also cites how Sophie affectionately called him ‘Goodie’ as do his closest pals.

Matthew Goode and wife Sophie’s children

Matthew and Sophie also have three children together, but prefer to keep them out of the public eye. The couple welcomed their first daughter, Matilda, in 2009 and their second daughter, Teddie Eleanor, in 2013. 

They then welcomed their youngest, a boy named Ralph, in 2015.

What else has Matthew Goode said about his wife?

The actor shared in an interview with Red magazine back in 2018 that he’s proud of his work-life balance.

“I have three children and a lovely wife and I just don’t like being away from them. Of course, needs must occasionally. But I’m very lucky. I’ve been able to mix work and family,” he said.

“When the kids go to school, I go fishing. Sophie used to ride a lot when she was a child and she recently got back into that. So we have a bit of fun on the side.”