Entertainment Movies Tom Hiddleston Makes Rare Comment About Engagement to Fiancée Zawe Ashton: 'I'm Very Happy' PEOPLE confirmed in March that Tom Hiddleston and Zawe Ashton were engaged By Jen Juneau Jen Juneau Jen Juneau is a News and Movies Staff Writer at PEOPLE. She started at the brand in 2016 and has more than 15 years' professional writing experience. People Editorial Guidelines Published on June 15, 2022 11:23AM EDT Tom Hiddleston and Zawe Ashton. Photo: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images Tom Hiddleston is a man in love. While the Essex Serpent actor, 41, is usually hush-hush about his fiancée Zawe Ashton, he gave a rare comment about their relationship in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, published Tuesday. "I'm very happy," Hiddleston said. PEOPLE confirmed tin March that Hiddleston and Ashton, 37, were set to marry. The engagement came three years after the two played husband and wife in the play Betrayal on Broadway, though they first met when the show was revving up in London before making the leap to New York City. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. Tom Hiddleston and Zawe Ashton. Jeff Spicer/Getty Tom Hiddleston and Zawe Ashton's Relationship Timeline A source close to the production told PEOPLE in March that the mostly private couple always had "lovely" chemistry together. "They were very private publicly, but behind the scenes you could just see a lovely chemistry," the insider recalled. "There were twinkles in both of their eyes, and the entire company, including Charlie Cox, were all very close." "And being Brits abroad, they would hang out frequently. Zawe and Tom showed great affection for each other, and you could also see that coming off slightly in their onstage performance," said the source. The insider added, "Tom has always been a very, very private person. Behind the scenes, they would just privately be affectionate and hugging and sitting next to each other and holding hands." Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions In Betrayal, Hiddleston starred as Robert, a man whose wife Emma (played by Ashton) is having an affair with his best friend, Jerry (Cox, 39). The story follows the infidelity in reverse, from its aftermath to its beginnings. It opened on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on Sept. 5, 2019, and continued performances until Dec. 8, that year. The pair confirmed their relationship in September 2021 when they made their red carpet debut as a couple at the Tony Awards, where he was nominated. At the 2022 BAFTA Awards, Ashton sported her engagement ring while holding hands with the Loki actor on the red carpet.