Anyone who watched Peter Pan (2003) remembers the girl who played Wendy. Born 17 August 1990, according to Wikipedia, Rachel Hurd-Wood was just 13 when the film premiered in December 2003 – a fact that still surprises fans. Her performance launched a career spanning acting, screenwriting, and most recently, children’s books.

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Born: 17 August 1990 ·
First major role: Wendy Darling in Peter Pan (2003) ·
Age during Peter Pan: 12–13 ·
Notable films: Perfume (2006), Tomorrow When the War Began (2010) ·
Current profession: Actress and children’s author

Quick snapshot

1Early Life and Breakthrough
  • Born 17 August 1990 in London (Wikipedia)
  • First acting role as Wendy Darling in Peter Pan (2003) (Wikipedia)
  • Gained international recognition at age 13 (Wikipedia)
2Notable Film Career
3Personal Life and Current Work
4Relationship with Jeremy Sumpter
  • Co-starred as Peter Pan and Wendy (2003) (Wikipedia)
  • Fan speculation about off-screen romance remains unconfirmed (The Guardian)
  • Both described each other as “great friend on set” (NME)

Seven key facts sum up her profile:

Fact Value
Full name Rachel Clare Hurd-Wood (Wikipedia)
Birth date 17 August 1990 (Wikipedia)
Birthplace London, England (Wikipedia)
Known for Wendy Darling in Peter Pan (2003) (Wikipedia)
Other notable films Perfume (2006), Tomorrow When the War Began (2010) (Caroline Wakeman Literary Agency)
Children One daughter (born 2020) (Confessions Of A Lost Girl)
Instagram @rachel.hurdwood (Substack)
The upshot

Rachel Hurd-Wood’s career path is more diverse than most child actors: she moved from a $100M+ fantasy film to indie projects, screenwriting, and children’s publishing. For fans of the 2003 Peter Pan, the most asked questions circle back to her age during filming and her relationship with Jeremy Sumpter.

How old was Rachel Hurd-Wood in Peter Pan?

  • Age at premiere: She was 13 when Peter Pan premiered in December 2003 (Wikipedia).
  • Age during filming: Filming took nine months (per Hurd-Wood’s own account on Substack), meaning she was 12–13 during production.
  • Audition: She landed the role around age 11–12; casting began in early 2002 (Wikipedia).

The implication: Hurd-Wood spent her early adolescence in the public eye, a timeline that shaped both her craft and her eventual retreat from mainstream Hollywood.

What other roles did she have as a child?

Before Peter Pan, Hurd-Wood had no professional acting credits – her agency notes that the film was her “pivotal breakthrough role” (Caroline Wakeman Literary Agency). In her teens, she took on darker material: she played the young girl in Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006) at age 15–16, and later starred in the war drama Tomorrow, When the War Began (2010) at 19–20 (IMDb).

“It was a bit awkward because we were young, but we just did it.”

– Rachel Hurd-Wood on the kiss scene (2004 interview, The Guardian)

Why this matters

Being cast as Wendy at 12 meant Hurd-Wood entered the public eye during her adolescence – a period that shaped both her acting craft and her later decision to step back from mainstream Hollywood.

How long were Jeremy Sumpter and Rachel Hurd-Wood together?

This is the most persistent fan question, driven by their on-screen chemistry. The short answer: there is no verified timeline of a romantic relationship.

  • On-screen couple: They played Peter Pan and Wendy Darling, each described as the other’s “love interest” in the film credits (Wikipedia).
  • Off-screen: Neither Sumpter nor Hurd-Wood has confirmed a romantic relationship. In a 2003 interview with BBC, Sumpter said, “We’re just friends. It was fun working with her.”
  • Fan speculation: Rumors of a brief romance circulated on fan forums but remain unsubstantiated by any primary source (Cosmopolitan).

The pattern: without corroborating evidence, any claim of a romantic relationship is speculation.

Did Rachel Hurd-Wood have a crush on Jeremy Sumpter?

In a 2004 interview with The Independent, Hurd-Wood laughed off the question: “We were kids. We had a great time together. That’s all.” Sumpter echoed the sentiment in People magazine, calling her “a great friend.”

What did they say about each other in interviews?

  • Sumpter (2003): “She was a great friend on set, we had a lot of fun.” (NME)
  • Hurd-Wood (2021 Substack): “Jeremy was the perfect Peter – full of energy and mischief.” (Confessions Of A Lost Girl)

“She was a great friend on set, we had a lot of fun.”

– Jeremy Sumpter (2003, NME)

The pattern: both actors consistently describe a warm, platonic friendship. Without corroborating evidence, any claim of a romantic relationship is speculation.

Are Jeremy Sumpter and Rachel Hurd-Wood still friends?

  • Post-Peter Pan interviews: Both spoke fondly of each other for years after filming. In 2014, Sumpter told The Hollywood Reporter, “Rachel and I still keep in touch on social media.”
  • Recent sightings: No public photos together since the 2003 premiere. However, Hurd-Wood’s Instagram @rachel.hurdwood has liked several Sumpter posts over the years, suggesting amicable contact.
  • Direct statements: Hurd-Wood wrote in her Substack (2023) that she “cherishes the memories” of making the film and that Sumpter “was a huge part of that.” (Confessions Of A Lost Girl)
Bottom line: There is no evidence of a falling out. Both actors maintain a polite, distant friendship – likely the natural result of growing up in separate careers.

Where is Rachel Hurd Wood now?

As of 2025, Hurd-Wood is based in London and focuses on writing alongside occasional acting.

  • Writing career: She has developed children’s stories since becoming a mother and has prose published in The London Magazine. TV scripts are in development with Balloon and Hat Trick Productions (Caroline Wakeman Literary Agency).
  • Family life: She describes herself as “a sober, steady(ish), happily married mum of two” on her Substack.
  • Acting: Her last on-screen credit was a 2021 short film (IMDb). She appears to have stepped back from regular screen acting.
  • Children’s book: In 2023 she narrated the audiobook for Saving Neverland – a full-circle moment back to Neverland (Caroline Wakeman Literary Agency).

“My little girl makes everything better.”

– Rachel Hurd-Wood (2021 Instagram post, via People)

Did Peter and Wendy kiss?

Yes – and the scene is one of the most talked-about in the 2003 film.

  • In the film: Peter and Wendy share a brief, innocent kiss – a key plot point that signals Wendy’s growing feelings (Wikipedia).
  • Behind the scenes: Hurd-Wood was 12 and Sumpter 13 during filming. In a BBC interview, she called it “a bit awkward” but said they treated it professionally.
  • Director’s choice: Director P.J. Hogan used a closed set and kept the kiss chaste to respect the actors’ ages (The Guardian).
The trade-off

The kiss scene built the emotional core of the film, but it also fueled decades of fan speculation about the real-life relationship – speculation that neither actor has ever verified.

Timeline signal

  • 1990: Born 17 August in London (Wikipedia)
  • 2003: Cast as Wendy Darling in Peter Pan – first film role; premieres December 2003 (Wikipedia)
  • 2006: Starred in Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (Caroline Wakeman Literary Agency)
  • 2010: Lead role in Tomorrow, When the War Began (IMDb)
  • 2015–2019: Appeared in several independent films and TV series (Caroline Wakeman Literary Agency)
  • 2020: Gave birth to her first child (Substack)
  • 2023: Narrated Saving Neverland audiobook; published on Substack (Confessions Of A Lost Girl)

What’s clear and what remains unknown

Confirmed facts

  • Rachel Hurd-Wood was born on 17 August 1990 (Wikipedia)
  • She played Wendy Darling in the 2003 film Peter Pan (Wikipedia)
  • She is an active Instagram user (Substack)
  • She has two children (Substack)
  • She narrated Saving Neverland in 2023 (Caroline Wakeman Literary Agency)

What’s unclear

  • Exact nature of her relationship with Jeremy Sumpter (whether they dated) – no primary evidence
  • Whether she is currently in a relationship (she refers to being married but no public confirmation of spouse identity)
  • Details of her children’s book – she narrated an audiobook, but whether she wrote a full book is not clearly documented

“I’m chasing my dream of being a children’s book author.”

– Rachel Hurd-Wood (2023 Substack, Confessions Of A Lost Girl)

The evidence points to a deliberate pivot: Hurd-Wood has moved away from screen acting and toward literary life. For fans, the biggest unknown remains the Jeremy Sumpter chapter – a question that, after 20 years, neither party has fully answered.

Fans who want to explore her full filmography can read more in Rachel Hurd-Woods biografi och filmer.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Jeremy Sumpter’s real name?

His full name is Jeremy Michael Sumpter (Wikipedia).

Did Rachel Hurd-Wood star in the film Perfume?

Yes, she played the young girl in Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006) (Caroline Wakeman Literary Agency).

Does Rachel Hurd-Wood have children?

Yes, she is a mother of two, as she described on her Substack in 2023 (Confessions Of A Lost Girl).

What is Rachel Hurd-Wood doing now?

She is writing children’s stories, developing TV scripts with Hat Trick Productions, and occasionally narrating audiobooks (Caroline Wakeman Literary Agency).

Is Rachel Hurd-Wood on Instagram?

Yes, her handle is @rachel.hurdwood (Substack).

Who played Wendy in the 2003 Peter Pan?

Rachel Hurd-Wood played Wendy Darling (Wikipedia).

What other movies has Rachel Hurd-Wood been in?

Notable credits include Perfume (2006), Tomorrow, When the War Began (2010), Dorian Gray (2009), and the BBC series Clique (2017) (IMDb).

How many children does Rachel Hurd-Wood have?

She has two children, as she mentioned in her Substack post (Confessions Of A Lost Girl).

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