Hollywood gossip has turned into its own industry at this point and suddenly everyone is interested in knowing every piece of minutiae about their favorite celebrity. At the same time, Hollywood power couples fluctuate and change at an alarming rate that it can sometimes be difficult to keep track of where everyone stands.
It might feel like certain married celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Kanye West or Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are always in the news and aren’t going to leave the public consciousness anytime soon. At the same time, though, there are a number of actors who are married to people who do come as a surprise.
Hollywood can become so accustomed to following a script and playing by certain unwritten rules that it’s definitely exciting when a surprise comes along. An unusual celebrity pairing or just two people who you didn’t realize were married is hardly groundbreaking news, but it’s still nice to see something original happen. Aren’t the unconventional love stories the better ones anyway?
It's time to take a look at the Hollywood couples that slip through the cracks or have been staring people in the face the entire time and nobody’s clued in with these 20 Actors You Didn't Know Had Surprising Spouses.
Jason Momoa And Lisa Bonet
Here’s another entry that’s surprising not because it doesn’t make sense or that the couple is unevenly matched, but because it’s crazy that this marriage is so under the radar. Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet have been married for ten years and they have two children together.
The two met through mutual friends who decided to play matchmaker with the two of them-- it turns out these friends had some good instincts. Momoa admits that he’s had a crush on Bonet all the way back whens he was on The Cosby Show.
Momoa and Bonet have acted together in the movie Road to Paloma, where they appropriately enough play lovers. The two may focus more on raising their children than causing a stir in the media, but their marriage has been thriving for a while now. Maybe staying out of the spotlight has been helpful.
Taran Killam And Cobie Smulders
Taran Killam and Cobie Smulders are such a cute couple, even if it is a little surprising that the goofy Saturday Night Live alum is with the How I Met Your Mother and Avengers actress.
The two owe a lot of their relationship to the fact that they’re both actors and thus both ended up in Los Angeles. In fact, in 2005 an actor friend of Smulders' from back in her days in Vancouver, Paul Campbell, was in Los Angeles and doing a pilot with Killam.
Smulders attended the taping of the pilot, struck up a conversation with Killam afterwards, and the two began dating shortly after. The two have been married since 2012 and they now have two children together.
Smulders might not have ever appeared on SNL, but Killam appeared in six episodes of How I Met Your Mother.
Jennifer Grey And Clark Gregg
It feels like Jennifer Grey, the incredible star of Dirty Dancing, should be married to some dancing prodigy or be caught up in a forbidden romance. It might be a little ridiculous to equate Grey to her most famous role, but it makes the fact that she’s married to Clark Gregg come as a little more of a shock.
Gregg is an incredible actor who’s done great work in shows like The West Wins. He currently leads the pack on Agents of SHIELD, but his characters are always so buttoned-up and by-the-book.
Grey and Gregg met through mutual friends and have been married for over 15 years. They have one daughter together. The two have also made fun of their relationship in the ridiculous Lifetime movie, Road to Christmas, in which they courting each other. Art imitates life, or so they say.
Daniel Craig And Rachel Weisz
Now this relationship makes a lot of sense. Both Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz are beautiful people, but the two are always so busy working and are apart from one another that it’s easy to forget that they’re even together.
Furthermore, both Craig and Weisz are both very public figures and their previous relationships were big deals that still linger in the media. Craig had been previously married and had a child in that relationship and while Weisz and Darren Aronofsky never wed, they also had a kid together.
Craig and Weisz had been friends for a few years before they eventually started dating and got married in 2011. The couple, trying to maintain some privacy for their relationship, only had four people in attendance at their wedding, including their two children. That privacy seems to be keeping them happy.
Michael Douglas And Catherine Zeta-Jones
It certainly feels like Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones’ love is evergreen, but the fact that he’s 25 years her senior still makes their marriage a bit of a shock.
Danny DeVito of all people introduced Douglas and Zeta-Jones at the Deauville Film Festival in France back in 1998. They were engaged a year later and married less than a year after that. These two don’t waste time.
Zeta-Jones and Douglas' marriage was such a big deal that their wedding was even called the “wedding of the year" by the BBC. The two have had two children together but have been through a bit of a rollercoaster of a marriage.
Douglas has battled cancer and Zeta-Jones suffers from bipolar disorder. In 2013, their respective issues hit a breaking point and they lived apart for the year, but the two reunited in 2014 and have been stronger ever since.
Jamie Lee Curtis And Christopher Guest
Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest are both actors, but their movies and styles are so different that they’re not necessarily a couple that you’d expect to be together.
Christopher Guest is most famously known for his hilarious mockumentaries like Best in Show and A Gentle Wind. Jamie Lee Curtis is certainly no stranger to comedy, but it’s her work as a “scream queen” in horror films like Halloween that put her on the map.
Since the two do a good job to avoid relationship drama and conflict, their marriage isn’t always front and center in the headlines. This might not be a couple that makes sense at first glance, but the two have been married for over thirty years.
Curtis has also revealed what their secret is for staying married for three decades: “Don’t get divorced.”
Jeffrey Dean Morgan And Hilarie Burton
Don't feel bad if you didn’t know that Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Hilarie Burton were married because they went out of their way to keep their relationship a secret for ages.
In fact, Burton gave birth to their first child in 2010 before the two were even public about being a couple. How's that for an announcement? Morgan has his former Supernatural co-star Jensen Ackles to thank for meeting his wife. Burton, the former One Tree Hill star, is friends with Ackles’ wife and the four all went on a double date together in 2009.
Burton recently made headlines when footage of Ben Affleck getting awfully friendly with her from her TRL days resurfaced. Morgan commended Affleck on his apology to his wife, which is a bit of a relief. A showdown between Batman and Negan would have been too much to handle.
Anne Hathaway And Adam Shulman
Anne Hathaway is a strong leading lady who’s already gone on to win an Academy Award. It’s not unusual for stars like her to be with other A-Listers and leading men, which is why Hathaway’s relationship with Adam Shulman is such a breath of fresh air.
Granted, Shulman is still a minor actor and producer, but he’s better known for his popular James Banks jewelry line.
Hathaway and Shulman met in 2008, but they originally both thought that the other was in a relationship so they held back. They eventually went for it, but the two took their time and got married four years later in 2012. They now have one child together.
Hathaway’s former relationship was with Raffaello Follieri, who later turned out to be a convicted Italian conman, so it’s probably for the best that she didn’t rush things here.
Julie Bowen And Scott Phillips
Up until this point, there’s been an interesting trend here where all of these famous actors have gone on to marry other actors. This certainly makes a lot of sense, especially when so many real relationships are born between co-stars, but there are plenty of thespians who not only marry outside of their field, but don’t even marry other celebrities.
Julie Bowen, the multiple Emmy winner of Modern Family fame went down this route when she married Scott Phillips, a real estate investor and software developer, in 2004.
Phillips might not be in the public eye much, but Bowen says that their contrasting demeanors are why they work so well. Bowen says that she’s a very anxious person whereas Phillips is a calm individual.
The two currently have three children and when asked about the stability of their marriage, Bowen adds that they’re “too tired” to get divorced. Thank goodness for that.
Reese Witherspoon And Jim Toth
Reese Witherspoon’s marriage with Ryan Phillipe positioned them as one of the flashier power couples in Hollywood. Accordingly, Witherspoon’s current husband is a little more surprising since he’s not a big league actor, but he does still have a lot of sway in Hollywood.
Scott Phillips is a talent agent who represent actors like Robert Downey, Jr. and Scarlett Johansson.
The genesis of Witherspoon and Phillips’ relationship almost feels like one of the actress’ romantic comedies-- someone was drunkenly hitting on Witherspoon in a bar when Phillips came to her rescue and placated the situation.
Now the two have been married for almost seven years and have one child together. In spite of some ups and downs that their marriage has faced, they’ve still been able to work through it all and come out on top.
Adam Brody And Leighton Meester
It was a big joke when Adam Brody’s nerdy character, Seth Cohen, got the attractive girl on The O.C., but that’s basically what happened to Brody in real life too.
Brody dated his O.C. co-star, Rachel Bilson, for a few years, but it didn’t turn out to last forever like the love of their television counterparts. However, Brody would later enter a relationship with gorgeous Gossip Girl star, Leighton Meester. If anyone could give Summer Roberts a run for her money it’s Blair Waldorf.
Brody and Meester met in 2010 while filming the movie The Oranges, and by 2014 the couple were married. Even though they haven’t been married for that long, the two already have a child together and have their minds set on the future and building a family.
It might be a shocking pair, but these two young stars are adorable together.
Matthew McConaughey And Camila Alves
It’s not uncommon for famous actors to enter relationships with other actors, but another trend that is popular among stars is dating stunning fashion models. Such is the case with Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves.
McConaughey and Alves are definitely a couple that are easy on the eyes, but in spite of their photogenic nature, this marriage is still a surprise to many simply because Alves wasn’t on many people's radar.
McConaughey has had an enviable television and movie career, but the public may be less familiar with Alves’ work. She is a Brazilian and American fashion model, though she and her mother are also responsible for the Muxo handbag line.
McConaughey and Alves met in 2006, got engaged on Christmas Day of 2011, and now have three children. These two may lead a quiet marriage, but it’s definitely one that can last.
Calista Flockhart And Harrison Ford
Back in the early 2000s, news about this couple was all over the place, but this married duo has slowly stepped out of the spotlight. Harrison Ford is just as popular as he’s always been and the actor has made the return to popular franchises like Star Wars, Blade Runner, and Indiana Jones in recent years.
In spite of Ford’s relevance, his marriage doesn’t tend to come up very often, which means it’s easy to forget that his wife is Calista Flockhart. Ford and Flockhart are also 22 years apart in age, which also makes this marriage one of the more surprising matches in Hollywood.
The Ally McBeal actress and Harrison Ford originally met at 2002’s Golden Globe Awards and finally got married in 2010. The two have adopted a child together, and despite the age gap and their differences, their marriage is still going strong.
Emily Blunt And John Krasinski
Fans of The Office might have a hard time accepting that John Krasinski could be married to anyone other than Pam Beesly, his character’s legendary love interest from the popular comedy series.
Part of The Office’s charm is that all of its characters look so “normal” and down to Earth. In this sense, it should be impossible that someone who’s “normal” could end up with the beautiful Emily Blunt.
Blunt is best known for her dramatic action-based roles like in Edge of Tomorrow and Sicario. She’s a big movie star and thus it's hard to imagine her with Krasinski, who spent most of his time on TV being cutesy.
Krasinski and Blunt have been married for over seven years, having met all the way back in 2008. Believe it or not, their first date was at a gun range, so maybe the key to making an unexpected marriage work is some early firepower in the relationship.
Claire Danes And Hugh Dancy
How is it that people aren’t talking about this ultra charming, famous married couple all the time? Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy are a couple that just exude class, but the only problem is that nobody knows that they’re married.
These two aren’t trying to keep their marriage a secret or anything, but one would think that two heavy hitters from television would garner a little more attention. Danes and Dancy choose to be subtler with their relationship, though.
The Homeland and The Path actors met and fell in love while they were filming 2007’s Evening together. Clearly their chemistry in the movie translated to real life and the two got married in 2009 in a private ceremony in France. They had a child in 2012.
The two play such dysfunctional, psychologically damaged characters that it’s a relief that their married life appears to be healthy and happy.
Gal Gadot And Yaron Versano
Gal Gadot has rocketed from obscurity into one of the most empowering role models for young girls and a figure of female empowerment. The Wonder Woman actress manages to avoid typical Hollywood trappings and avoids dating other actors or Hollywood power figure altogether.
Gal Gadot’s husband is Yaron Versano, a successful Israeli businessman who’s also responsible for the popular Varsano Hotel in Tel Aviv. The two met back in Israel at a regrettable party in the desert, but the two at least found each other there.
Versano was quite taken with Gadot and was quickly upfront about marriage. The two wed in 2008. Many actors who come to Hollywood let it take over their identity, so it’s nice to see Gadot stick with her roots. Gadot and Versano’s marriage is going strong.
Isla Fisher And Sacha Baron Cohen
Sure, Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen are alike in the sense that they’re both actors, but it’s a little shocking that the Borat and Bruno alternative comedian, who so often makes a fool of himself, is married to someone as elegant as Isla Fisher.
Of course Cohen is different from his many characters, but it’s easy to lose him in them due to the thorough, over the top performances that he provides.
The two may seem like an unlikely couple, but they met back in 2002 at a party in Sydney, Australia. Fisher and Cohen became engaged in 2004 and then finally married in 2010 in France.
The two have three children together and Fisher even converted to Judaism for Cohen before they got married. She's clearly shown how dedicated she is to this chaotic comedian and their marriage is still going strong nearly two decades later.
Christina Hendricks And Geoffrey Arend
Christina Hendricks was put up on a pedestal with how her character Joan in Mad Men was idolized in both the television show and real life. Hendricks had turned into one of the biggest symbols of the decade and it would seem fitting if her husband was a Jon Hamm-esque actor.
However, Hendricks does her own thing and doesn’t succumb to the usual Hollywood pitfalls. Her husband is Geoffrey Arend, who’s more of an obscure character actor rather than some big blockbuster star.
The couple met back in 2006 courtesy of Hendricks’ Mad Men co-star, Vincent Kartheiser, who invited them all out to the Magic Castle. Hendricks was immediately captivated by Arend’s nature and the two got married in 2009.
The couple have a “two week rule” where they can’t go two weeks without seeing the other, which perhaps also contributes to their successful marriage.
David Cross And Amber Tamblyn
David Cross and Amber Tamblyn are a hilarious, playful couple, but they’re not exactly the first people that you’d expect to be married to each other. The main reason here is that Cross is 19 years Tamblyn’s senior and she was a fan of his before they met, which held Cross back from initially making a move.
The story behind their first meeting is rather perfect, though. The two were sharing a connecting flight and Tamblyn was making heavy eye contact with Cross to the point that they eventually switched seats and moved next to each other.
For the rest of the flight, they made fun of the SkyMall catalog together. That's what all good relationships are built on: sarcastic ridicule. The two started dating in 2007 and eventually married in 2012. They even had a child as recently as March of last year, so their family is only growing.
Carrie Preston And Michael Emerson
These two actors don’t stir up the tabloids or try to dominate the spotlight, but Carrie Preston and Michael Emerson have been married for nearly twenty years at this point. The two first met in the ‘90s during a production of Hamlet and a romance quickly bloomed between them.
Even though these two manage to avoid the paparazzi, there have been some cute winks at their marriage throughout their careers. The two have a tendency to guest star in each other’s works and have a lot fun with their real-life relationship.
Preston not only appears on Emerson’s Person of Interest, but she plays his fiancée, Grace. Preston also guest starred on LOST during its third season as the mother of Emerson’s Ben Linus (it was a flashback, thank goodness). Emerson and Preston’s relationship stares everyone in the face, but the two are so natural together that it feels casual instead of annoying.
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Are there any other shocking unions that we missed? Sound off in the comment section!