After more than 45 years together, acclaimed actors Amy Madigan andEd Harrisare still very much in love.
The couple first met in 1980and married in 1983 while working together on the filmPlaces in the Heart.In the decades since, both have become acclaimed actors. Harris has been nominated for four Oscars, including for his work inApollo 13andThe Truman Show,and an Emmy for his role onWestworld.Madigan, who became a household name for her roles inField of DreamsandUncle Buck,wasnominated for an Oscar at age 75for her performance as theunhinged Aunt Gladys inWeapons,her first nomination since 1986.
The talent runs in the family. The pair have a daughter, Lily Dolores Harris, born in 1993, who is also an actor.
Here's everything to know about Amy Madigan and Ed Harris' relationship.
They met in 1980
The first time Madigan saw her future husband,"It was like something you see in a movie or hear in a song,"she toldLifein 1985. The year was 1980, and she was watching him perform in Sam Shepard's playCowboy Mouthin Los Angeles. "I just thought — 'Well, there he is.' It was obvious to me that I'd see him again."
They connected in 1981 through work. "A year later, we did a play together called 'prairie avenue' by Edward Allan Baker at that little theater on Melrose Place," she told theLos Angeles Times.
They married in 1983
Two years later, on Nov. 21, 1983, they got married while filmingPlaces in the Hearttogether. When they wed, Madigan told theChicago Tribunein 1985, people assumed they had a whirlwind romance on set. "It's a nice Hollywood story, but it's not true," she said.
They have one daughter
Madigan and Harris welcomed daughter Lily Dolores Harris in 1993. She followed her parents into the family business, graduating from San Francisco's American Conservatory Theater's MFA program in 2020.
"I always strive for simplicity, truth, and humor in my work, because nothing kills energy and story more than taking yourself or a situation too seriously, or trying to make it something that it's not," she told theACT blogin 2020. "I am constantly seeking the magic in my art."
Lily has appeared on an episode ofChicago Medand in both short and feature films. In 2025, she and Harris worked together in the shortOff the Horse,playing a father and daughter.
Harris and Madigan have worked together many times
Over their more than four decades of marriage, Harris and Madigan have worked together many times, including in movies likePollockand numerous stage productions.
"We both really enjoy what we do and it's really fun to work together," Harris told PEOPLE in 2025. "It's because you know each other, you can talk about the work, collaborate, ask each other questions and penetrate the material together. You trust and love each other, andit's fun to be together doing what you love."
That feeling goes way back to thebeginning of their relationship. ''The acting thing is so intimate and personal,'' Harris told theChicago Tribunein 1985. ''If we're not working together ... you can't really talk about your day very well. When you're working together, though, there's so much that is shared, so much unspoken thought and emotion that goes into the work, that it really draws you closer."
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Madigan agreed, adding that it's much easier to do romantic scenes with her real-life partner. "The closeness of being married gives us the ability and the freedom to do those kinds of things. I mean, with another actor you'd have to spend a lot of time and energy getting to know them first," she said.
Harris credits her with teaching him valuable life lessons
After connecting and becoming a couple, Harris said he learned a lot from Madigan aboutemotional connection and how to show up for each other. "When we first met, she said, 'Ed, you've got to talk to me and let me know what's going on with you,' " he told PEOPLE in 2025. "And I was one of those guys that's like, 'What do you mean? I'm here and I love you. Why do I have to tell you what I'm feeling?' "
"She kind of helped me realize that I have a certain responsibility as a human, being married to her, to open up and be present," Harris added.
At the New York Film Critics Circle Awards in January 2026, Madigan told PEOPLE that she and Harris"don't have"any big secret to making their marriage work for over 40 years. "We just love each other and we work really hard at that and in our work," she said.
Harris "loved" watching Madigan become herWeaponscharacter
In the 2025 filmWeapons,Madigan transformed into the terrifying, yet oddly charming witch Aunt Gladys.
Talking to PEOPLE at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards in January 2026 — where she won for her performance inWeapons— Madigan said thatHarris "loved" watching her transformationinto the iconic character. "He's known me a long time and he saw all the parts of myself melded into Aunt Gladys," she said. "I have a very supportive family — my daughter also — so I'm very lucky."
She has since been nominated for an Oscar for the role, a recognition last earned in 1986 for her work inTwice in a Lifetime.Madigan's performance inWeaponshas also earned her Critics' Choice and Actor Award wins, as well as a Golden Globe nomination.
"We've both been doing it a really long time, so we're just both having a good giggle about it. We're both enjoying it," Madigan told PEOPLE after her Golden Globe nomination was announced in December 2025.
"I think really what it means is that if you get an opportunity to work on a wonderful script and it's a great part, regardless of who you are, and where you live, and what age you are. If you're an actor, you wait for those opportunities and moments, so it just feels great," she added.
Harris has been by Madigan's side throughout the 2026 awards season, too. "I'm the husband of an Oscar nominee.I'm very proud of her,"he said at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival in January 2026.
Talking to PEOPLE at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival Virtuosos Awards on Feb. 8, Madigan described Harris as "thrilled and happy" about her recognition forWeapons.
"As is my daughter, Lily Harris, who's also an actress," she added. "I've had a lot of support, and my really good friends are just on my side, so it's been really nice."
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