Maya Rudolph and Paul Thomas Anderson’s love story is one for the Hollywood ages.
Rudolph Anderson have been together for more than two decades. After meeting in 2001, the pair have gone on to welcome four children: Pearl, Lucille, Jack and Minnie.
Despite not being legally married, Rudolph still refers to Anderson as her husband. In a September 2018 interview with The New York Times, the comedian shared how she had been calling Anderson her husband ever since the birth of their first child.
“People know what that means,” she said at the time. “It means he’s the father of my child, and I live with him, and we are a couple, and we are not going anywhere.”
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Despite their extensive brood, Rudolph previously told Us Weekly that she never envisioned herself with four children.
“It’s like this extra layer of life you never knew about,” she gushed. “The triumph is the people that love each other. I mean, I feel lucky having — I never imagined I’d have four kids — that was never the goal. I feel really lucky that everyone is healthy and amazing,” she also said at the time.
While Rudolph and Anderson have tackled parenthood side-by-side, the duo have also worked together professionally. Rudolph appeared in Anderson’s 2014 film Inherent Vice as well as his 2022 film Licorice Pizza alongside their kids. In June 2022, Rudolph shared how ecstatic their little one’s were to work with Anderson during an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
“They loved it. Like, it only made their worship of their father stronger,” Rudolph said at the time. “They just think he’s such a stud and a cool guy.”
Keep scrolling to see a timeline of Rudolph and Anderson’s relationship:
2001
Rudolph and Anderson were first linked in 2001, though neither has shared exactly how they got together. In a December 2015 interview with The Guardian, Rudolph was asked how they had met and she replied, “No, it’s a sweet thing . . . Too personal. I don’t want to share it.”
2005
The twosome welcomed daughter Pearl in October 2005. After giving birth, Rudolph stayed on SNL until leaving in 2007.
“Before I became a mother, the show was the most important thing to me,” Rudolph told The Guardian in December 2015. “And it was a strange experience, to go from having one love — and I truly loved that job, it was everything to me — to that love being secondary.”
2009
The Grown Ups actress was pregnant while filming the 2010 comedy movie and gave birth in November 2009 to daughter Lucille months after production had begun.
2011
Rudolph was pregnant with baby No. 3 while filming Bridesmaids. The actress’ character often wore belts with her outfits to hide her pregnancy. More than two months after the movie’s premiere in April, Rudolph gave birth to son Jack in July.
2013
Rudolph and Anderson welcomed their fourth child, Minnie — named after Rudolph’s late mother Minnie Riperton — in August 2013. Rudolph starred in Anderson’s film Inherent Vice (2014) and was back on set four days after giving birth to reshoot scenes.
“He knew he could get me to do it,” Rudolph told Today in January 2015. “Those are the things you do for the people that you love.”
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2014
Rudolph played nurse Petunia Leeway in Anderson’s 2014 film Inherent Vice and only had praise for her partner when she made an appearance on Today in January 2015.
“It was actually really nice to sort of play dress up and go to work together,” Rudolph said at the time. “When you’re watching someone do what they do so well, it really is such a pleasure, and Paul is such an incredible director.”
2015
The twosome attended the 87th Oscars together in February 2015. Anderson was in a black suit while Rudolph donned a navy blue dress with black beading.
2018
During a Q&A at the 33rd annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February 2018, Anderson revealed that Rudolph taking care of him while he was sick was the inspiration behind his 2017 film Phantom Thread.
“I remember that I was very sick, just with the flu,” the director said at the time. “And I looked up and my wife looked at me with tenderness that made me think, ‘I wonder if she wants to keep me this way, maybe for a week or two.’”
In September later that year, Rudolph opened up to Us about how making an effort and being present is what has helped her romance with Anderson stay afloat.
“To show up every day is kind of the most romantic part because you can bail at any moment,” Rudolph said at the time.
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2021
Rudolph, along with her and Anderson’s four children, made an appearance in Anderson’s 2021 film Licorice Pizza. During an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers in June 2022, Rudolph revealed how “magical” it was to be able to be surrounded by family and family while filming.
“We were all in it,” She said at the time. “And so we had, like, a little world. Like, we were living in the 1970s in the San Fernando valley for like three months. It was beautiful.”
2022
The couple walked the red carpet at the 94th Oscars in March 2022. Anderson was in a black tux and Rudolph wore a bright orange Valentino gown with an orange feather trim.
2024
In a May 2024 interview with Town & Country, Rudolph revealed Anderson told her it was love at first sight.
“He said he saw me in a sketch and said, ‘That’s the girl I’m going to marry,’” Rudolph revealed at the time. “But I don’t know. I wasn’t there. Maybe he just told me that to be sweet.”
