Actors Who Successfully Erased Their Starter Marriages From the Spotlight

Many Hollywood leading men have established long and successful public lives that seem to revolve around their current partners or their solo careers. Behind the scenes of their early rise to fame many of these stars entered into marriages that have since faded from the public consciousness. These initial unions often occurred before the height of their stardom and were quickly overshadowed by more high profile relationships. Through careful career management and the passage of time these actors have effectively turned their starter marriages into forgotten footnotes of entertainment history.

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise was married to actress Mimi Rogers for three years before his more high profile relationships began. This marriage took place in the late eighties and concluded shortly before he met Nicole Kidman on the set of ‘Days of Thunder’. Many fans are unaware that Rogers was the person who originally introduced the star to the Church of Scientology. Their union ended in early 1990 and has since become a small footnote in his public dating history.

George Clooney

Before he was known as the ultimate bachelor of Hollywood George Clooney was married to actress Talia Balsam. The couple tied the knot in Las Vegas in 1989 and stayed together for nearly four years. Clooney frequently mentioned in later interviews that he did not feel he was a very good husband during that period of his life. After their divorce he remained single for over two decades until he eventually married Amal Alamuddin.

Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford was married to his college sweetheart Mary Marquardt long before he achieved global fame as Han Solo in ‘Star Wars’. The pair wed in 1964 and supported each other while Ford worked as a professional carpenter to make ends meet. They had two children together during their fifteen year marriage which ended just as his career was reaching its peak. Ford has kept the details of this early chapter of his life very private throughout the subsequent decades.

Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper had a very brief marriage to actress Jennifer Esposito in the early stages of his rise to fame. The couple married in late 2006 but the union lasted only four months before they filed for divorce. This relationship occurred before Cooper became a household name following the success of ‘The Hangover’. Today most fans associate him with his long term partner Irina Shayk or his high profile career in ‘A Star Is Born’.

Colin Farrell

Colin Farrell participated in a non legally binding wedding ceremony with actress Amelia Warner in 2001. Although the union was not recognized by law the couple treated it as a serious commitment during their time together in the Caribbean. The relationship ended just four months after the ceremony took place as Farrell’s career was beginning to explode. Warner later married actor Jamie Dornan while Farrell focused on his roles in films like ‘The Batman’.

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp married a makeup artist named Lori Anne Allison when he was only twenty years old. This marriage occurred in 1983 before he landed his breakout role in the television series ’21 Jump Street’. Allison is often credited with helping Depp secure his first major film role by introducing him to Nicolas Cage. The couple divorced in 1985 and Depp went on to have several much more famous relationships over the next several decades.

Daniel Craig

Long before he took on the iconic role of James Bond in ‘Casino Royale’ Daniel Craig was married to actress Fiona Loudon. The couple wed in 1992 and had one daughter before deciding to separate two years later. Craig has worked hard to keep his private life out of the tabloids throughout his entire career. His subsequent marriage to Rachel Weisz has completely eclipsed this early relationship in the eyes of the general public.

Will Smith

Will Smith was married to Sheree Zampino for three years during the early nineties while he was starring in ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’. They shared one son together before their divorce was finalized in 1995. Smith married Jada Pinkett Smith shortly after and their long union became one of the most discussed relationships in Hollywood. While Zampino has appeared on reality television many fans still forget that she was his first wife.

Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. was married to actress and singer Deborah Falconer for over a decade starting in 1992. Their marriage faced many challenges during the most turbulent years of the actor’s public struggles with substance abuse. They separated in 2001 and eventually finalized their divorce in 2004 just before his career resurgence. His later marriage to producer Susan Downey is widely credited with helping him maintain his sobriety and success as ‘Iron Man’.

Bryan Cranston

Bryan Cranston was married to a woman named Mickey Middleton for several years during his early twenties. The actor has noted in his memoir that the relationship lacked a deep foundation and eventually reached a natural conclusion. They divorced in 1982 and Cranston went on to find lasting love with his second wife Robin Dearden. Most fans only recognize his long term marriage to Dearden which began during his time on ‘Breaking Bad’.

Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone married Sasha Czack in 1974 just as he was struggling to find success in the film industry. The couple stayed together through the massive success of ‘Rocky’ and had two sons during their eleven year marriage. They eventually divorced in 1985 and Stallone went on to have a highly publicized marriage to Brigitte Nielsen. His current long term marriage to Jennifer Flavin has since become his most defining romantic relationship.

Idris Elba

Idris Elba married a makeup artist named Hanne Norgaard in 1999 and they remained together until 2003. The couple moved from the United Kingdom to the United States together as Elba sought to launch his acting career. They share a daughter but the marriage ended just as he began to gain recognition for his role in ‘The Wire’. Elba has been married twice more since then which has shifted public focus away from his first union.

Gary Oldman

Gary Oldman has been married five times but his first marriage to actress Lesley Manville is often overlooked. They were married in the late eighties and had one son together before separating shortly after his birth. Manville is a highly respected actress herself but their brief time as a couple is rarely mentioned in press coverage. Oldman’s subsequent marriages have frequently made headlines while his first remains a quiet part of his history.

Tom Hardy

Tom Hardy married Sarah Ward in 1999 when he was a young actor just starting out in the industry. The marriage lasted for five years and ended in 2004 during a period when Hardy was dealing with personal struggles. He has since become one of the most famous actors in the world following roles in ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’. His later marriage to actress Charlotte Riley has completely taken over the narrative of his personal life.

Patrick Dempsey

Patrick Dempsey married his manager Rocky Parker in 1987 when he was just twenty one years old. The marriage was a frequent topic of tabloid gossip because Parker was twenty seven years his senior. They remained married for seven years before a difficult divorce process began in 1994. Dempsey later achieved massive fame as a heartthrob in ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and his marriage to Jillian Fink became his primary public relationship.

Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood married Maggie Johnson in 1953 before his legendary career in Western films really began. Their marriage lasted for over thirty years despite numerous public reports regarding the actor’s outside relationships. They eventually divorced in 1984 after having two children together during their decades as a couple. Eastwood has had several high profile partners and another marriage since then which has pushed Johnson out of the spotlight.

Michael Douglas

Michael Douglas was married to Diandra Luker for over twenty years starting in 1977. Luker was the daughter of a diplomat and was only nineteen years old when they wed. The marriage ended with a very expensive and publicized divorce settlement in 2000. Douglas married Catherine Zeta-Jones later that same year and their relationship has been the focus of media attention ever since.

Laurence Fishburne

Laurence Fishburne married actress Hajna O. Moss in 1985 and they had two children together. The couple stayed together through his early success in films like ‘The Color Purple’. They eventually divorced in the early nineties as his fame continued to grow toward his iconic role in ‘The Matrix’. His subsequent marriage to Gina Torres became much more famous before their own eventual separation years later.

Forest Whitaker

Forest Whitaker married Keisha Nash in 1996 after meeting her on the set of the film ‘Blown Away’. The couple was seen as one of the most stable pairs in Hollywood for over two decades. They had two daughters together and supported each other through Whitaker’s Oscar win for ‘The Last King of Scotland’. He filed for divorce in 2018 which surprised many fans who had forgotten he had a life before this long union.

Antonio Banderas

Before his famous marriage to Melanie Griffith the Spanish actor Antonio Banderas was married to Ana Leza. The couple wed in 1987 and Leza was instrumental in helping him transition to English language roles in Hollywood. Their marriage ended in 1996 shortly after Banderas met Griffith while filming ‘Two Much’. The divorce settlement was quite significant but the relationship is rarely discussed in modern interviews.

David Hasselhoff

David Hasselhoff was married to actress Catherine Hickland in the mid eighties during the height of his ‘Knight Rider’ fame. The couple even appeared together on the show and had a wedding that was covered by major entertainment magazines. They divorced in 1989 and Hasselhoff went on to marry Pamela Bach shortly thereafter. His later personal struggles and his time on ‘Baywatch’ eventually became the primary focus of his public image.

Jeremy Renner

Jeremy Renner had a very short and tumultuous marriage to Sonni Pacheco in 2014. The union lasted less than a year before Pacheco filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences. This relationship resulted in one daughter and was followed by a lengthy and public legal battle over custody. Despite the drama of the split many fans of his work in ‘The Avengers’ remain unaware that he was ever married.

Stanley Tucci

Stanley Tucci was married to Kathryn Tucci for fourteen years until her tragic death from breast cancer in 2009. The couple had three children together and led a very private life away from the Hollywood spotlight. Tucci eventually remarried Felicity Blunt who is the sister of his ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ costar Emily Blunt. While his first marriage was long and meaningful it is rarely the focus of current entertainment news.

James McAvoy

James McAvoy was married to his ‘Shameless’ costar Anne-Marie Duff for a decade. The couple was known for being intensely private and rarely appeared together at high profile industry events. They announced their decision to divorce in 2016 while McAvoy was promoting his work in the ‘X-Men’ franchise. He has since remarried and his current relationship remains as private as his first.

Ewan McGregor

Ewan McGregor was married to production designer Eve Mavrakis for over twenty years starting in 1995. They met on the set of a British television show and raised four daughters together during his rise to global stardom. The marriage ended in 2017 following reports of his relationship with costar Mary Elizabeth Winstead. This sudden split shocked the public and largely erased the memory of his long previous union.

Sam Claflin

Sam Claflin married actress Laura Haddock in 2013 after a romantic courtship that began at an audition. The couple frequently appeared together on red carpets and had two children during their six years of marriage. They announced their separation in 2019 through a joint statement on social media. Claflin has since focused on his acting career and his new role as a single father in the public eye.

Viggo Mortensen

Viggo Mortensen was married to punk rock singer Exene Cervenka for eleven years. The couple met on the set of a movie in the late eighties and had one son together. They separated in 1992 and officially divorced several years later before Mortensen became a massive star in ‘The Lord of the Rings’. His private nature has ensured that most modern fans are completely unaware of his early marriage to the musician.

Sean Bean

Sean Bean has been married five times but his first marriage to his high school sweetheart Debra James is often forgotten. They married in 1981 when Bean was still a student at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. The marriage ended in 1988 just as his acting career was beginning to take off on British television. His subsequent marriages to various costars have received far more attention from the press over the years.

Robin Williams

Robin Williams was married to Valerie Velardi for ten years during the early part of his comedy career. Velardi was with him during his breakout success on ‘Mork and Mindy’ and they had one son together. Their marriage ended in 1988 and Williams married Marsha Garces shortly after. While his later family life was well documented his first marriage remains a distant part of his legendary life story.

Dustin Hoffman

Dustin Hoffman married Anne Byrne in 1969 just as he was becoming a major star after ‘The Graduate’. Byrne appeared in a small role alongside him in the film ‘Papillon’ during their time together. The couple had two children and stayed married for eleven years before divorcing in 1980. Hoffman married Lisa Gottsegen soon after and their long standing marriage has since become his most recognized relationship.

Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro was married to actress Diahnne Abbott for over a decade starting in 1976. Abbott appeared in several of his films including the iconic ‘Taxi Driver’ and ‘The King of Comedy’. They had one son together and De Niro also adopted Abbott’s daughter from a previous relationship. The couple divorced in 1988 and De Niro has since had several other high profile relationships that have eclipsed this early marriage.

Kiefer Sutherland

Kiefer Sutherland was married to Camelia Kath from 1987 to 1990 during his early years as a brat pack star. Kath was the widow of Chicago guitarist Terry Kath and was several years older than Sutherland. They had one daughter together before their divorce was finalized. Sutherland’s later engagement to Julia Roberts and his long run on ’24’ became the primary stories associated with his personal life.

Charlie Sheen

Charlie Sheen had a very brief first marriage to Donna Peele that lasted only five months. The couple married in 1995 after meeting during the filming of a commercial. Sheen famously stated that he could not breathe in the marriage and filed for divorce shortly thereafter. His later marriages to Denise Richards and Brooke Mueller were much longer and far more publicized due to their legal complications.

Demián Bichir

The Mexican actor Demián Bichir was married to a woman named Lisset for several years in the early 2000s. Lisset is a well known singer and actress in Mexico but their relationship was not widely known in Hollywood. Bichir later achieved international fame with his Oscar nominated performance in ‘A Better Life’. His personal life has remained relatively private following the tragic loss of his later partner Stefanie Sherk.

Eugenio Derbez

Eugenio Derbez was married to Gabriela Michel during the early stages of his career in Mexico. Michel is a voice actress and they share one daughter who has also become a successful actress. Their marriage ended long before Derbez became a massive crossover star in the United States. He is now married to Alessandra Rosaldo and their relationship is a frequent topic in Hispanic media.

John Leguizamo

John Leguizamo was married to actress Yelba Osorio for two years in the mid nineties. Their marriage took place while Leguizamo was gaining fame for his roles in films like ‘To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar’. They divorced in 1996 and Leguizamo eventually found lasting happiness with his second wife Justine Maurer. Most fans are only familiar with his long term marriage to Maurer which began in 2003.

Danny Trejo

Danny Trejo was married to Debbie Shreve for several years and they had two children together. Shreve worked as a real estate agent and occasionally appeared in small roles in Trejo’s films. The couple separated in 2005 and their divorce was finalized a few years later. Trejo has since focused on his prolific acting career and his various business ventures including his successful taco restaurants.

Ken Watanabe

The Japanese actor Ken Watanabe was married to Yumiko Watanabe for over twenty years. Their marriage ended in a publicized divorce in 2005 just as he was becoming a major star in Hollywood. The legal proceedings in Japan were quite contentious and involved significant media coverage. Watanabe has since remarried and moved on with his career in both Japanese and international cinema.

Hiroyuki Sanada

Hiroyuki Sanada was married to actress Satomi Tezuka for seven years during the nineties. The couple had two children together before their marriage ended in 1997. Sanada has since become one of the most recognizable Japanese actors in Western media through roles in ‘Shōgun’. His private life is rarely discussed in the press today as he remains focused on his extensive body of work.

Chow Yun-fat

Chow Yun-fat had a very short marriage to actress Candice Yu that lasted only nine months in 1983. The marriage was a surprise to the public and ended as quickly as it had begun. He eventually married Jasmine Tan in 1987 and they have remained together ever since. His long and stable marriage to Tan has completely overshadowed the brief union from early in his career.

Jet Li

Jet Li was married to actress Qiuyan Huang for three years in the late eighties. They were both members of the Beijing Wushu Team and appeared together in early martial arts films. The couple had two daughters before divorcing in 1990 as Li’s career was beginning to expand internationally. Li married Nina Li Chi in 1999 and their relationship has been his primary public focus for decades.

Donnie Yen

Donnie Yen was married to a woman named Zing-Ci Leung for a very short period in the mid nineties. The marriage lasted only about a year and the couple had one son together. Yen eventually married Cissy Wang in 2003 and they have become a prominent couple in the Hong Kong entertainment industry. Most fans only know of his life with Wang and their two children.

Aamir Khan

Aamir Khan was married to Reena Dutta for fifteen years after eloping with her in 1986. Dutta had a small role in his breakout film ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’ and they had two children together. The couple announced their separation in 2002 which was a major story in the Indian film industry. Khan later married filmmaker Kiran Rao and that relationship defined his public persona for many years.

Saif Ali Khan

Saif Ali Khan married actress Amrita Singh in 1991 when he was just starting his career. Singh was a major star at the time and was twelve years older than him which caused a significant media stir. They were married for thirteen years and had two children before divorcing in 2004. His later marriage to superstar Kareena Kapoor has since become one of the most famous unions in Bollywood history.

Hrithik Roshan

Hrithik Roshan was married to his childhood sweetheart Sussanne Khan for fourteen years. The couple was considered one of the most perfect pairs in the Indian film industry until their split in 2014. They have two sons and have maintained a very friendly co parenting relationship since their divorce. Despite the longevity of the marriage Roshan has since moved on to new relationships in the public eye.

Taika Waititi

Before his high profile marriage to Rita Ora the director and actor Taika Waititi was married to Chelsea Winstanley. Winstanley is a successful film producer and they collaborated on several projects including the film ‘Jojo Rabbit’. They have two daughters and were married for several years before quietly separating in 2018. Waititi’s subsequent relationship with Ora has since dominated his personal news coverage.

Karl Urban

Karl Urban was married to makeup artist Natalie Wihongi for over a decade. The couple met on the set of a television movie and had two sons during their time together. They announced their separation in 2014 as Urban was gaining more fame for his role in the ‘Star Trek’ films. He has kept his personal life very low key since the divorce while focusing on his lead role in ‘The Boys’.

Guy Pearce

Guy Pearce was married to his childhood sweetheart Kate Mestitz for eighteen years. They married in 1997 and Pearce often spoke about their strong bond in early interviews. The couple announced their split in 2015 and Pearce noted that they had simply grown apart over time. He soon started a relationship with actress Carice van Houten and they now have a son together.

Guillaume Canet

The French actor and director Guillaume Canet was married to actress Diane Kruger for five years. They married in 2001 and were a prominent couple in the European film industry. The marriage ended in 2006 and both have since moved on to very high profile relationships. Canet has been with actress Marion Cotillard for many years and they have two children together.

Pierce Brosnan

Pierce Brosnan was married to actress Cassandra Harris for eleven years until her passing in 1991. Harris was a former Bond girl and was instrumental in Brosnan eventually landing the role of 007 himself. They had one son together and Brosnan adopted her two children from a previous marriage. While he often speaks lovingly of her memory his long marriage to Keely Shaye Smith is what most fans recognize today.

Tell us which of these celebrity starter marriages surprised you the most in the comments.