Lea Thompson may be best known for playing Marty McFly’s mom in Back to the Future, but off-screen she’s built an equally impressive Hollywood legacy with her husband of 37 years and their two successful daughters. The actress and director Howard Deutch, who both helped shape the 1980s film scene — including the 1987 favorite Some Kind of Wonderful — have watched their children carve out major careers of their own.
Husband Howard Deutch
Howard Deutch is an accomplished American filmmaker with several iconic credits, including the Molly Ringwald classic Pretty in Pink (1986). He also directed Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), The Great Outdoors (1988), and other well-known titles. Born in New York in 1950, he shares two daughters with Lea, both of whom followed their parents into the entertainment industry.
Madelyn Deutch
Their eldest daughter, Madelyn Deutch, has made a name for herself as both an actress and songwriter. Born in 1991, she began acting with Mayor Cupcake in 2009. She later appeared in projects such as The Year of Spectacular Men, the TV series Outcast, and the miniseries Texas Rising. In June 2023, she married TV literary agent Zach Carlisle, and the couple welcomed their daughter, Robbie June, in February 2025.
Zoey Deutch
Younger daughter Zoey Deutch, born in 1994, has become one of Hollywood’s most recognizable rising stars. She appeared opposite Glen Powell in Set It Up, starred as Rose Hathaway in Vampire Academy (2014), and featured alongside James Franco in Why Him?. Her more recent work includes Something from Tiffany’s, Anniversary, and the French New Wave-inspired docudrama Nouvelle Vague (2025). She is currently engaged to comedian and actor Jimmy Tatro.
Lea Thompson’s enduring career
Lea herself was one of the biggest stars of the 1980s, appearing in Back to the Future (1985) and its sequel, as well as Some Kind of Wonderful. In the 1990s, she led the sitcom Caroline in the City, and later gained a new generation of fans as Kathryn Kennish in Switched at Birth, where she appeared in every episode from 2011 to 2017.
What she’s doing now
Lea continues to stay busy, recently appearing in The Chicken Sisters, starring in The Spencer Sisters, and making a guest appearance on The Goldbergs. She’s also set to appear in the upcoming project What If, which follows a woman discovering she was switched at birth — bringing her back to familiar storytelling territory while proving her Hollywood journey is far from over.
