A beloved Hollywood couple reminded fans this week that their romance is still going strong after more than two decades of marriage.
The 78-year-old actor, best known for playing Lenny on Laverne & Shirley, looked cheerful as he leaned in to kiss his 73-year-old wife — an accomplished performer in her own right — during a rare public outing.
In 1983, she portrayed Lana Lang opposite Christopher Reeve in Superman III. Years later, she returned to the superhero universe as Martha Kent, the adoptive mother of Clark Kent, in Smallville. More recently, she’s captured a new audience as Mayor Hope McCrea in Netflix’s hit series Virgin River.
While taking a break from filming on Tuesday, she affectionately kissed her longtime partner — a fan favorite from Saturday Night Live and one of the stars of This Is Spinal Tap.
So who is this charming Hollywood pair?
If you guessed Michael McKean and Annette O’Toole, you’re right. Their love story is just as compelling as their decades-long careers.
Although they had crossed paths earlier in their lives, they didn’t begin dating until reuniting on the set of Final Justice in 1998. They married the following year, in 1999. Both entered the relationship with established careers and children from previous marriages.
McKean was previously married to Susan Russell from 1970 to 1993, and they had two sons, Colin and Fletcher. Sadly, their eldest, Colin, died in 2012 at age 36 from an accidental overdose.
O’Toole had been married to Bill Geisslinger from 1983 to 1993, and they share two daughters, Nell and Anna.
McKean’s career spans more than five decades. He rose to fame in the late 1970s as Lenny Kosnowski on Laverne & Shirley, showcasing his comedic timing. He later appeared in Christopher Guest’s mockumentaries, including This Is Spinal Tap, Best in Show, and A Mighty Wind — the latter earning him a Grammy for co-writing the title song.
He also received a Primetime Emmy nomination for playing Chuck McGill on Better Call Saul and has appeared in series such as Dream On, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Grace and Frankie. Recently, he voiced characters in the Rugrats franchise and returned to his iconic role in Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.
O’Toole’s career is equally diverse. She began acting as a teenager in the late 1960s, appearing on programs like The Danny Kaye Show and guest-starring on Gunsmoke and My Three Sons. Her breakout film role came in Superman III, and she later became widely known as Martha Kent in Smallville.
She also starred in Nash Bridges and The Huntress, and portrayed adult Beverly Marsh in the 1990 TV adaptation of Stephen King’s It. In recent years, she’s gained renewed popularity through Netflix’s Virgin River.
Over the years, the couple has collaborated creatively as well. They co-wrote songs for A Mighty Wind, earning an Academy Award nomination for “A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow,” and have performed together live, including shows at Feinstein’s at the Regency in New York.
