How Maya Rudolph and husband Paul Thomas Anderson built a decades-long relationship

Actor Maya Rudolph and filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson have built one of Hollywood’s most enduring relationships, despite never officially marrying.

The couple began dating in 2001 and have since welcomed four children together: Pearl, Lucille, Jack and Minnie.

Rudolph, known for her work on Saturday Night Live, later starred in films including Bridesmaids and Grown Ups.

Anderson is an acclaimed director behind films such as Boogie Nights, Licorice Pizza and One Battle After Another, which is nominated for Best Picture at the 2026 Oscars.

Although the pair keep much of their relationship private, Anderson publicly acknowledged Rudolph during a speech at the 2025 Gotham Awards.

“December 1st, 24 years ago, I met a lady who made me a better filmmaker. Happy anniversary, Maya,” he said.

Rudolph previously said Anderson was drawn to her before they met.

“He said he saw me in [an SNL] sketch and said, ‘That’s the girl I’m going to marry.’ But I don’t know. I wasn’t there. Maybe he just told me that to be sweet,” she told Town & Country in 2024.

While they are not legally married, Rudolph has long referred to Anderson as her husband.

“People know what that means. 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,” she told The New York Times.

The couple have also collaborated creatively, with Rudolph appearing in Anderson’s films Inherent Vice and Licorice Pizza.