‘Wings’ Tim Daly Found Love with Onscreen Wife after His 28-Year Marriage to an Actress Failed

Tim Daly married his first wife, Amy Van Nostrand, in 1982. Unfortunately, things did not work out between them, and after 28 years, they called things off. The actor then found love with his on-screen wife, Téa Leoni, and, as Tim Daly would say, their real-life chemistry exceeds their on-screen romance.

Love comes in many forms. While some make a genuine and long-lasting connection on their first try, some stay married to the "wrong" partners for years before finding love with their lifetime spouses.

That was the case for "Wings" actor Tim Daly and his wife, Téa Leoni. Before their path crossed on set, Daly had been married to actress Amy Van Nostrand for 28 years.

He shares two children, a son, Sam, and a daughter, Emelyn, with the "Dangerous Heart" actress. Opening up about fatherhood to Good Housekeeping, the actor revealed:

"What can I say: I got started on the whole wife-and-kids thing at a young age. I had my kids when I was in utero."

Sam followed in his father's shoes and played Will Jones, the optimistic young father of a baby born with a heart defect in season four of "Grey's Anatomy." His daughter, who studied at Columbia University, also left her father's home.

As much as he is proud of his children, the "Just the Way You Are" actor admitted that being an empty-nester was a bitter-sweet feeling. However, his ex-wife had no qualms about her children leaving the nest. Daly said in 2008:

"But she's just generally stronger than I am about everything, which is nice because it means that now I get to be the baby."

Sadly, two years after his interview with the publication, "The Fugitive" actor and Nostrand, who's famous for her theatre roles in "Heartbreak House," "The Hothouse," and "The Three Sisters," divorced Von Nostrand.

TIM DALY FELL IN LOVE WITH HIS ON-SCREEN WIFE

The year was 2014, and Leoni had been cast to play the United States Secretary of State, while Daly played her professor husband in the political drama "Madam Secretary."

After appearing alongside each other, their costars thought there was something unusual about them. Their chemistry was electrifying, and whenever they kissed on set, it seemed there was natural attraction behind the kiss.

Geoffrey Arend, who played Matt Mahoney on the show, told People that Daly and Leoni's chemistry was so undeniable on set that everyone else was almost sure something was happening between them off-screen.

However, Arend did not feel it was his place to ask his boss about who he was dating, so he let it go. Eventually, Daly and Leoni put the speculation to rest when they confirmed their relationship in December 2014.

They then made their stunning public debut as a couple at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in April 2015. Leoni looked gorgeous in a form-fitting black dress with a sheer black cape, modest slit, and a lovely silver pin. On the other hand, Daly looked dapper in a bow tie and black suit.

It is noteworthy that Daly had ended his 28-year marriage to Nostrand four years earlier. However, even more interesting is that Leoni was just freshly divorced, having ended her 17-year marriage to actor David Duchovny months earlier, in August 2014.

Leoni and Duchovny reportedly met in 1997 and had only been dating for a couple of weeks when they walked down the aisle. They went on to have a daughter, Madeline, and a son, Kyle.

The couple separated briefly in 2008 as Duchovny sought treatment for addiction to intimate encounters. They reunited in 2009 but split again in 2011, this time for good, with their divorce becoming final in 2014.

Following their split, Duchovny agreed to pay $40,000 in spousal support and $8,333 in child support in addition to paying for their children's education.

More importantly, Leoni and Duchovny agreed to share custody of their children. Leoni did not mince her words when asked what she felt about her life post-divorce. She told More magazine, as The Things reports:

"Divorced and liking it, thank you."

DALY AND LEONI'S RELATIONSHIP IS MUCH BETTER THAN ON "MADAM SECRETARY"

Not many can brag of a perfect relationship surpassing an on-screen romance. However, since getting together, Daly and Leoni boast of a romance beyond the near-perfect scripted fantasies that grace our screens.

Despite not flaunting their relationship to the media and public, Daly and Leoni have found genuine love after years of staying married to different partners.

During the filming of "Madam Secretary, " a source close to production felt the couple's chemistry on-screen was electrifying, but it is even better in real life. And Daly has always expressed his true feelings for the actress by constantly gushing over her. He once said of "The Naked Truth" alum:

"She's not a whiner. She wants to work hard, and she wants to have fun. We get along really, really well."

The "Love Or Money" actor added that during his time on TV and film, he'd gotten along with plenty of people but with no chemistry. Contrarily, he's also had on-screen chemistry with people he did not get along with, so having chemistry with somebody he liked was the perfect situation for him.

Speaking on the "Really Famous with Kara Mayer Robinson" channel, the "Made In Heaven" actor gushed over the "Deep Impact" actress, saying:

"Téa is perfect. I mean, she's fabulous. I'm not allowed to talk about her too much."

Daly never shies away from comparing his on-screen and off-screen relationships with Leoni. He shared that his real-life romance with Leoni was even better despite their excellent chemistry on the show. He shared:

"Our relationship in real life is much better than it is on the show."

Yet, they are not just tooting their own horns. Their relationship's success is evident even to those around them. As Barbara Hall, the creator of "Madam Secretary," would say of Daly and Leoni: "They are the perfect couple, and it really is a wonderful thing to have been a part of."