Anthony Edwards' Wife Mare Winningham Was His Friend for 35 Years before They Secretly Eloped in 2021

Anthony Edwards and his good friend of over three decades, Mare Winningham, took a chance at love again and secretly tied the knot last year. The couple maintained their friendship throughout their previous marriages, but their love story began years later when they happened to be in the same place at the same time.

Anthony Edwards and Mare Winningham began their artistic careers as teenagers and would soon cross paths as they ascended the Hollywood ladder. Edwards had his parents' support for his acting career and even enrolled at the University of Southern California to study the performance art form.

His time at the institution was shortened after he dropped out, but he began landing roles in films such as 1982's "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and 1983's "Heart Like a Wheel." Before joining the film and television industry, Edwards appeared in several commercials, which helped him pay for his education.

Unlike her husband, the multi-talented Winningham started her career as a singer when she was 17. She had always been interested in acting and music since primary school. She has since appeared in over 100 TV shows and feature films, including the 1989 series "Turner and Hooch" and 2009's "Brothers."

Winningham crossed paths with Edwards in 1984 when they both auditioned for roles in the 1985 movie "The Sure Thing." Edwards scored a starring role as Lance alongside co-stars John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga, but sadly Winningham had to try elsewhere.

It wasn't long before they both landed lead parts in the 1988 film "Miracle Mile." It was the first production in which Edwards and Winningham collaborated, and it was the birth of a long-lasting connection. In 1994, Edwards starred as Dr. Mark Greene in "ER," a role for which he would be chiefly known and prestigiously awarded.

He stayed on the medical drama for its first eight seasons before exiting. Winningham also appeared briefly on the show alongside her then-friend. They respected each other's marriages and remained friends through to their ends. Their love story then began one fateful day in New York City.

Anthony Edwards Secretly Eloped with Mare Winningham

It's unclear when Edwards and Winningham started dating, but it was around a time they found they were both living in New York City. Their romance soon began afterward, and they spent time quarantining together during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

For Edwards, quarantining brought a simpler daily routine in his life after shooting for many films, and TV productions had to be paused due to lockdown restrictions.

He could do things he felt he was fortunate to, like enjoying morning coffee and working on his garden. The actor and his wife also housed a family, as he explained:

"We have a family staying with us with a young child, our godson, who's only 19 months old, so we've formed this group for the last five weeks."

Edwards would also enjoy walks with Winningham; it was important for him to stay connected with his loved ones as the world relied more heavily on technology for communication. He and Winningham acknowledged the gravity of the pandemic, as he shared:

"We're trying to prioritize what is important to this life when we're realizing how fragile it is when a pandemic can come in and take so many of us so quickly."

Toward the end of last year, the couple took their relationship to the next level by secretly marrying in an intimate ceremony. Their union was officiated by their old friend, and it was only the three of them. However, Edwards only revealed the good news earlier this year during an interview.

Regarding their three-person ceremony, the actor remarked that he and Winningham were "too old" to throw weddings. The couple has continued pursuing their passions alongside one another and even recently collaborated on the Broadway show, "Girl from the North Country."

Although Edwards joined on short notice after many of the theatrical production's cast members contracted the coronavirus, they both gushed about each other's performances, with Winningham expressing how "impressed and proud" she was of her husband. Edwards also shared sweet words about his wife, saying:

"She's an amazing singer and she's a wonderful actress and she's an incredible person."

Before wedding Edwards, Winningham had tried her luck in love a few times. She married A Martinez in 1981, but their marriage only lasted about a year, ending in January 1982. The actress moved on to William Sweet Mapel and tied the knot that year.

Winningham and Mapel welcomed five children before divorcing after 14 years in 1996. Winningham then married Jason Trucco in 2008. They went strong for four years before separating in 2012.

Before Mare, Anthony Edwards Was Married to Jeanine Lobell for Two Decades

Edwards met entrepreneur and professional make-up artist Jeanine Lobell on the set of the 1992 movie "Pet Sematary II." He once explained how "surprises" were always "the best experiences" when he talked about how he and his ex-wife met.

Although Lobell worked on movie sets as a make-up artist, she leaned more toward a fashion aesthetic. Edwards noted that inclination, and although he was working on a fantasy horror film, he said he couldn't watch horror movies. Yet, as the "Top Gun" star recalled the encounter, he said:

"So the coincidence that we would end up in that same place-Peachtree, Georgia!-on that movie... me, who can't even watch horror movies, and she, who doesn't really work on films, and yet we ended up meeting there."

Lobell was born and raised in the capital of Sweden, Stockholm. Although her parents were from Queens, she acquired Swedish as her first language. Lobell remembered her place of birth fondly and said she still visited from time to time. She married Edwards in 1994, but they divorced after over 20 years in 2015.

She took an interest in make-up at age 16 and enrolled in a London make-up school by the time she was 17. After graduating, Lobell moved to Los Angeles, where she landed her first gig as an artist on the film set of "Hairspray." She quickly learned how to maneuver in the industry, attracting more opportunities for herself.

Lobell started working with magazine giants and celebrities like Natalie Portman – with whom she remained close friends – Cate Blanchett, Charlize Theron, and many more. In 1994, she launched a groundbreaking make-up line called Stila, which she sold to Estee Lauder five years later.

Lobell continued working with Stila under a management contract for another five years before leaving the brand for good. She branched into other ventures and launched a series of apps under Rx geared toward helping people cope emotionally.

Her latest project is an innovative, sustainable, and easily accessible way for folks to try new make-up products. It includes a monthly mailed paper card with five peel-back tabs of gloss, cream, and powder samples to try simultaneously or separately.

They come with tutorial videos accessible through corresponding QR codes; if a person likes the product, they can order it on the Neen website. The product packaging is also sustainable and reusable, as it is made of silicone.

Mare Winningham and Anthony Edwards Have 9 Children from Their Previous Relationships

Winningham's children with her second ex-husband are Patrick, 39; Jack, 37; Calla, 35; and Happy Atticus, 34. The former couple's first son, Riley, was born in November 1981 but sadly passed in August 2005. With Lobell, Edwards shares Wallis, 28, Esme, 25, Bailey, 22, and Poppy, 20.