The past few years have felt like a new golden age for the celebrity power couple. Call it a prolonged post-height of the pandemic cuffing season, but big-name romances abound. We’ve got veteran stars giving love a second chance (Bennifer) and A-listers still in the bloom of youth (Tom Holland and Zendaya). There are celebs those who’ve turned coupledom into the next act in their careers (Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly), or used it as a venue for highly public performance art (Kanye West and Julia Fox, may their very staged love RIP). There are old friends turned distressingly horny spouses (Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker), and of course, the most unexpected and most famous pairing of all—Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson.
Most of them have their charms, sure, their big red carpet moments and their fascinating dramas. But none of them are even close to snatching the title of Best Celebrity Power Couple, because that distinction belongs to Mare Winningham and Anthony Edwards, whose beautiful romance I just learned about five minutes ago.
Over the weekend, Winningham and Edwards did something far cuter than any well-coordinated pap stroll: They appeared onstage together, in a moment of particularly adorable “the show must go on” Broadway scrappiness. Winningham’s currently appearing in the Tony-nominated Bob Dylan musical Girl from The North Country, but Friday’s show faced cancellation after several performers tested positive for COVID. So Winningham called up Edwards and asked him if he’d like to take the stage in the role of Dr. Walker.
In a video the production posted to YouTube, Edwards and Winningham talked about how it all went down. After receiving his wife’s call, Edwards made the two hour drive from their Connecticut home to help save the performance. “This is a once in a lifetime—you don’t get this,” Edwards said. “I know audiences are so loving and forgiving, I’ve seen someone go on with a book before. And I just thought, ‘I love this show, I love everything about it. And if this means 800 people, a thousand people are going to be able to see it tonight as opposed to cancel it, I’m in. Let’s go.’”
Though not exactly tabloid staples, both are beloved actors. Edwards, 59, is best known for his roles as Goose in Top Gun and Dr. Mark Greene (whose heartbreaking TV death I still can’t shake) during his long ‘90s stint on ER. Winningham has starred in everything from movies like St Elmo’s Fire and Turner & Hooch, to TV shows like Mildred Pierce and American Horror Story. The two appeared together in 1986's Miracle Mile and Winningham had a recurring role during Edward’s run on ER, so they go way back. Over the years, they’ve racked up up 12 Emmy nominations and six Golden Globe noms between them.
Last year, they quietly tied the knot, opting to elope (Edwards told Esquire that the pair are “too old to throw weddings.”) Of his wife, he said during the interview, “She’s just spectacular. She’s an amazing singer and she’s a wonderful actress and she’s an incredible person.”
It sounds like Edwards was a hit Friday night—according to People, he was “impressively off-book for much of the show” and played Dr. Walker for the rest of the weekend’s performances, too.
Winningham also seemed to be a fan of his performance. “I’m beyond impressed and proud,” she told Edwards in the backstage video. “You’re fearless.” No amount of ill-advised tattoos and vampire stunting can beat that!!