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When directors and producers tap their significant others for the job

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1 of 18 Chris Haston/NBC

Casey Wilson and David Caspe

Caspe produced Happy Endings, on which Wilson starred as Penny. The two met during her audition, began dating and in May 2014, tied the knot. Although Happy Endings was canceled after only three seasons, Caspe created a new series, Marry Me, starring none other than his wife Wilson. The comedy is loosely based on their real-life relationship, engagement and eventual trip to the altar.
2 of 18 Corbis

Lucy Lawless and Robert Tapert

Tapert created Xena: The Warrior Princess in 1995, and three years later, he married its star, Lawless. They collaborated again when Tapert executive-produced the Starz sword-and-sandal series Spartacus: Blood and Sand and its prequel, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, both in which Lawless starred as Capua noblewoman Lucretia.
3 of 18 Dave Allocca/Startraksphoto.com

Bill Lawrence and Christa Miller

The couple married in 1999, and Miller landed a guest spot, which soon turned into a recurring role, on her husband's medical comedy Scrubs. Two of her three pregnancies were written into the show. She also provided the voice of Cleopatra on his short-lived animated show Clone High and stars opposite Courteney Cox on Cougar Town, which — yep, you guessed it — was co-created by Lawrence.
4 of 18 Corbis

Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann

Apatow produced the Jim Carrey comedy The Cable Guy, which is when he met Mann, who auditioned for the role of the female romantic lead opposite Matthew Broderick. They married in 1997, and since then, Mann has appeared in many of Apatow's films, including The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Drillbit Taylor, ParaNorman and This Is 40. Their children have also appeared in a handful of these films as well.
5 of 18 The Kobal Collection

Joel Coen and Frances McDormand

The couple wed in 1984, the same year McDormand made her feature acting debut in Coen's Blood Simple. She often co-stars in her husband's films, including Raising Arizona, Fargo (for which the couple won separate Oscars for Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress in a Leading Role — McDormand is the person to win an acting Oscar in a film directed by a spouse), The Man Who Wasn't There and Burn After Reading.
6 of 18 Sara De Boer/startraksphoto.com

Michael Sheen and Sarah Silverman

Sheen stars on and executive-produces Showtime's period drama Masters of Sex and began dating comedian Sarah Silverman in early 2014. That year, she recurred as Helen on the series' second season. "And then I started f---ing the star and it really solidified it. Or maybe not," Silverman said backstage at the Emmys on how she got cast.
7 of 18 Corbis

Jennifer Westfeldt and Jon Hamm

Westfelt's breakthrough came in 2001 with the comedy Kissing Jessica Stein, which she wrote, co-produced herself and cast boyfriend Hamm. Since then, he's also appeared in two of her other film projects: the love story Ira & Abby and her directorial debut, the indie ensemble comedy Friends with Kids.
8 of 18 Warner Bros/The Kobal Collection

Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter and Lisa Marie

Burton first cast his girlfriend-fiancee Lisa Marie in minor roles in his films Ed Wood, Mars Attacks!, Sleepy Hollow and Planet of the Apes, the last of which he met his new muse, Helena Bonham Carter, on set. At that point, Lisa Marie sold all of his belongings he left behind by holding an auction. Burton's relationship with Bonham Carter flourished, however, and she has starred in various capacities in his films, including Big Fish, Corpse Bride, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd, Alice in Wonderland, Dark Shadows and 2016's Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass. They live in adjoining houses and have a son and daughter together.
9 of 18 Splash

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson

The couple met on the set of Hanks' hit TV comedy Bosom Buddies and then appeared in three movies: Volunteers, The Bonfire of the Vanities and Sleepless in Seattle. They wed in 1988, but it wasn't until Hanks wrote and directed the 1996 musical That Thing You Do! did he actually cast her in a minor role. Years later, Wilson also appeared in the romantic comedy he produced and directed, Larry Crowne. They have two sons together.
10 of 18 Columbia/Kobal Colection

John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands

Rowlands earned Oscar nominations for her performances in Gloria and A Woman Under the Influence, both of which her husband Cassavetes wrote and directed. She also appeared in eight more of his films. Up until his death in 1989, he continued to work, although he never completed his last film, She's Delovely. It was completed by their son Nick Cassavetes in 1997 under the title She's So Lovely and also featured Rowlands in a minor role. The couple had three children, all actor-directors.
11 of 18 MGM/The Kobal Collection

Blake Edwards and Julie Andrews

Andrews had already made a name for herself with her Oscar-winning performance in Mary Poppins and her Oscar-nominated one in The Sound of Music before she wed Edwards in 1969. A year later, his musical Darling Lili was released, starring Andrews as a British music hall performer who is actually a German spy during World War I. They collaborated on several more films, including Victor/Victoria, which earned her a third Oscar nomination, 10, S.O.B., a couple films in his Pink Panther franchise and more.
12 of 18 Paramount/Kobal Collection

Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor

Taylor met Stiller while they were filming Heat Vision and Jack, a pilot that never made it to air. They tied the knot in 2000 and since then she's appeared in a handful of projects that he's either produced or directed, including Zoolander, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Tropic Thunder and the Yahoo! spoof of reality dating shows, Burning Love. The couple have a son and daughter together.
13 of 18 Dave Allocca/Startraksphoto.com

Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes

The couple began dating when they met in 2011 on the set of the crime drama The Place Beyond the Pines and had a daughter together three years later. Gosling made his directorial debut with the fantasty-neo-noir film Lost River, in which he cast Mendes.
14 of 18 Sara Jaye Weiss /StartraksPhoto.com

Tina Fey and Jeff Richmond

Richmond was a piano player at Second City when he met Fey, and they married in 2001. He's worked as a composer or soundtrack producer on various projects that she's either written, produced, directed or appeared in, including Saturday Night Live, Mean Girls and Baby Mama. Their most well-known collaboration is on 30 Rock, Fey's NBC comedy for which Richmond composed the jaunty, jazzy theme song and score. Richmond also produced 30 Rock and directed five episodes. They have two daughters.
15 of 18 Splash

Callie Khouri and T-Bone Burnett

For the big screen, Khouri adapted Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, for which her husband, the award-winning Burnett composed and arranged the soundtrack. Their most famous collaboration came with Khouri's ABC music drama Nashville, for which Burnett was the executive music producer and composer for the first season.
16 of 18 Corbis

Amy Brenneman and Brad Silberling

Silberling is a director-producer who married the actress in 1995. He also directed episodes of her series NYPD Blue and Judging Amy. She's appeared in his films Casper and City of Angels. Their most recent collaboration is Brenneman's role as Marie de Guise on The CW's Reign, which Silberling executive-produces and directs. They have two children together.
17 of 18 Splash

Steve and Nancy Carell

Steve Carell produced and starred as Michael Scott on the American version of the British sitcom The Office. His wife Nancy (sometimes billed as Nancy Walls) played Carole Stills, a real estate agent whom Michael dates on and off. Nancy also appeared as a health clinic counselor in the big-screen comedy The 40-Year-Old Virgin, which Steve executive-produced, co-wrote and starred in as the titular virgin.
18 of 18 Splash

Len Wiseman and Kate Beckinsale

Beckinsale was in an eight-year relationship with Michael Sheen (who appears elsewhere in this gallery), with whom she has a daughter, when she persuaded her Underworld director Wiseman to hire Sheen as well. During filming, however, Beckinsale and Wiseman (who was married at the time) began a relationship. Strangely enough, all parties involved maintain there was no infidelity and remain on good terms. Wiseman and Beckinsale married in 2004. She starred in his numerous Underworld sequels and his remake of Total Recall.