Peter Gallagher Marked 41 Years with Wife: Inside His Life as a Husband & Dad

Peter Gallagher explained why he finds it awkward to disclose his marital status. After he and his current wife, Paula Harwood, split up, he openly revealed how his mother persuaded him to reconcile. The couple’s two kids have followed in their father’s footsteps and become well-known figures in the entertainment business.

Most famously, Peter starred alongside Sandra Bullock in the romantic comedy “While You Were Sleeping” in 1995. Later on, he starred alongside Olivia Wilde and Ben McKenzie in the drama television series “The O.C”. From 2003 to 2007, four seasons of the program were shown.

In addition, Peter has appeared on popular television programs such as “Grace & Frankie,” “Californication,” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” In an interview from 2020, he revealed that despite his success, he frequently battled for his assignments and that his career had been fraught with difficulties.

“I’ve spent my entire career not getting the jobs I’ve desired. “I’ve worked hard to earn every role I’ve had,” he said. Gallagher first tried out for an acting role in a school play during his high school years caprice.

His first objective was to become a theater professional. He never thought he would play television or in films. In 1989, the New Yorker’s breakthrough performance was in the movie “Sex, Lies and Videotape.”

“I was turned down for a ton of roles. And there were plenty of times when I wanted to give up. I had to rediscover my confidence because I had lost it all,” Peter thought to himself.

Like his profession, the 68-year-old’s romantic life has, for the most part, been unpredictable. In an interview from May 2024, Peter reminisced about how he first met Paula Harwood, the woman he would eventually marry, and how they had previously broken up.

In a stairway during their first week of their freshman year in college, the couple first came into contact. It was at Tufts University’s Bush Hall, Peter clarified, saying, “I was up the stairs to see a girl, and she was coming down the stairs to see a boy.”

The TV personality and Paula remained silent, but he remembers that instant clearly, even though he can’t remember much about anything else.

“[…] We kind of slid past one another. Peter recalled that she had amazing hair, a tight turtleneck, platform shoes, tight corduroy bell bottoms, and a disco belt on.

He extolled the virtues of his prospective bride, declaring that she was “way cooler” than he was and yet the current moment. The celebrity said their initial encounter was “powerful” and acknowledged it took him some time to win Paula over. “[…] I spent the next seven years trying to figure out how I could go out with her,” he stated.

Peter claimed he was surprised by the feeling when asked how it made him feel the first time he saw her. It was nothing he had ever experienced before.

The aspiring Hollywood star, who thought Paula was unreachable, lusted over her photo when he saw her in a freshman yearbook. Years later, he finally had a conversation with her.

Regardless of his academic schedule, Peter made sure he was where Paula was. I would therefore make her chuckle. And to be honest, that still makes up a big part of our relationship,” he revealed.

Peter thought back to their separation when asked to recall a moment when loving himself took precedence over Paula’s love.He claimed that he broke up with her when they were dating and told his mother about it.

But his mother chastised him and told him to go tell Paula how sorry he was. Peter remembered his mother stating, “She’s a fantastic young lady. And since they are your problems, whatever issues you have with her will be issues you have with everyone.”

She was confident he would discover what was bothering him and advised him to address it before ending their relationship. “It’s your problem, and you will always have problems, no matter who you are with. And I said, “All right,” Peter recalled.

Taking his mother’s counsel, he made amends with Paula. When asked why it’s so vital to love yourself before everyone else, the famous person explained that it all begins with forgiveness.”I think you have to begin to forgive yourself because it can be like being a drunk, the desire for some kind of self-abnegation or constant expression of disdain against one’s self,” he stated.

Peter described a moment when they were traveling to her friend’s wedding together and was asked how far into the relationship he knew he wanted to marry Paula.

It happened during a deluge of rain and it was the first marriage of that age that he was aware of. The “Center Stage” actor recalled that he was not proud of the wedding when talking about it on the way there.

“It began with, ‘So, wow. Ron is getting married, like, sure. In addition, He asked Paula, “Maybe—could you ever imagine doing something like that with somebody like me, or something like that?”

Then, she inquired as to whether he was proposing marriage, to which he responded, “Well, well, well, it certainly seems that way.” Peter agreed when Paula asked if he would also obtain her parents’ approval.

He accomplished this by writing her father a long letter in which he assured him that she would be taken care of and that he needed not worry. Nevertheless, the couple has been married for 41 years, having tied the knot in May 1983.

Remarkably, Peter acknowledged that he finds it awkward to spend so much time with one person. When questioned, he clarified, saying, “Just that it’s not something you hear every day, and it’s not something I really am interested in promoting.”

The well-known person continued by saying that some people have a tendency to disclose in the media how long they have been married, and then their relationships collapse. questioned him about advise for people who are hopeful to have stayed married for so long, “Don’t get divorced,” Peter said, and wished you luck.

In addition to offering marital counsel, the “Titanic” actor has flaunted his adored spouse on social media. In November 2022, he shared a picture of them grinning from their trip to Toronto, Canada.

“With Paula, my long-term spouse of – well, too many years to count. We recently enjoyed a fantastic dinner at Boehmer on Ossington St. in Toronto,” he said as the photo’s caption. His wife received a compliment from someone who wrote, “She’s so beautiful.”

In May 2023, Peter also shared a picture of the pair on Instagram to mark their 40th wedding anniversary. “I’m so glad we did,” he added, sharing a photo of the couple from their wedding day as well as a more current one. Once more, he was among those who made comments on his spouse’s appearance.

“You look good for your age. She’s gotten so old,” a fan commented. Somebody else wrote, “Those blue eyes, you two! Cheers to your anniversary. Another person said, “A typical Hollywood couple—what a breath of fresh air.”One person went on, “Wow, your wife is even more gorgeous today! Cheers to your anniversary.”

In addition to having a happy marriage, Peter and Paula are devoted parents to two grown children. Acting was the career path Kathryn Gallagher, their daughter, took after her well-known father.

Like her father, Kathryn is not just an actress but also a nominee for a Tony Award. In an Instagram post from 2021, Peter bragged about his child’s accomplishment, mentioning that she had asked him to the Tony Awards and that they had a great day.

“We happened to have been nominated for best-featured acting while in shows at the same theatre – The Broadhurst – 35 years apart,” the happy parent said.

Kathryn has not only accomplished this but also won a Grammy Award her vocals. Her album “Jagged Little Pill” took home the coveted Best Musical Theater Album prize at the 66th Grammy Awards in February 2024.

Online fans fawned over Kathryn’s appearance on the “Ancestry” episode “2 Lies & A Leaf” in 2022, when the father and daughter also appeared. Someone said, “I’m curious to know where in your genes the fantastic eyebrows came from.” As someone else put it in a different post: “Like father like daughter.”

James Gallagher is another son that Peter and Paul have in common with Kathryn. James works behind the scenes in show business, just like his father and sister. He is a camera operator and director.

Peter excitedly announced on Instagram in 2023 that the Tribeca Film Festival would screen his son’s documentary. “So proud of my son,” he said.

The father of two included a family photo taken in New York in another post from the same year. He claimed that since their birth, his children have improved every aspect of Paula and his lives.

One Instagram follower made the comment, “Nice to see he’s a family man,” on the picture. Another wrote, “Such a BEAUTIFUL family!!” in praise of the Gallagher family.

Peter’s life is an example of the value of a family and enduring love. Many people are still enthralled and inspired by his path, both personally and professionally.