It's easy to understand why many celebs pair off with other celebs who understand the ins
and outs of the entertainment biz.
But the folks on this list found love far from Tinseltown.
Through chance meetings, family friends, and non-Hollywood work associations, these stars
fell hard for so-called "normals."
From lawyers, to veterinarians - and even a highway patrolman - these are the celeb
spouses who quietly work a regular job.
The good husband
Julianna Margulies spent seven years portraying lawyer Alicia Florrick on The Good Wife.
But in real life, it's Margulies who married the lawyer: Harvard Law grad Keith Lieberthal.
In 2011, Margulies told Ellen how they met, saying,
"I met my husband at a dinner party that I wasn't going to go to through an agent I didn't
sign with.
I was like, 'I'll come for a drink.'
[...] I went, and there was Keith."
The couple married one year later, just ahead of the birth of their son, Keiran, in 2008,
according to People.
A political pairing
Actress and New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon married an influential activist.
According to City & State, Christine Marinoni owned a coffee shop in Brooklyn in the mid-'90s
- and after an employee suffered a hate crime, she became active in advocating for LGBT issues.
According to the Advocate, Nixon met Marinoni in 2001.
At the time, Nixon was in a long-term relationship with Danny Mozes, the father of her two children
at the time.
They split up in 2003, and by 2004, Nixon and Marinoni were an item.
The couple wed in 2012, according to People.
And Marinoni became a stay-at-home mom to Nixon's kids, as well as the son they had
together in 2011.
Marinoni returned to work in 2014, with the New York Department of Education, according
to the New York Post.
She then resigned in March 2018, presumably to alleviate any conflict of interest should
she contribute to Nixon's campaign.
No joke about it
Although he currently hosts Late Night with Seth Meyers, it was Meyers' previous gig on
Saturday Night Live, that led him to the love of his life.
Meyers told Your Tango that he met his wife, attorney Alexi Ashe, at fellow SNL cast member
Chris Kattan's wedding.
But Ashe wasn't hustling on the comedy circuit.
According to Human Rights First, she has contributed extensively in efforts to combat human trafficking.
She's worked in the Special Victims and Human Trafficking Bureaus of the D.A.'s office and
has served on the board of both the New York State Anti-Trafficking Coalition and Human
Rights First.
Her work within the justice system eventually paved the way for a career in human trafficking
advocacy.
An arresting romance
It may seem like former Biggest Loser host Alison Sweeney's marriage to California Highway
Patrolman David Sanov is an unusual pairing, but these two have known each other since
they were little kids.
Sweeney told Working Mother in 2010 that they didn't start dating until she was 21, adding,
"I totally had a crush on him when we were young.
[...] We have similar values and personal beliefs.
But we're also opposites.
I'm a little more optimistic.
He's a realist.
My general attitude is: It'll be fine; it'll work out.
It infuriates him."
A passion for paws
Former Daily Show host Jon Stewart's wife, Tracey, worked regular jobs that she really
didn't like, until her husband encouraged her to find a job that would, quote, "make
[her] cry," according to NPR.
And that's when she went back to school to become a veterinary technician.
Tracey said,
"It was the best job I ever had and I truly loved that job."
Tracey then wrote a book about animal stewardship, and together with Jon, bought a 12-acre New
Jersey farm with the intention of turning it into a non-profit animal rescue, according
to The New York Times.
She also founded Moomah, an online lifestyle magazine that features veganism, sustainable
living, and of course, animal rights advocacy.
The perfect prescription
It's pretty common knowledge that actor Ken Jeong is actually a licensed medical practitioner.
And so is his wife, Tran - whom Jeong credits as the sole reason he transitioned into acting
in the first place.
Jeong told People in 2015 that Tran works part time these days, and that the couple
met while working at the same practice.
But things haven't always been rosy for the well-matched pair.
Jeong penned a touching tribute to his wife, for HuffPost, sharing that Tran battled breast
cancer in 2008 - the year after the birth of their twin daughters, and just as Jeong
landed his career-defining role in The Hangover trilogy.
He wrote of his wife,
"When Tran was told she was cancer-free, it was the greatest moment of my life.
[...] In those two years, I fell in love with my wife all over again and discovered a deeper
love and appreciation for her than I ever had.
For that, I am thankful."