Who Is Amanda Anka? Everything You Need to Know About Jason Bateman’s Wife of Nearly 22 Years

Jason Bateman has been on our television and movie screens longer than we can remember, and he's had a partner right there with him practically every step of the way the way. Enter: Amanda Anka, who Jason first met at a hockey game in 1988. The two share a long history together that includes two children, tons of endearing interviews, and an ultimatum that proved to help them out in the end. Here's everything you need to know about Amanda.

She comes from a pretty famous family

Amanda's father, Paul Anka, is a famous Canadian singer and has recorded *tons* of hits that are still super well-known today, including “Put Your Head on My Shoulder,” “Diana,” and “Puppy Love.” Plus, he's the musician behind 2004’s Rock Swings, a full album of swing jazz covers of popular songs like “Eye of the Tiger” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” aka a concept I didn't know would totally intrigue me.

And judging from the looks of it, Paul and Jason have their own amazing 'ship. When Paul found out back in 2011 that Jason and Amanda were having another child, he told ET Canada (via Page Six) that Jason is “a very smart boy, a wonderful guy for my daughter.” Obsessed!

Amanda is also low-key in showbiz

Color me impressed! Though her husband is def known for his roles in front of the screen, Amanda has amassed a number of acting creds herself over the years, especially throughout the '90s and early 2000s. Case in point? In 1992, she played a vampire in the movie version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Plus, she's had small guest roles in Renegade; ER; The Fosters; Bones; Beverly Hills, 90210 and spent two years doing the voiceover work for The Greatest Event in Television History, per her IMDb.

Though Amanda has taken a step back from acting more recently, she's still managed to find ways to dip her toes back into Hollywood. In 2019, for instance, she took on her first project as a producer with AppleTV+'s hit series The Morning Show alongside Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, who star in the show. She's even appeared in one episode as a party guest.

She and Jason met decades ago

The year? 1988. The setting? An Los Angeles Kings hockey game. Yep, this is where the now-married duo initially met when they were around 18- or 19-years-old. Though they were friends, neither Jason nor Amanda shared a romantic connection...that is, until 10 years after first meeting.

“I just wasn’t into where he was at,” Amanda told GQ years later in 2013 about the actor's teens and twenties, a time during which Jason seemed to be more interested in partying than settling into a relationship (more on that in a sec). However, over time, his friendship with Amanda remained and turned out to be a solid foundation for an eventual partnership. The two eventually began their romance in 1998 and tied the knot in July 2001 after about three years of dating. In 2014, Jason reflected on their origin story in The Daily Telegraph:

And if you needed any proof that these two have aged impeccably over literal decades, look no further than this recent pic of them at the Air premiere:

And yet another one from back in 2004 at a concert:

She was a part of Jason fixing his relationship with alcohol

Despite Jason and Amanda getting married, their relationship was initially far from perfect, as it was strained due to the actor's partying. In a 2009 interview with Details (per US Weekly), Jason revealed that his wife had given him the ultimate demand: knock off all the partying. But, things got worse before they got better, and the situation got so bad that Amanda even took a planned vacation in Mexico without him. It was then that, alone one Christmas morning, the actor decided to go to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and asked himself, 'Do you want to continue being great at being in your twenties, or do you want to step up and graduate into adulthood?'

Thankfully, Jason wound up choosing the latter option, which allowed him and Amanda to grow into a more sustainable and healthy relationship 🥺❤️.

They have two kids together

Jason and Amanda are the parents of Francesca Nora, their oldest daughter who was born in October 2006, and Maple Sylvie, their second daughter who arrived nearly six years later in February 2012. Just look at this precious family moment when Jason received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame:

And though one could assume just how incredible it would be having these two as parents, this truly hilarious 2018 interview with Jimmy Kimmel where Jason opens up about how Franny discovered the truth about the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and Santa Claus totally confirms it:

Aaaaaand that's pretty much all we know for now, but make sure to check back in on these lovebirds as we get more updates on 'em ❤️.

You Might Also Like

• Here’s What NOT to Wear to a Wedding

• Meet the Laziest, Easiest Acne Routine You’ll Ever Try