‘Fire Country’ Star Max Thieriot Shares How His Wife Lexi Murphy Inspired the Series

As the star, co-creator and executive producer of Fire Country, Max Thieriot knows what it means to be part of a hit TV show. While he continues to garner success with a flourishing career in the entertainment industry, he's lucky to also have a supportive group of people around him away from the cameras. One person has been his cheerleader from the very beginning of his career, as Max and his wife Lexi Murphy have been a team for almost twenty years.

Unlike many love stories in Hollywood, Max and Lexi's road to romance started out away from set. According to People, the two first met in 2005 while each were on vacation with their respective families in the Caribbean. At that point in his life, Max had only starred in Catch That Kid and The Pacifier, giving him a bit of anonymity and the chance for the pair to build their relationship on their own.

While not much is public about Max and Lexi's life before marriage, he did surprise fans in June 2016 with a sweet look at their relationship in a throwback Instagram from their days in high school. "3 years married to this amazing woman!" he wrote while celebrating his wedding anniversary at the time. "Wow how time flies! This is a throwback to our junior year prom.:) always my #wcw #lordknowsimaluckyman."

Although Max and Lexi kept their dating life private, the world took notice when the Bates Motel alum proposed to her in March 2012. According to Flaunt Magazine (per Us Weekly), Max recreated the first time they met by flying Lexi back to the Caribbean for a two-week vacation. It was there he asked her to marry him, but as he shared with the outlet, it seemed like she already knew something was happening ahead of getting engaged.

"I think she expected it was coming," he said at the time. "Then, she ended up thinking it wasn't going to happen because I waited a whole week before I asked."

The couple eventually wed a year later in June 2013, tying the knot in an intimate ceremony in Lake Tahoe, California. The two were surrounded by loved ones (including his Catch That Kid co-star Kristen Stewart), and Max celebrated his newlywed status by announcing the news on X (formerly known as Twitter). "Best weekend of my life," he tweeted at the time. "Married the most beautiful and amazing woman in the entire world."

By December 2015, Max's career was busy with Bates Motel, and his family with Lexi got a little bigger with the birth of their first son Beaux. Three years later, the married duo welcomed their second son, Maximus, in January 2018. Max revealed the news on Instagram with a sweet post featuring Beaux and an expecting Lexi.

Along with a fulfilling family life at home, it turns out Lexi has a bigger influence on Max's career than people may expect. When appearing on the Keep Hammering Collective podcast in August 2023, Max shared how the inspiration for Fire Country (which follows a prisoner working in California's inmate firefighter program) actually came from someone close to Lexi who works for one of the camps portrayed on the CBS drama.

"My wife’s cousin is a CEO at an inmate fire camp and so I knew about [California’s inmate firefighter program]," he revealed on the podcast.

What's more, when speaking with Collider about Fire Country, the SEAL Team alum revealed it was Lexi who convinced Max he should step in front of the camera to play Bode, instead of just being an executive producer.

"In the beginning, my intentions were to try to create this world and pitch it, and then have them make a show," he told the outlet. "As we went through the process, I wasn’t sure that I was gonna act in it, or if I would just recur... My wife said, 'Babe, you have to play the role.'"

No matter the case, it's clear Max is proud of his marriage and family, as he loves to share glimpses of private moments with folks online. His most recent look at home life came from a video montage of their vacation adventure to Mexico in October 2023, taking in precious relaxation time ahead of filming Fire Country season 2.

"Fun in the Mexico sun 🥰🎣🏌️♂️🍹🌵," he affectionately captioned the clip featuring Lexi and their kids.

We're totally obsessed!

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