Who Is Greta Gerwig’s Husband, Noah Baumbach? What We Know

Greta Gerwig's husband, Noah Baumbach, is one of the biggest names in the world of film, thanks to his thought-provoking movies and unique narrative style. So, it comes as no surprise that the famous filmmaker made headlines after collaborating with his wife on the hit film, Barbie, which earned eight Oscar nominations (including Best Picture).

What does surprise us, though, is the fact that Baumbach was initially so turned off by the idea that he tried to get out of working on the film. During a special Q&A at the Writers Guild of America West headquarters, he said, “I thought it was a terrible idea, and Greta signed me up for it, I was just like, 'I don’t see how this is going to be good at all.' I kind of blocked it for a while and every time she’d bring it up, I’d be like, ‘You’ve gotta get us out of this.’”

Fortunately, Baumbach had a change of heart when Gerwig drafted a few pages of the script. “It was Barbie waking up in her Dreamhouse and coming out to her backyard and meeting somebody who was sick and dying,” Baumbach explained. “I read these pages and I thought, ‘I understand now what this is.’ The movie is about embracing your mortality and about the mess of it all, so it was exciting.”

This is just one of many projects the dynamic duo have worked on together. And now, we're curious to learn more about their lives behind the camera. For instance, how did Baumbach get his start in the film industry? And how did the couple meet? Keep reading for more details on Greta Gerwig's husband.

1. Who Is Greta Gerwig's Husband, Noah Baumbach?

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Baumbach, 54, is a successful film director and director and screenwriter. He's the son of movie critics Jonathan Baumbach and Georgia Brown. After studying English at Vassar College, he worked as a messenger at The New Yorker, then he made his writing and directing debut in 1995 with the comedy Kicking and Screaming.

The filmmaker went on to release his breakthrough, semi-autobiographical film, The Squid and the Whale, in 2005, which earned him his first Academy Award nomination. While discussing the film with IndieWire, he said, "For me, the movie feels like a protection. In order to make it, I wrote in a very personal, raw, uncensored way about very familiar things to me. But doing that allowed me to reinvent it. If this movie weren’t so effectively fictionalized, it wouldn’t feel so real."

Baumbach has since collaborated with Wes Anderson, Adam Driver and, of course, Gerwig. And among his most notable films are White Noise, Marriage Story, Frances Ha and Barbie.

Per Variety, Baumbach revealed how much he enjoyed working on Barbie with his wife. He said, "It was the most fun I think either of us have ever had...And then at a certain point, I was like, ‘I think this is the best thing we’ve ever written.’ I know enough always just to follow what Greta says, so even in my bellyaching and revolting, I kind of knew, ‘Well if she really believes it, then there’s something there.’”

So far, the director has been nominated for four Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and two Writers Guild of America Awards.

2. How Did Gerwig and Baumbach Meet?

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The couple first met during the production of his film, Greenberg, in 2010. Gerwig was cast as Florence Marr, the ex-girlfriend of the Roger Greenberg (played by Ben Stiller).

At the time, Baumbach was married to his former wife, Jennifer Jason Leigh (more on this later), so the pair didn't start dating right away. But their relationship began soon after Baumbach's separation from Leigh in November 2010, according to The New Yorker. The mag reported in 2013, "Baumbach and Gerwig firmly place the start of their romance at a point after his separation."

The couple kept their relationship low-key, so the exact timeline of when they started dating is unknown. However, after years of dating rumors, the pair finally went public by making their red carpet debut at the 2018 Golden Globe Awards.

3. What Projects Did Gerwig and Baumbach Collaborate on?

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Greenberg became the first of several films that the duo have worked on together, including Barbie, Frances Ha, Mistress America and White Noise.

While chatting with The New York Times about how Gerwig has impacted his work, Baumbach said, "She’s a singular influence on me, as a creative person and as a person. Even when she was an actor in Greenberg, I recognized a familiarity to the way she played the part."

He added, "When Greta and I started actually writing together, it felt like a similar kind of natural extension. I think I’ve always recognized something in her—the way that I would like to be, both as a person and, now, as a filmmaker."

Baumbach also sang her praises to Variety in 2022, while discussing their collaborations. He said, "What I didn't know is that Greta was this incredible writer. I mean, I had a feeling she'd be a great collaborator, but that writing really was kind of her thing when she was in college, and so I really lucked out. It was amazing."

4. When Did Gerwig and Baumbach Get Married?

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In December 2023, Gerwig's representative confirmed to People that she and Baumbach got married at New York City Hall. Further details about the ceremony haven't been revealed, but they likely kept it small.

FYI, the news of their marriage came less than a year after they shared another exciting update with the world...

4. Do They Have Children Together?

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Gerwig and Baumbach are the proud parents of two children. They welcomed their first son, Harold Ralph Gerwig Baumbach, in March 2019. Then, in February 2023, they quietly welcomed their second son, Isadore.

In 2023, Gerwig opened up to The New York Times about how her 4-year-old was eager to help her celebrate the end of the Barbie press tour. She said, "He made a cake for me that was pink and had a ‘B’ on it, and he said, ‘This is how we say goodbye to Barbie.’”

Meanwhile, the director and writer gushed about her second child to Elle UK, calling him a "little Schmoo." She added, "He’s a wise little baby."

5. Did Baumbach Have Any Previous Marriages?

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Baumbach tied the knot with Leigh in September 2005. Five years later, they welcomed their son, Rohmer, who they named after the French director Éric Rohmer.

However, just a few months after she gave birth, Leigh filed for divorce in November 2010, citing irreconcilable differences. The split was finalized in September 2013.

Leigh has been open about how much she's enjoying motherhood. She told Closer Weekly, “I spend every moment when I’m not working doing things with my son. You make the most of the time you have.”

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