You probably know Anders Holm as "Ders" from the cult classic Workaholics. He’s the guy trying—and often failing—to be the responsible adult in a house full of slackers. But in the real world? Holm is nothing like the character he helped create. He’s actually been in a rock-solid, incredibly private relationship for over two decades. Honestly, in a town like Los Angeles where marriages often have the shelf life of an open avocado, his relationship with Emma Nesper is kind of an anomaly.
They aren't the type to show up in every tabloid or post "relationship goals" photos every five minutes. In fact, most people don't even realize that Holm has been married since 2011. Even fewer know that he and Emma Nesper were together long before he ever set foot on a Comedy Central set.
From Madison to Hollywood: How They Met
Anders Holm and Emma Nesper didn't meet at a high-end industry party or on the set of a movie. They are classic college sweethearts. Both attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where they were fellow Badgers in the early 2000s. While Holm was busy on the swim team—a background he eventually lent to his Workaholics character—Emma was carving out her own path as a journalism student.
They actually met even earlier than that, having known each other since high school in Illinois. It's a rare "boy next door" story that actually survived the transition to fame. When Holm decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue comedy with his Mail Order Comedy sketch group, Emma was right there with him. She wasn't just a "plus one"; she was building a career that is, frankly, a lot more serious than making dick jokes for a living.
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Who is Emma Nesper?
If you're looking for an influencer, you're looking in the wrong place. Emma Nesper is a powerhouse in the nonprofit and global health world. While Anders was filming The Intern with Anne Hathaway or writing scripts, Emma was working as a human rights activist and communications expert.
She has a deep resume in the nonprofit sector. She’s worked for organizations like the American Jewish World Service (AJWS) and Venture Strategies Innovations. Her work focuses on incredibly heavy, vital issues like international women’s health and poverty reduction in developing countries. She’s spent time in places like Senegal, working on community-led human rights initiatives.
Basically, her father-in-law, Larry Nesper (a professor of anthropology at UW-Madison), once mentioned that Anders is a great son-in-law specifically because he’s so respectful of the "very valuable work" Emma does. It’s a cool dynamic. One spouse is a famous comedian; the other is literally trying to make the world a better place.
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The 2011 Wedding and Family Life
After dating for about a decade, the couple officially tied the knot in September 2011. It was a private ceremony, far away from the prying eyes of paparazzi. They didn't sell their wedding photos to a magazine. They just got married and kept moving.
Since then, they’ve expanded their family. They have three children.
- Their first son was born in December 2013 (though many sources reported it in early 2014 when Holm finally shared a video of the baby on Instagram).
- They’ve managed to keep their kids almost entirely out of the spotlight.
Holm once joked in an interview that his role in the indie film Unexpected—which deals with an unplanned pregnancy—was easy to play because he had just become a father in real life. He said the conversations his character had in the movie were basically ripped straight from the real-life discussions he was having with Emma.
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Why Their Marriage Works
It’s pretty obvious why they’ve lasted so long. They have a foundation that predates Hollywood. Emma isn't chasing fame, and Anders doesn't seem to care about the "celebrity" lifestyle much either.
When Workaholics was at its peak, the other guys—Blake Anderson and Adam DeVine—were often living the wild life you’d expect from young stars. Holm, meanwhile, was the "married guy." He didn't live in the infamous "Workaholics house" in Van Nuys because, as he put it, it was "gross and had rats." He had a home life to go back to.
Moving Forward
If you’re a fan of Holm’s work, don’t expect him to start a family reality show anytime soon. He and Emma Nesper have mastered the art of being a "public-private" couple. They show up to premieres together occasionally—like for The Intern or About My Father—but they keep the intimate details of their life behind a very thick curtain.
What to Keep in Mind
If you're following their journey, pay attention to these key details that set them apart from other celebrity pairings:
- Professional Balance: They have totally separate career orbits, which seems to keep things grounded.
- Educational Roots: Their shared history at UW-Madison remains a big part of their identity.
- Low Digital Footprint: They use social media for jokes or professional updates, rarely for "vlogging" their family life.
The best way to support their work is to follow Holm’s projects on platforms like Netflix or Comedy Central, while respecting the fact that Emma is doing vital work in the global health sector. Their story proves you can actually have a "normal" life in an abnormal industry.