Honestly, Jamie Lee Curtis is a legend. From the original Halloween scream queen to winning an Oscar for Everything Everywhere All at Once, she's basically Hollywood royalty. But when you look at her personal life, there’s one guy who has been by her side for over 40 years. It’s a duration that’s practically unheard of in Tinseltown. So, who is Jamie Lee Curtis's husband?
His name is Christopher Guest.
You might know him as the guy with the six fingers in The Princess Bride or the legendary Nigel Tufnel in This Is Spinal Tap. But there is so much more to the man than just his film credits. He’s actually a British Lord. Yeah, seriously.
The Rolling Stone moment that started it all
The story of how they met sounds like something straight out of a rom-com. It was 1984. Jamie was hanging out with her friend Debra Hill—the woman who co-wrote Halloween—and flipping through a copy of Rolling Stone magazine. She saw a picture of three guys from a new movie called This Is Spinal Tap.
She pointed to the man on the right, Christopher Guest, and told her friend, "I'm going to marry that guy."
Talk about calling your shot.
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Jamie didn't just wait for fate. She actually called his agent and left her number. But get this: he never called her back. It could have ended right there, a total "what if" moment. But a few weeks later, she was grabbing dinner at Hugo’s in West Hollywood and saw him across the room. They caught eyes, he waved, and he called her the very next day. They had their first date on July 2, 1984. By December, they were married. When you know, you know, right?
He’s a real-life Baron
It sounds like a quirky trivia fact, but Christopher Guest is officially The Right Honourable The Lord Haden-Guest. He’s the 5th Baron Haden-Guest. He actually inherited the title in 1996 after his father passed away. For a few years, he even sat in the British House of Lords until the rules changed in 1999.
Does Jamie go around calling herself a Baroness? Technically, she is Lady Haden-Guest. But she doesn't really use the title in her daily life. She’s too busy being, well, Jamie Lee Curtis. Still, it’s a pretty wild detail for a guy mostly known for making people laugh until they cry in mockumentaries.
The Master of the Mockumentary
If you haven't seen Christopher Guest's work, you're missing out on some of the smartest comedy ever made. He didn't just act in This Is Spinal Tap; he basically pioneered a whole genre of "fake documentaries" that feel incredibly real.
His filmography is basically a list of cult classics:
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- Waiting for Guffman (The one about community theater)
- Best in Show (The one about the dog show people)
- A Mighty Wind (The folk music satire)
- For Your Consideration (The one about Oscar buzz)
His style is unique. He doesn't write traditional scripts with every line of dialogue. Instead, he creates a massive outline, and then he and his regular troupe of actors (like Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy) improvise the scenes. It creates this awkward, hilarious, and oddly human vibe that nobody else can quite replicate.
Building a family through adoption
Marriage isn't always easy, and Jamie has been very open about that. She’s called their marriage "difficult but successful." One of the biggest challenges they faced early on was infertility. Because of that, they turned to adoption to build their family.
They have two daughters: Annie, born in 1986, and Ruby, born in 1996.
Annie followed a creative path like her parents but chose dance instead of acting, eventually becoming a dance instructor. Ruby, their younger daughter, came out as transgender in 2020. Jamie has been a fierce, vocal supporter of Ruby's journey, often saying she's a "grateful student" learning about the trans experience. Both daughters actually got married in their parents' backyard—Annie in 2019 and Ruby in 2022. It’s clearly a home filled with a lot of history and a lot of love.
Why their 40-year marriage actually works
In 2026, reaching a 40th or 41st anniversary is a massive milestone. People always ask them for the "secret." Jamie usually gives a surprisingly simple answer: "Don't leave."
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She uses a metaphor from recovery—since she’s been sober for decades—called "staying on the bus." Basically, if you stay on the bus long enough, the scenery eventually changes. If you're having a bad week or a bad year, you just don't get off the bus. You wait for the view to get better.
They are also total opposites. Jamie is loud, energetic, and constantly on social media. Christopher is quiet, more of an intellectual, and stays far away from the spotlight when he’s not working. They don’t even listen to the same radio stations. But maybe that’s why it works? They give each other the space to be exactly who they are.
What’s Christopher Guest up to now?
Even after decades in the business, Christopher isn't slowing down. There has been a lot of buzz about Spinal Tap II, with fans eager to see Nigel Tufnel pick up the guitar again. He’s also a gifted musician in real life, playing guitar, mandolin, and clarinet. He’s even part of a musical group called The Beyman Bros.
Basically, he’s a polymath. Lord, director, actor, musician, father.
While Jamie Lee Curtis's husband might not seek out the cameras as much as his famous wife, his influence on comedy and his steady presence in her life are undeniable. They’ve built a life that’s survived the pressures of fame, health struggles, and the general chaos of life in the public eye.
If you want to understand the man better, the best place to start is his movies. Watch Best in Show or A Mighty Wind. You’ll see the dry, observant wit that probably won Jamie over back in 1984.
Actionable Insights:
- Watch the Classics: To understand Christopher Guest's genius, start with This Is Spinal Tap and then move to his directed works like Best in Show.
- Follow the Story: If you're interested in their family's journey, look up Jamie's essays for People or AARP, where she discusses their adoption and support for the LGBTQ+ community.
- Appreciate the Longevity: Take a page from their book—sometimes the "secret" to a long-term relationship is simply the commitment to not "get off the bus" when things get tough.