Everything to Know About Lily Collins’s Husband, Charlie McDowell

The LA-born film director isn't shy about his love for Collins.

Lily Collins’ on-screen love life in Emily in Paris may be messy and chaotic, but IRL, she’s very happily married to Charlie McDowell. The adorable duo began dating in 2019 and tied the knot two years later in 2021. Both Collins and McDowell often appear on each other’s Instagram feeds, and they’re not shy about professing their love for each other via romantic snaps and swoon-worthy captions. In fact, in a September 2022 post commemorating their first wedding anniversary, she thanked McDowell for being “my rock, my constant source of love and laughs, and my emotional support throughout our time here yet again.”

A year later, she shared similar sentiments in a lengthier—albeit just as special—post: “Two years today and a lifetime to come. I remember this moment, this day, this excitement as vividly as if it were yesterday. And I feel the love, the support, and the magic 100 times more. I adore you @charliemcdowell and I couldn’t be more grateful to be your other half in life and in love. You make me a stronger, bolder, and brighter human. Thank you for being the greatest partner I could ever imagine and for making me smile like no other. Here’s to another 365 days of memories ahead, wherever in the world we find ourselves. I’d walk into the unknown with you any day and every day. With you by my side, it’s always an epic adventure…”

So, who exactly is the man who stole Collins’ heart? Here’s everything you need to know about Charlie McDowell.

He was born in 1983.

McDowell was born on July 10, 1983 in Los Angeles, California, where he grew up. (Fun fact: Collins was also raised in L.A. from six years old; however, their paths didn’t cross until much later in life.) He graduated from Crossroads High School in Santa Monica in 2002.

He also works in Hollywood.

Like his wife, McDowell has an impressive Hollywood career. An alumnus of the prestigious American Film Institute Conservatory (AFI) in Los Angeles, McDowell has since made a name for himself as a successful film director, producer, and screenwriter. He has over a decade of experience in the industry. He has worked on both films (including Windfall and Gilded Rage—though more on those in a bit—as well as The One I Love and Bye Bye Benjamin) and television shows (such as Silicon Valley and Dear White People).

He met Lily Collins on the set of a movie he directed.

Like any classic Hollywood love story, Collins and McDowell met in 2019 on the set of Gilded Rage, a movie he directed and she acted in. For Collins, it was love at first sight, and she even opened up about it on a 2020 episode of Live With Kelly and Ryan. She gushed, "It was one of those situations where I knew the second I met him that I wanted to be his wife one day. So, it was just a matter of when, really."

He married Lily Collins in 2021.

Almost one year after getting engaged in 2020, Collins and McDowell tied the knot in Colorado on September 4, 2021. Both lovebirds shared the happy news on their respective Instagram accounts, with McDowell writing, “I married the most generous, thoughtful, and beautiful person I’ve ever known. I love you @lilyjcollins.” Collins expressed similar sentiments, writing, “I’ve never wanted to be someone’s someone more than I do yours, and now I get to be your wife. On September 4th, 2021 we officially became each other’s forever. I love you beyond @charliemcdowell…?”

He has directed Collins in two films.

In addition to directing Collins in Gilded Rage, Collins and McDowell also worked together on the 2022 film Windfall, which stars Collins alongside Jesse Plemons and Jason Segel. While the duo had no problem working together, McDowell did mention one minor (albeit hilarious) issue to Entertainment Tonight in March 2022. “The only time it was a little distracting, is when Jesse Plemons, who’s a very good friend of mine, is picking her up and kissing her.” He continued, “I’m like, ‘Wait a minute. There’s something off about this. My good friend is kissing my then-fiancée.’

Meanwhile, Collins said, “There were moments that I was so in the world of the film, in terms of it being a set and this is my director, that I was able to completely forget the fact that it was my [then-fiancé] directing me,” she said. She then went on to gush about McDowell’s talent: “He’s such a great actor’s director that the way he communicates to all of us and what he wants and how collaborative he is.”

Like Collins, McDowell also comes from a famous family.

Like Collins, McDowell comes from a famous family. His mother is American actress Mary Steenburgen, and his father is English actor Malcolm McDowell. His stepfather is actor Ted Danson—whom Steenburgen married in 1995—and his older sister, Lilly McDowell, is an actress, too.

He’s a jokester.

McDowell is an avid jokester and has been for years. In 2011, Time Magazine described his Twitter feed (now X) as "one of the most hilarious Twitter feeds out there.” Two years later, McDowell released a book, Dear Girls Above Me, based on several of his tweets. In more recent years, you can find him trolling his actual mother on social media—specifically Instagram—by posting pictures of Andie McDowell and pretending she’s his mom. He even swapped a photo of Steenburgen out with McDowell in a 2023 Mother’s Day post.

He’s dated other celebrities.

Before settling down with Collins, McDowell dated a handful of other celebs, including Kristin Chenoweth, who co-starred alongside his mother in 2008’s Four Christmases. “We met on set,” he told PEOPLE at the time. He has also previously been linked to actress Rooney Mara and Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke.

He’s a dog lover.

McDowell loves taking to Instagram to gush over the dogs in his life. In December 2019, he debuted his adorable dog, Redford, on Instagram. Redford has also been spotted on his feed in photos of McDowell and Collins, such as this one, as well as in sweet snaps with both McDowell and Collins (see here and here, respectively). Prior to adopting Redford, McDowell had a loving pup named Marvin, who sadly passed away in 2019 at the age of 14.

He’s a family man.

McDowell loves his family, and he’s not afraid to show it. Besides trolling his mother, the director and screenwriter often posts photos and videos of his young niece, his sister, and his father.

He loves gushing about his wife on social media.

McDowell isn’t shy about his love for Collins, who often makes appearances on his Instagram feed. To celebrate his wife’s birthday, McDowell posted a romantic Instagram post featuring an endearing photo of a grinning Collins along with the caption: “Happiest birthday to my dream partner in life. The kindest, most genuine, caring, intelligent, person I know. You brighten every moment in life, even in the rain under an umbrella. I love you forever.”

To celebrate the couple’s first anniversary as a married couple, he posted similar sentiments: “A year ago I married my hero. You make every place shine brighter and better. I am in awe of your kindness and beauty every single day. I will try to keep up. But it’s kinda annoying that you age backwards and I seem to age double time.”

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