Fire Country fans are about to see a lot more of Morena Baccarin’s character on her upcoming spinoff, Sheriff Country. Ahead of the new CBS show’s premiere, fans are likely wondering about Morena’s private life. Meet her husband, Ben McKenzie, and find out about their romance.
Who Is Morena Baccarin’s Husband Ben McKenzie?
Ben is an actor best known for starring on The O.C. as Ryan Atwood, which aired on Fox from 2003 until 2007. Other notable shows he has starred on include Southland and Gotham.On the film side, Ben has appeared in several movies including Junebug (2005), 88 Minutes (2007), Goodbye World (2013), Some Kind of Beautiful (2014) and Line of Duty (2019).
When Did Morena Baccarin and Ben McKenzie Start Dating?
Morena and Ben began dating when they worked together on the Fox series Gotham, in which he starred as James Gordon and she starred as Leslie “Lee” Thompkins. The series ran from 2014 until 2019, and both Morena and Ben appeared in every season.
Despite sparking a romantic connection on Gotham, the superhero show wasn’t the first time they appeared on the same project. Morena also appeared in three episodes of The O.C. as Maya Griffin in 2006.
Morena Baccarin and Ben McKenzie Got Married in 2017
Ben and Morena tied the knot on June 2, 2017, which happened to be her birthday. “I just got hitched,” Ben said while appearing on Harry Connick Jr.’s show on Harry in September 2017. “We wanted to get married at the Botanic Gardens in Brooklyn, which was beautiful. When we wanted to book it, which was over a year in advance in our defense, the only date available was my wife’s birthday.”
While Ben thought it was “sweet” to have their wedding on her birthday, he said Morena made it clear that their future anniversaries can’t overshadow her birthday. “It’s sweet, and half of her loves that and I think she just wants me to be clear that she is going to get a birthday present and there is going to be an anniversary gift and it’s a whole week,” he continued. “She’s Brazilian and birthdays are very special.”
Do Morena Baccarin and Ben McKenzie Have Children?
The couple welcomed their first child together, daughter Frances Laiz Setta Schenkkan, on March 2, 2016. They continued to expand their family when Morena gave birth to son Arthur on March 9, 2021.
Meanwhile, Ben is also the stepfather to Morena’s eldest son, Julius Setta Chick, whom she welcomed on October 22, 2013, with her ex-husband, Austin Chick.
Ben clearly loves having children, and he previously gushed about fatherhood while speaking to Us Weekly in September 2017. “I had no idea what it would be but it is wonderful and constantly challenging and fantastic,” he said about being a father.
Meanwhile, Morena has also praised Ben for the way he treats their children. “It’s wonderful to watch him every day with our kids,” she told People in 2018. “I couldn’t ask for a better partner.”
