Michelle Pfeiffer Has Been Married For 27 Years — Details Regarding Her Husband David E. Kelley

Jan 05, 2021

Michelle Pfeiffer is one of the most renowned actresses in Hollywood, but unlike many stars, she has kept a relatively low profile when it comes to her personal life. Her marriage to David E. Kelley has been a success, a rarity in the entertainment industry. In November 2020, the actress celebrated her 27th anniversary with her husband and shared a rare glimpse of the couple. The power couple has been successful within their respective fields, with Kelley's screenwriting career giving him notable awards in some of the top legal dramas in the country while Pfeiffer remains a Hollywood icon.

David E. Kelley's career has been a success story. Not only is he a renowned television writer in America, but he is also a television producer with shows like L.A. Law and The Practice in his pocket. To his beloved wife Michelle Pfeiffer, Kelley is a loving and supportive husband and father. The two have been each other's support system as they grew their career for almost three decades. Pfeiffer was previously married to Peter Horton from 1981 to 1988. She was 22 when she first wed. Speaking of her first marriage, Pfeiffer told Parade Magazine in 2012, "I married Peter at a very young age. I’m not the same person I was then."

She married Kelley in 1993 and posted a heartwarming tribute on social media as she and her husband marked 27 years of being together in November 2020. In the Instagram post, she shared an older photo with Kelley along with a recent one. Her caption read, 

"My one and only for 27 years. 🙏 Happy Anniversary to my love 😍"

According to Biography.com, Kelley was born in Waterville, Maine, in 1956. In his studies at Princeton University, he majored in politics and was also the ice hockey club captain while at the university. Kelley’s father, Jack Kelley, was a coach for the NHL’s Hartford Whalers before he became the president of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Kelley graduated from Princeton in 1979 and went to Boston University Law School. He earned his J.D. in 1983 and worked at the institution’s law firm of Fine & Ambrogne. His entry into the entertainment industry was rather unforeseen as Kelley was a well-trained lawyer at the time. 

While he was practicing minor criminal law and real estate cases, he began to dabble in writing. Kelley was naturally energetic, and practicing law was somewhat boring for him, so he decided to venture into scriptwriting. Toward the end of 1983, he started writing a movie screenplay and managed to get an agent in the year 1986. His script ended up going to Steven Bochco, a famous television producer, who was coincidentally searching for legal-minded writers.

When Bochco went through Kelley’s script, he was impressed. Within no time, Kelley was already working with Bochco as the story editor for L.A. Law, a new drama series at that time. To work with Bochco, Kelley applied for a leave of absence at his previous workplace – Fine & Ambrogne. He moved to Los Angeles to work as the story editor, a move that was the launch of his successful career in the entertainment industry. 

Pfeiffer is without a doubt a beautiful woman, and she credits her beautiful glow to the peace and love she has in her marriage, and told Closer Weekly that being happily married for nearly three decades gives her great joy in life. She said of Kelley, "I never take him for granted. I’ve never met a person who has more integrity than my husband. There’s his humor and intelligence, too, and he’s really cute — all those things."

She also said that she "chose really well with David" and that she got really "lucky" with him. Considering that Kelley and Pfeiffer essentially began to raise a family so early in their relationship, it certainly was not a traditional relationship in many ways. 

When the couple met, Pfeiffer was already in the process of adopting a child. She had been dating Kelley for just two months when she received approval to adopt her daughter Claudia. Speaking to Good Housekeeping about it in 2007, Pfeiffer said, "When she came, he and I had only been together for about two months. So we had this child with us right away, and … I really got to see him in a situation that certainly would separate the boys from the men. Obviously, he really rose to the occasion."

Pfeiffer also added, "So we both got to see each other as parents before we progressed in our relationship together, and in a strange way, it took the pressure off us, as a couple. We had something else to focus on. It was sort of perfectly timed. I mean, it’s a real testament to the kind of person he is, but also to the fact that sometimes the traditional way of doing things isn’t always the best way."

One year after adopting Claudia, the couple was blessed with their second child, John. It was at this point that Pfeiffer took some time off from her acting career to focus on raising the children according to Closer Weekly. She began making her way back into the entertainment industry again after her kids left the nest. Claudia Rose Pfeiffer is currently 27 years old while John Henry Kelley is now 26. She told Closer Weekly in 2018, "I just realized that I’m not done. I have a lot more to do, and a lot more to say. I’m never going to be one who retires"

Since 2017, some of her notable roles have been in movies such as Ant-Man and the Wasp as well as Avengers: Endgame, both of which have received critical acclaim. In her most recent role as Frances Price in the movie French Exit, Pfeifer adopted a new redhead look that makes brings out her beauty even more. Currently, her career appears to be getting better, and she seems to be getting even stronger. 

Both husband and wife have had notable career milestones. In 1987, Kelley wrote his first film, From the Hip, and it was received moderately. His work with L.A. Law was, however, widely recognized and made him even more popular. With time, the show became a hit, and after one year, Kelley officially resigned from his legal job in Boston. Since his work was exemplary, he was promoted to executive story editor at the beginning of the 1987 to 1988 season.

Bochco later left for ABC when L.A. Law was in its third season after which Kelley was appointed the executive producer for the show. Other than being the show’s producer, he was also taking part in writing some of the episodes for the show. He exited from L.A. Law in 1992 to begin his own series named Picket Fences. The series was set in a fictional small town called Rome, Wisconsin, and was very well received and earned critical approval. The series also won Emmy Awards continuously in 1993 and 1994 as the best drama series. Kelley was able to write more than 40 one-hour episodes for one season by 1994.

L.A. Law also won the Emmy Award for outstanding drama series from 1989 to 1991, for which Kelley won Emmy Awards for being a lead writer in 1990 and 1991. Kelley also worked with Steven Bochco in creating Doogie Howser, M.D., which premiered in 1989.

Kelley resigned from his role on Picket Fences and Chicago Hope in 1995 so he could be with his family according to Biography.com. He and his wife Michelle Pfeifer had been married for two years, and they had a daughter, Claudia, who was adopted by Pfeifer. The couple also had their own son, John Henry, who was born in 1994. His family was still young, and he chose to spend more time with them.

During this time off from TV, Kelley wrote and was able to co-produce To Gillian on her 37th Birthday. This was his second feature film and was produced in 1996. Featured in the title role was his wife Pfeifer, and the film received a mixed reception. 

Kelley later worked on two new projects that were focused on law firms in Boston. The shows were ABC’s The Practice and Ally McBeal by Fox. Even though both productions focused on Boston law firms, they took different directions. The Practice brought out the resilient work of some criminal defense lawyers, while Ally McBeal showed a particular female working together with her colleagues in a legal setting. 

The Practice was unveiled in 1997 during spring, and even though it began at a slow pace, it managed to win multiple awards. On the other hand, Ally McBeal was launched in 1997 during the fall, and its pace was faster comparatively.

Kelley became a famous leading prime time television producer in 1999, and between 1999 and 2000, he had worked on more than five television series. It was also in the year 1999 that Kelley won the Emmy for the Outstanding Comedy Series as well as Outstanding Drama Series for his work on Ally McBeal and The Practice.

Kelley later worked on other projects such as Boston Public and Boston Legal and became a leading primetime TV producer who simply followed his passion for writing. He has won many awards and has mentored many others in the entertainment industry, and continues to be a source of inspiration for people who want to follow a similar career path. It is incredibly amazing how Kelley and his wife Pfeiffer have managed to grow their careers while maintaining their family and marriage intact. As they recently celebrated their 27 years in marriage in 2020, one cannot help but admire their professional successes and love for each other. 

What do you think of this power couple? Let us know how David and Michelle have inspired you to love and grow in your own relationship — and make sure to share this with your friends and family!