Betty Gilpin'S Love Story: From On-Screen Siblings To Real-Life Partners

The Hollywood Beginnings

When it comes to Hollywood love stories, Betty Gilpin and Cosmo Pfeil's tale stands out. The duo first locked eyes on the set of the 2009 drama The Northern Kingdom, where they portrayed siblings. Who would have guessed that playing pretend family would lead to the real deal? Fast forward seven years, and they sealed the deal with a wedding in 2016.

Gilpin, famous for her roles in GLOW and Mrs. Davis, shares her life with Pfeil, who took a surprising turn from the glitz of acting to the selfless realm of nursing and humanitarian work. In her 2022 book, All the Women in My Brain: And Other Concerns, she reminisces about their charming early days, revealing an anecdote about Pfeil's quick thinking with makeshift slippers, winning over her father's heart.

“This! Is a man! A man with solutions!” Gilpin shared her father's words of approval.

A New Path for Pfeil

Cosmo Pfeil's journey from in front of the camera to a career as a nurse shines a light on the many paths one can take in life. Born in Vermont and an alum of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Pfeil delved into acting and directing before his current role in healthcare. His notable acting gigs included appearances in The Good Wife and Person of Interest.

But it wasn't just a career change for Pfeil – it was a shift in purpose. His humanitarian spirit found a home as he took on the role of director of operations for CAN-DO and worked with GiveLove, a nonprofit aiming to improve sanitation in Haiti. "From Hollywood to healthcare with heart," might just be the tagline of his inspiring journey.

Family Life and Future Prospects

Betty Gilpin and Cosmo Pfeil aren't just partners in life – they're also partners in parenting. The couple welcomed their first daughter, Mary, in November 2020, and added another little star to their family constellation in 2024. Balancing her role as a mother with her demanding career, Gilpin describes her family as her "grand equalizer."

In an interview with The Los Angeles Times in 2025, she shared the unique challenges of working on a western miniseries while raising kids. From set to motherhood, she hilariously noted, "Being a mom in an Airbnb is way harder than filming on top of a ski mountain in below-zero degrees."

Gilpin's reflections on her relationship with Pfeil offer a glimpse into their contrasting personalities. While Pfeil is a practical man with skills and knowledge about nature, Gilpin admits to a more whimsical nature. Yet, as she poetically shared, sometimes love is about appreciating "something you have that you don’t deserve," and for Gilpin, that's Pfeil.