Amy Madigan Finally Shares the One Thing That Kept Her Marriage to Ed Harris Strong for 40 Years

Amy Madigan is having a major moment in her career, and she is also reflecting on her long marriage to Ed Harris. The two actors, both 75, have been married since 1983 and remain one of Hollywood’s longest-lasting couples.

Speaking to PEOPLE at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards on Tuesday, Jan. 6, Madigan shared that there is no big secret behind their 40-plus years together. We just love each other and we work really hard at that and in our work, she said. According to the actress, their relationship has always been built on effort, support, and mutual respect.

Madigan attended the event after winning Best Supporting Actress for her role in the 2025 horror film Weapons. In the movie, she plays Aunt Gladys, a disturbing and intense character who became a standout favorite with audiences after the film’s release in August 2025. The story follows a community dealing with the sudden and unexplained disappearance of several elementary school children.

Madigan told PEOPLE that Harris fully supported her performance in the film. He loved it, she said. She added that he recognized how much of her own personality went into the role. He’s known me a long time and he saw all the parts of myself melded into Aunt Gladys. She also credited her family for their encouragement, saying, So, I have a very supportive family, my daughter also, so I’m very lucky.

The couple shares one daughter, Lily Harris, 32, who has also pursued acting. Lily has appeared in projects such as Chicago Med and the 2025 film Skillhouse. Madigan said her family continues to cheer her on as awards season ramps up. They’re just saying, ‘You can do it. Hang in there,’ she explained. I’m like, ‘I don’t want to get hair and makeup done again,’ and they’re like, ‘It’s okay.’

Madigan’s role in Weapons has earned her several major honors. She won the Critics Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress on Jan. 4 and received a Golden Globe nomination. Speaking to PEOPLE in December, she said she and Harris were enjoying the experience. We were having a good giggle about it.

She also reflected on what the recognition means to her as an actor. I think really what it means is that if you get an opportunity to work on a wonderful script and it’s a great part, regardless of who you are, and where you live, and what age you are, she said. If you’re an actor, you wait for those opportunities and moments, so it just feels great.

Madigan is now nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 2026 Academy Awards, marking her first Oscar nomination. She is also preparing for her next project, the Apple thriller Sponsor, directed by James Ponsoldt, where she stars alongside Jason Segel and John C. Reilly.

Madigan’s career is experiencing a strong resurgence. With past roles in Field of Dreams, Pollock, and an Emmy-winning performance in Roe vs. Wade, her latest success shows that powerful roles for veteran actors are still very much alive in Hollywood.

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