Jane Kaczmarek Marries High School Boyfriend Rusty Long After 50 Years

Actress Jane Kaczmarek has married her first love, Rusty Long, five decades after the pair first dated as teenagers. Kaczmarek, 70, and Long, 71, reconnected at a high school reunion, leading to a rekindled romance that culminated in marriage.

Kaczmarek, who is currently starring in the Hulu sitcom revival Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair, shared the details of the relationship in an exclusive with Us Weekly. She described the reunion with Long as an amazing gift and noted that she could not have imagined a better partner for her current stage of life.

believe I’m coming back to where I started and this boy that I loved. It has been such an amazing gift to me… I couldn’t make up a better man for me at this point in my life.

Jane Kaczmarek via Us Weekly

A Chance Reconnection

The couple first dated while attending Greendale High School in Wisconsin. Following their graduation, their lives took divergent paths; Long pursued a law degree, while Kaczmarek attended drama school to begin her career in acting.

The pair did not reconnect until Kaczmarek attended her high school reunion. At the time, she had been divorced for 15 years. Kaczmarek had previously been married to fellow television actor Bradley Whitford from 1992 to 2010.

Reflecting on the end of that marriage, Kaczmarek told Us Weekly that it’s a massacre, getting divorced and described the experience as just sad. She noted that during that period, the love and support she received from her female friends provided a great sustenance of love for her, alongside the support of her three children.

The path to their reunion was facilitated by a mutual connection: Kaczmarek’s best friend had married Long’s best friend. This connection led the four of them to have dinner together shortly after the high school reunion.

Kaczmarek described the experience of that dinner as magical and heady. She recalled that when Long touched the small of her back, she felt as though she had returned to being a 15-year-old girl kissing a boy she liked.

Rediscovering a Shared History

Upon reconnecting, Kaczmarek found that Long had retained many of the qualities she remembered from their youth. The two shared a teenage passion for rock music and had attended a Led Zeppelin concert together as teens. Kaczmarek noted that the song Kashmir still evokes a strong romantic connection between them.

Beyond their shared history, Kaczmarek expressed admiration for the man Long had become over the last 50 years. She described him as a thoughtful attorney with a love for poetry and the book Out of Africa.

The relationship moved toward marriage after Long confessed that he had been in love with her for 52 years. Kaczmarek compared the feeling of hearing those words to waking up from a coma.

Wedding and Newlywed Life

The couple married on July 5, 2025, during a ceremony held in a Wisconsin barn. The wedding was attended by Kaczmarek’s three children, as well as Long’s children and grandchildren.

The couple has since made public appearances together, including the premiere of Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair on April 7, 2026.

As they approach their first wedding anniversary, Kaczmarek noted that the timing of their marriage provides a unique benefit. Because their children are now grown, she said there is nothing [they] have to think about but each other.

While many consider I love you to be the most significant phrase in a relationship, Kaczmarek stated that the three most important words for her now are Honey, I’m home.