Kieran Culkin has had quite a successful run in Hollywood recently. After finishing his award-winning work on the hit show Succession, he has garnered critical acclaim for his role in the Oscar-nominated film A Real Pain.

At the 2025 Academy Awards on Sunday, he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Benji Kaplan. And right by his side was his wife, Jazz Charton. In fact, during his speech, he not only thanked Jazz for her support, but he brought up a pretty personal story.

“I have to thank my wife Jazz for absolutely everything, for giving my favorite people in the world. This is—please don’t play the music because I want to tell a really quick story about Jazz. About a year ago I was on a stage like this, and I very stupidly, publicly said that I want a third kid from her because she said if I won the award, I would, she would give me the kid. It turns out she said that because she didn’t think I was gonna win, but then people came up to her and were like, you know, really annoying her, I think, I think it got to her, but anyway.

After the show we’re walking through a parking lot, she’s holding the Emmy, we’re trying to find our car. Emily, you were there, so you’re a witness, and she goes, ‘Oh God, I did say that. I guess I owe you a third kid,’ and I turned to her and I said, ‘Really I want four.’ And she turned to me—I swear to God this happened, it was just over a year ago—she said, ‘I will give you four when you win an Oscar.’ I held my hand out, she shook it, and I have not brought it up once until just now. You remember that, honey? You do? Then I just have this to say to you, Jazz, love of my life, ye of little faith: No pressure. I love you. I’m really sorry I did this again. And let’s get cracking on those kids. What do you say? I love you!”

The couple clearly has a laugh-filled life together. Here’s how they met, fell in love, and started a family.

Kieran and Jazz met at a bar

kieran culkin and jazz charton hold each other while posing for photos
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Even though Kieran had already made a name for himself in the industry, he and Jazz had a pretty normal meet-cute to begin their love story. Per Us Weekly, the couple first met at a New York City bar back in 2012. At the time, Jazz was working in the music department of an advertising firm, and Kieran was intrigued by her English accent upon first meeting. But when the actor heard Jazz’s name for the first time, he had quite an unusual reaction to it.

“I said, ‘I’m Kieran. You have an English accent. What’s your name?’” he recalled to The Hollywood Reporter in 2021. “She said, ‘Jazz.’ I said, ‘J-A-Z-Z, like the music?’ And she said, ‘Yeah.’ And I said, ‘Well, that’s f––ing stupid.’’

Despite the comment, Kieran’s pickup line clearly worked, as he and Jazz began dating shortly after that. By mid-2013, they surprised fans by revealing they had tied the knot while road tripping through Iowa. Jazz later confirmed the news with a subtle Instagram photo, revealing two pillows with “Mrs. Culkin” and “Mr. Culkin” embroidered on them.

They have two kids, and Kieran wants more

While their road to marriage was quick, Kieran and Jazz took some time to be together as a couple before expanding their family. After six years of marriage, Jazz announced in May 2019 that she and Kieran were expecting their first child with a sweet sonogram photo on Instagram. The duo welcomed a daughter named Kinsey Sioux that September, and Jazz began showing off milestones their child hit throughout the first year of her life. Two years later in August 2021, the couple revealed the birth of their son, Wilder Wolf, and thus the Culkin family was complete, at least for the time being.

As Kieran joked while accepting his Emmy award for Lead Actor in a Drama Series in January 2024, he wouldn’t mind having a third child. “My beautiful wife, Jazz, thank you for sharing your life with me and for giving me two amazing kids,” he said in his speech. “Jazz—I want more. You said maybe if I win. I love you so much.” Now with his Oscar win, the couple might be adding two new additions to their family.

Jazz constantly hypes Kieran and his work

No matter what Kieran and Jazz are doing, it’s clear these two are in it for the long haul. What’s more, Jazz loves to hype up her husband all over social media, and she’s not afraid to speak out about how much she loves living out Kieran’s dreams alongside him.

“Okay come on this is getting ridiculous now,” she wrote in a heartfelt Instagram post in January 2025. “I’m so proud of this wonderful manic man. What a dream to watch this all happen to one of the most hardworking but also somehow the least ambitious person I’ve ever known. Beautiful. And where in the ‘we had a kid’s party the day before and hadn’t fully recovered’ would we be without our team of magicians?! Still covered in goldfish crackers and overstimulated tears probably.”

From: Good Housekeeping US
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Adrianna Freedman
Associate Editor

As the entertainment and news associate editor for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.