How 'Indiana Jones 2' Launched Steven Spielberg's Love Story
Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg.
There's nothing quite as romantic as meeting the love of your life on a film set. It's the stuff of Hollywood legend, and it just so happens to be how famed director Steven Spielberg met his wife Kate Capshaw.
Spielberg etched his name in the history books by creating big-budget classics like Jaws, E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, Jurassic Park and of course Indiana Jones. Even with all the Oscars, fame, and box office success, perhaps the best thing Spielberg has gained from his prolific directing career is his decades-long romance with Capshaw.
Here's everything you need to know about Steven Spielberg's wife, Kate Capshaw, and the life they've created together.
How did Steven Spielberg meet his wife, Kate Capshaw?
Steven Spielberg met his current wife, Kate Capshaw, during auditions for his film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, in 1983. After watching her screen test, the director cast Capshaw as Willie Scott, Indiana Jones' love interest in the movie. The two became friends on set and remained in touch after the film was released in 1984.
Paramount Pictures
Several years later, after Spielberg divorced his first wife in 1989, he and Capshaw started to see each other. Things progressed quickly, and they moved in together by the end of 1989. The pair welcomed their first child in 1990 and officially got married in 1991. The rest, as they say, is history.
Related: We Ranked All 34 Steven Spielberg Movies, From 'Jaws' to 'The Fabelmans'
Who is Steven Spielberg’s wife, Kate Capshaw?
Kate Capshaw was born Kathleen Nail on Nov. 3, 1953 in Fort Worth, Texas. She grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and went to the University of Missouri, becoming a teacher.
She taught special education classes in Missouri before marrying marketing manager Robert Capshaw in 1976. The pair had their only child, Jessica Capshaw, in August 1976. (Grey's Anatomy fans may know her as Dr. Arizona Robbins.)
After divorcing Robert in 1980, Kate Capshaw moved to New York City and pursued her dream of becoming an actress. She had only a few small credits to her name when she was cast as Willie Scott in Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1983. This proved to be a pivotal point in Kate’s life, as it lead to larger acting roles in future films such as Just Cause, Black Rain, Love Affair and The Love Letter. Indiana Jones, however, also linked her up with her future husband.
After marrying Steven Spielberg in 1991, Kate Capshaw spent the next few decades helping Steven raise their children and undertaking studies in drawing, painting and portraiture.
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What does Steven Spielberg’s wife, Kate Capshaw, do for a living?
Steven Spielberg’s wife, Kate Capshaw, has had a long and winding career. She began as a special education teacher in Missouri, but after divorcing her first husband, she moved to New York City to pursue a career in acting.
Her acting career took off after she was cast in Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1983. In the years following, she appeared in SpaceCamp (1986); Power (1986) with Richard Gere and Gene Hackman; The Quick and the Dead (1987) with Sam Elliott; Just Cause (1995) with Laurence Fishburne; and more. In 2001, Kate Capshaw starred in the Showtime movie A Girl Thing with Stockard Channing.
Her film credits wound down in the early part of the 2000s, and Capshaw pivoted to art studies. She specializes in drawing, painting and portraiture, and her work was even exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery in 2019. Her art is regularly showcased at museums, and her first solo art exhibition was held at Columbus State University in May 2023.
How many children do Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw have?
Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw have seven children together: some are adopted, some are the biological children from their marriage, and some come from previous relationships. Jessica Capshaw is Kate Capshaw’s biological daughter from her first marriage with Robert Capshaw. Max Spielberg is Kate Capshaw’s step-son, from Steven Spielberg’s first marriage to Amy Irving. Theo Spielberg is Kate Capshaw’s son, whom she adopted prior to her marriage with Steven Spielberg and whom he later adopted as well.
The couple have three biological kids together: Sasha Spielberg, Sawyer Spielberg and Destry Spielberg. Mikaela George Spielberg is the second adopted child of the pair.
Has Steven Spielberg been married before?
Before his marriage to Kate Capshaw, Steven Spielberg was married to Amy Irving. The pair started dating in 1976 and got married in 1985. Irving is also an actor, having stared in films like Carrie, The Fury and The Competition. The couple had their son Max in 1985, but got divorced in 1989.
