Amanda Peet, the actress known for her roles in films like Something’s Gotta Give and TV series like Dirty John, has been married to David Benioff since September 30, 2006. Their wedding took place at the Quaker Friends Seminary School in New York City, where Peet had once been a student. At the time, Peet was four months pregnant with their first child, Frances Pen Friedman, who was born on February 20, 2007.
The couple’s love story began in 2002, and after three years of dating, Benioff proposed in 2005. Their relationship has been a blend of Hollywood glamour and quiet family moments, with Benioff often supporting Peet at red-carpet events such as the Game of Thrones season 8 premiere, where he famously served as co-creator and showrunner alongside his writing partner, D.B. Weiss.
Who Is Amanda Peet’s Husband, David Benioff? The Couple Shares Three Children
David Benioff, born David Friedman in September 1970, is the youngest of three siblings and comes from a notable family. His father, Stephen Friedman, was the head of Goldman Sachs, but Benioff chose a creative path instead of finance. He studied at Dartmouth and Trinity College Dublin, where he met Weiss, his future collaborator. Before Game of Thrones, Benioff made a name for himself as a novelist and screenwriter, adapting his own book The 25th Hour into a Spike Lee film starring Edward Norton.
He also wrote screenplays for Troy, The Kite Runner, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Despite his success, Benioff remains low-key, using his mother’s maiden name professionally to avoid confusion with other David Friedmans in Hollywood. Their three kids, however, carry his birth name: Frances, Molly June Friedman (born April 19, 2010), and Henry Peet Friedman (born December 6, 2014).
Parenting has been a central part of Peet and Benioff’s lives. Peet once joked that Benioff became a “very full-on parent” when she was filming The Betty Broderick Story, taking over nighttime feedings and childcare after his nine-year Game of Thrones marathon. The couple’s approach to raising their children is refreshingly candid. Peet has compared parenting to the airline oxygen mask rule, saying, “You have to put on your own oxygen mask before you put on others.”
She’s also admitted motherhood was “bittersweet” and “humbling,” a far cry from the “blissful romance” she’d imagined. Their eldest, Frances, once hilariously asked them, “Do you guys ever miss being young and attractive?” during a casual closet conversation, a moment Peet shared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
The family splits their time between Beverly Hills and Manhattan, balancing Hollywood demands with school runs and bedtime routines. Benioff, despite his Game of Thrones fame, prioritizes family, even shouting out Peet and their kids during his 2016 Emmy acceptance speech. “Amanda Peet, it’s our 10th anniversary in a week. Ten years of non-stop fun. I love you so much,” he said, before naming each child. Peet, in turn, has defended Benioff’s work, including the divisive Game of Thrones finale, telling Andy Cohen she “loved it” and didn’t understand the backlash.
Beyond parenting, Peet and Benioff have collaborated professionally. In 2021, they co-created the Netflix series The Chair, with Peet as writer and both as executive producers. Their dynamic is one of mutual support, with Peet joking that Benioff’s post-Thrones hiatus was her turn to shine. Before Benioff, Peet dated actor Ben Stiller in 1998 and House of Wax star Brian Van Holt in the early 2000s, but it’s clear Benioff is her perfect match.
Their marriage, now nearing two decades, is built on their shared humor, creativity, and devotion to their three kids. Whether exploring Hollywood or parenting woes, they do it together, proving that even in Tinseltown, some love stories are built to last.
