One of Hollywood's most famously private couples emerged from their long-standing retreat this week, offering a rare glimpse into a marriage that has endured for over half a century. Oscar-winning actress Sissy Spacek, 75, stepped onto the red carpet in New York on Tuesday for the Marty Supreme premiere, accompanied by her husband of more than 50 years, Jack Fisk, 79, and their daughter Schuyler Fisk.
A Deliberate Retreat from the Spotlight
The appearance was a notable event for the couple, who have intentionally lived far from the glare of Hollywood for decades. In 1981, at the height of Spacek's fame, they made a conscious decision to leave Los Angeles, relocating to a 210-acre horse farm in central Virginia. It was there they raised their two daughters, Schuyler, born in 1982, and Madison, 37, who was not in attendance at the premiere, away from the pressures of celebrity culture.
"We moved there not because we didn't love L.A., but we wanted to raise our children in a more natural environment," Spacek has explained. She described a setting where her children could "make mistakes, ride ponies, do stupid stuff and climb trees and not have to deal with that celebrity child thing."
A Partnership Forged on Set
The couple's enduring bond was formed in the early days of their careers. They first met in the early 1970s on the set of the film Badlands, where Fisk worked as the art director and Spacek starred in the lead role of Holly. They married in a private ceremony in 1974. Reflecting on their early courtship, Spacek once shared an anecdote from their Badlands days involving a boat trip during a flash flood. "The boat sank," she reminisced. "Right then I knew life with Jack was going to be eventful."
Their partnership extended beyond their personal life into professional collaboration. They worked together on several films, including the iconic 1976 horror classic Carrie, Raggedy Man (1981), and Violets Are Blue (1986). Spacek has credited their shared passion for filmmaking as a cornerstone of their relationship. "We really supported one another and we really understood the business. It was what brought us together," she told The Huffington Post.
Celebrating a Lifetime Together
This April, the pair will celebrate their 52nd wedding anniversary—a milestone the actress once admitted she never anticipated. "We never expected a lifelong relationship," Spacek revealed to People magazine. "In fact, we even opened a bank account and put $30 in it, because that's how much it cost to get divorced. Now I think it would take something dramatic like death to end it."
At the New York premiere, the trio appeared relaxed and joyful. Spacek turned heads in an effortlessly chic all-black suit, while Fisk looked dapper in tailored attire. Their daughter Schuyler, an actress and musician, echoed her mother's style in a similarly sleek ensemble. The family's appearance follows another rare public outing last March, when they attended the 2024 Oscars, where Fisk was nominated for Best Achievement in Production Design for Killers of the Flower Moon.
Fisk himself is a highly respected production designer with an acclaimed career, earning Academy Award nominations for his work on There Will Be Blood (2008) and The Revenant (2016). Spacek has often praised his influence, stating, "He's phenomenal, and I learned so much from him about the artist's life."
Now grandparents to Schuyler's two children, Spacek and Fisk continue to live quietly, their latest red-carpet moment serving as a brief but powerful testament to a Hollywood love story built on mutual support, privacy, and a shared creative spirit.
