Mary-Margaret Humes, best known for her role as Gale Leery on the beloved teen drama Dawson's Creek, was recently spotted enjoying a casual stroll through a Los Angeles neighborhood with her husband of 33 years, Raul A. Bruce. The 72-year-old actress, who first gained fame as a pageant queen—winning Miss Florida USA 1975 and placing third runner-up in the Miss USA competition—wore jeans for the rare public outing with her spouse.
From Pageantry to Hollywood
Before her iconic television role, Humes appeared in numerous 1980s series, including The Dukes of Hazzard, The Love Boat, The A-Team, The Fall Guy, Knight Rider, and T.J. Hooker. However, her career truly took off in the 1990s when she was cast as Dawson Leery's mother, Gale, in Dawson's Creek, which aired from 1998 to 2003 on The WB.
A Hollywood Love Story
Humes met Bruce on the set of Mel Brooks' 1981 comedy History of the World, Part I, where she made her film debut as a vestal virgin named Miriam. Bruce, a retired boom operator, worked on major films such as Spider-Man 2, Something's Gotta Give, Can't Hardly Wait, Starship Troopers, The Birdcage, Showgirls, Hook, St. Elmo's Fire, Ghostbusters, The Big Chill, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Annie, and Stripes. In a 2021 Instagram post, Humes shared relationship advice: "Don't marry someone you can live with. Marry someone you can't live without."
Remembering James Van Der Beek
Humes continues to mourn the loss of her onscreen son, James Van Der Beek, who passed away on February 11 at age 48 after a two-year battle with stage III colorectal cancer. On what would have been his 49th birthday, March 8, she posted photos with his family, writing, "You are never more than a thought away. Happy birthday, James." The actress, who battled colon cancer herself in 2007, emphasized the importance of early detection. "It could've been a terrible situation, but we caught it in time," she told Us Weekly last September. "Cancers are survivable, but go out and get screened."
Dawson's Creek Reunion
On September 22, Humes participated in a sold-out Dawson's Creek class reunion at the Richard Rodgers Theater in Manhattan, organized by Van Der Beek, who was too ill to attend. The event, which raised money for F*** Cancer, featured a live reading of the 1998 pilot episode with cast members Joshua Jackson, Michelle Williams, Mary Beth Peil, John Wesley Shipp, Nina Repeta, Kerr Smith, Meredith Monroe, and Busy Philipps.
Earlier this year, on April 4, Humes celebrated her birthday with Dawson's Creek creator Kevin Williamson, posting on Instagram: "So grateful to have these amazing friends show up to celebrate my birthday last night. Love you so much!"
