Sam Waterston has been a fixture of American TV for almost 65 years. And while he is a favorite actor to many, he's only "dad" to three.
Sam, 85, is married to Lynn Louisa Woodruff. The couple are parents to three kids – Elisabeth, Katherine, and Graham. Keep reading to learn more about Sam's special family.
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Sam Waterston and wife Lynn at the 42nd Annual Golden Globe Awards, January 1985.
Sam Waterston's famous wife Lynn
Before he married Lynn, Sam was married to Barbara Johns. The couple, who are parents to son James Waterston, divorced in 1975 after 11 years of marriage. The following year, Sam tied the knot with Vogue model Lynn Louisa Woodruff. 50 years later, they are still happily married.
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Sam Waterston and Lynn Louisa Woodruff attend the "Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them" World Premiere in New York City.
How did Sam Waterston meet his wife?
Sam met Lynn while he was performing in a Shakespeare production in Central Park. "She would say that Shakespeare had nothing to do with us getting married!" the actor opened up to Parade in 2022, adding: "I think it's true that a happy wife is a happy life."
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Sam Waterston and daughter Elisabeth Waterston at the New York Times Book Series reading from The Great Gatsby.
Elisabeth Waterston, 49
Sam and Lynn welcomed their first child together on March 30, 1977. Elisabeth Waterston followed in her dad's footsteps and made her acting debut in 2000 on an episode of Law & Order, which Sam starred in. She later appeared in The Prince & Me (2004), The Girl in the Park (2007), Good Dick (2008), and Please Be Normal (2014).
In 2023, Elisabeth returned to Law & Order as Rebecca McCoy, the daughter of Sam's Jack McCoy. "That topped everything," the actor told NBC about his daughter joining him on-screen. "She's a beautiful actress, quick to react, full of intelligence and ready emotion. I have three actor children, and there isn't anything more fun than acting with them."
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Katherine Waterston and Sam Waterston at the "Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them" World Premiere after party.
Katherine Waterston, 46
Three years after they had Elisabeth, Sam and Lynn welcomed their second daughter Katherine Waterston on March 3, 1980. And since 2007, she's been acting. Katherine made her debut in the films Michael Clayton and The Babysitters, but is most well known for her role in the Harry Potter prequel series Fantastic Beasts. In 2015, Katherine won the Robert Altman Award at the Independent Spirit Awards along with her cast of Inherent Vice.
Katherine is fiercely private about her life. While she was in a long-term relationship with director Adam Rapp, her current relationship status is unknown. Although, in 2019, she gave birth to a son, whose name she hasn't disclosed.
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Sam Waterston with wife Lynn Louisa Woodruff and son Graham Waterston at The Public Theater's opening night of "The Tempest".
Graham Waterston, 43
Sam and Lynn's youngest child, Graham Waterston, was born on April 29, 1983. Unlike his big sisters, Graham didn't pursue a career in acting. Instead, he works as a producer, writer, and crew member.
In 2015, when Graham was 32, he made his directorial debut with the romantic comedy short film And It Was Good. His siblings Elisabeth and James appeared in the film and his dad starred as the judge who officiated the marriage for the main characters.