Meet the Real-Life Loves of the ‘My Name Is Earl’ Cast
NEED TO KNOW
- My Name Is Earl premiered 20 years ago on Sept. 20, 2005
- The hit sitcom starred Jason Lee, Ethan Suplee, Jaime Pressly, Nadine Velazquez and Eddie Steeples
- The series, which came to an end in 2009, also featured recurring characters played by Alyssa Milano and DJ Qualls, among others
My Name Is Earl offered no shortage of laughs when it premiered on Sept. 20, 2005.
The NBC sitcom starred Jason Lee as Earl Hickey, a petty thief who scores a winning lottery ticket and becomes determined to right his wrongs after learning about the power of karma. Along his journey, he faces various personal struggles with old and new people in his life.
The hit series also starred Ethan Suplee as Earl’s younger brother Randy Hickey, Jaime Pressly as Earl’s ex-wife Joy Turner, Nadine Velazquez as the motel maid Catalina Aruca and Eddie Steeples as Joy’s second husband Darnell Turner. In addition to the main cast, Beau Bridges, Nancy Lenehan, Alyssa Milano and DJ Qualls made frequent appearances on the show, which concluded in 2009.
To celebrate My Name Is Earl‘s 20th anniversary in September 2025, several cast members reunited at the Smoky Mountain Fan Fest and reflected on the legacy of the show.
“What an amazing group of fans we have,” Pressly captioned a Sept. 8 photo of the cast at the panel. “Thank you to all of you who remain so loyal to our beloved show. It was truly the time of all of our lives.”
While the series follows the intertwined relationships and friendships of all the characters, in reality, the stars all remained close and have their own love lives. Here’s everything to know about the real-life loves of the My Name Is Earl cast.
Jason Lee and Ceren Lee
Jamie McCarthy/WireImage
Lee, who played the titular character, has been married to his wife, Ceren Lee (née Alkaç), since 2008. Although the couple keep much of their love life private, they support each other at various events.
Lee and Ceren share three children together: daughters Casper (born in 2008) and Alberta “Birdy” (born in 2017) and son Sonny (born in 2012). Jason also has a son, Pilot Inspektor, with his ex-fiancée Beth Jean Riesgraf.
Although the Lees don’t share details about their relationship, they renewed their vows on Nov. 11, 2011, as PEOPLE reported at the time. Lee, who has since pivoted towards photography, briefly moved his family to Texas before returning to California, as he shared with The Guardian in 2020.
Ethan Suplee and Brandy Lewis
Ethan Suplee/Instagram
Suplee, who played Randy, has been married to his wife, Brandy Lewis, since 2006. The couple initially met as teenagers and were “very close friends,” while Suplee was “utterly in love with her,” he told PEOPLE in 2022. Although Lewis wasn’t initially romantically interested in Suplee, a “miraculous thing” happened when they reconnected in 2001.
“For the very first time, I wasn’t getting a deep concern from somebody about my health and I felt totally accepted for who I was versus what I looked like,” he shared, referring to his weight struggles at the time. “And that I think was kind of the bedrock that I was successful with my goals at.”
The couple went on to welcome two children: daughters Frances Clementine (born in 2005) and Billie Grace (born in 2007). Lewis also has two daughters, Lily and Bella, from a previous relationship. In 2022, the couple became grandparents.
Jaime Pressly and Hamzi Hijazi
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Pressly, who played Joy, was in a relationship with Hamzi Hijazi, as of 2020. The actress explained in an interview with Raise Magazine that year that they are “definitely not a traditional family, although it’s traditional for us.”
“Hamzi and I are not married, but I call him my husband and he calls me his wife,” she said at the time.
Pressly and Hijazi are parents to twin sons, Leo and Lenon, born in October 2017. The actress also has a son, Dezi (born in May 2007), with her ex Eric Cubiche.
“I have full custody of Dezi, but he has a good relationship with his dad, and we share holidays as split days,” she told Raise. “On Thanksgiving, Dezi’s with me until three o’clock and then his dad picks him up. He’s with me every Christmas Eve and Christmas morning until his dad comes, and then he spends a couple of days with him.”
Nadine Velazquez
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Velazquez, who played Catalina, appears to be single. The actress was previously married to talent agent Marc Provissiero, but they divorced in 2011, she announced in a blog post at the time.
While Velazquez keeps her romantic life out of the spotlight, she frequently shares Instagram posts speaking about her work and also reflecting on the days of My Name Is Earl. After attending the Smoky Mountain Fan Fest with the rest of the cast, she thanked the show’s fans for “making it so warm and fun.”
“Your stories have made me laugh, cry, and fall in love with how interconnected we all are and how important entertainment really is in making people feel good! I’m glad I’ve been a part of your good memories over the last 20 years,” she captioned a Sept. 6 post.
Eddie Steeples
Walter McBride/WireImage
Steeples, who played Darnell, is in a relationship with Paola Menacho.
The couple recently celebrated their daughter, Luna’s, birthday in July 2025. In his celebratory post, Eddie called Luna the “Love of my Life.”
She has taken after her dad and acted in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.
Alyssa Milano and David Bugliari
Dia Dipasupil/WireImage
Milano, who played the recurring character Billie, has been married to her husband, David Bugliari, since 2009. The Charmed actress and the talent agent met through This Is Us star Milo Ventimiglia while the two actors were filming the 2007 film Pathology.
“I used to confide in Milo Ventimiglia and say, ‘Is that weird if I date an agent that’s at my agency?’ and he was very, like, ‘No, if you’re compatible, you should go for it,’ ” Milano told PEOPLE in 2017. “So I feel like he was responsible for my husband and me getting together.”
Milano and Bugliari got engaged in December 2008 and tied the knot in August 2009. They went on to have two children together: son Milo (named after Ventimiglia) and daughter Elizabella.
Milano celebrated their 16th wedding anniversary in August 2025 and captioned a photo from their wedding, “Sixteen years, @dbugliari! Our Love is the life we made in between the big moments. You’re in every good memory I have and your hand is still my favorite place. I love you. Happy Anniversary.”
DJ Qualls and Ty Olsson
Future-Image via ZUMA Press; Jerod Harris/Getty
Qualls, who acted as the recurring character Ray Ray, is in a relationship with Ty Olsson. The Supernatural costars announced in May 2024 that they were engaged. Qualls initially opened up about how his and Olsson’s friendship had turned romantic earlier that month.
“Ty and I became inseparable at the very beginning, just immediately,” Qualls said on a May 2024 episode of his Locked and Probably Loaded podcast with Kelly Blackheart. “And over the last 10 years our relationship evolved to what it is today, and now we’re getting married.”
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