I know most of you probably won’t care about this story, but I find it really, really interesting and I already have a conspiracy theory cooking, which I’ll get to in a moment. First of all, Mamie Gummer is the actress daughter of Meryl Streep and Meryl’s husband Donald Gummer. Backstory: Don and Meryl have been together for literally decades – she was engaged to John Cazale until Cazale passed away too soon (in 1978). Meryl met Gummer a short time later, and they proceeded to get married and live happily ever after.
Anyway, Mamie is 29 and she married actor Benjamin Walker in 2011. Walker is mostly known as a New York stage actor who has starred in stage productions of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, and he’s currently starring on Broadway in Cat On a Hot Tin Roof. He also starred in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. You may know Mamie from her guest spots on The Good Wife (she plays a recurring character of a conniving lawyer who fronts like she’s naïve and innocent) or from her failed series Emily Owens MD. Anyway, Mamie and Benjamin have just split after less than two years of marriage:
Mamie Gummer’s marriage is ending. The Side Effects actress — and Meryl Streep’s daughter — has split with husband Benjamin Walker, reps for both stars confirm exclusively to Us Weekly. “It’s very amicable,” Gummer’s rep tells Us.
Adds another insider: “[The split] is very new.”
Actors who’ve earned their chops on the Broadway stage as well as in TV and film, Gummer, 29, and the Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter star, 30, first announced their engagement to Us back in October 2009. Gummer told Us that Walker “surprised” her with a custom-made ring. “He did it on one knee!” she added at the time. “My mom loves him!”
They tied the knot nearly two years later, at her family’s Connecticut estate, in July 2011, with stars like Claire Danes, Laura Linney and Tracey Ullman in attendance. The Emily Owens, MD star is the second eldest child of Oscar-winning actress Streep, 63, and sculptor husband Don Gummer, who have four children: musician Henry Gummer, 33, Smash actress Grace Gummer, 26, and student Louisa Gummer, 21.
The couple met while performing in the spring 2008 Broadway production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses. “She was the Uma to my Keanu,” Walker told New York magazine in a January 2013 interview. Walker is currently starring in a Broadway revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof opposite Scarlett Johansson — and spoke fondly of his wife, with whom he shared a Brooklyn, NYC home, during the New York mag interview two months ago.
“She always worries about me in [press interviews] and rightfully so,” said Walker, who texted his wife during the sit-down.
So, it seems to me like two bright, attractive, well-born, well-educated actors fell apart really quickly and that things probably are NOT as “amicable” as they seem, right? If it was so amicable, why are they splitting up? Which brings me to my conspiracy theory… Benjamin is currently starring as Brick in Cat On a Hot Tin Roof. Scarlett Johansson is playing Maggie the Cat. While ScarJo is still dating that bizarre Frenchman, would anyone be shocked to learn that she was fooling around? And the last time she was on Broadway, her costar’s relationship also seemed to falter too, and there were widespread rumors that she was fooling around with that guy too (and that was when she was married too). So, is infidelity the reason Walker and Gummer split? As I said, it’s just a theory.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
That is one wild conspiracy theory!
…and it’s a good one too.
Totally ScarJo’s fault. TOTALLY.
She looks just like her mom. Beautiful!
Right? Very similar and yet different, but still gorgeous.
I like Mamie, it’s sad that her marriage didn’t work out.
And I wonder why her acting carrier isn’t going great, too, since I do like her acting.
I can believe it of Scarjo and Walker. Mamie looks a lot like her mother, lovely.
It fits the facts, I buy it completely.
Of course it’s true because women are evil homewreckers.My sources say he has a boyfriend.
LOL
or maybe they married pretty young, spent quite a bit of time apart working, and weren’t solid enough to weather their first hardship (her failed show). but the scarjo theory is certainly more fun!
you’re too reasonable ! (and it’s probably the real reason)
We’re in a bad place if marrying at 27 and 28 is considered so young that people can’t be expected to have the maturity to work through a few problems before bailing.
+1
ITA! I got married at 23 and we are still going strong nearly ten years later! 27/28 is not what I consider too young to understand marriage.
I agree and I am one of those people who think it’s bad for most people to marry before the age of 25 now that more young people are less willing to settle down right after college so they can go to grad school, sow their oats, or just travel without the hassle of children. If they got married in their early 20s then maybe the age excuse would work, but late 20s? That is when most people should be mature enough to handle a committed relationship and the challenges that come with it.
A failed show shouldn’t be considered a hardship. Maybe a hardship for two privileged young people who have their entire futures ahead of them and millions of dollars in the bank, but not for normal people who have actual hardships to worry about!
Unless Walker cheated on her, Mamie is hardly following in her parents footsteps of having a solid 30-year marriage. But that is common for people of Mamie and Walker’s generation to end things rather than try to work on repairing a relationship.
I can buy the cheating theory with ScarJo though. I don’t think we’ll ever have that rumor confirmed, but ScarJo has made a career of being the other woman that whether right or wrong I can see her being that same person in real life. I think ScarJo also stated in an interview some years ago that she didn’t believe in monogamy and with her track record of failed relationships and hook-ups, I don’t think she’d have a problem being the other woman. The question is how did Mamie find out if Walker did indeed cheat on her with ScarJo or another woman. Interesting and entertaining theory.
Maybe he accidentally saw an episode of Emily Owens MD…
I think he only married her bc of her name.
Gumer is so famous?
It may have been more accurate to say, “He married her because of her mother”, as her last name is Gummer.
but thats just looking for a famous woman who he could have had an affair with.
maybe she was fooling around on him with someone on her show. women have caught up with the cheating in recent decades.
or nothing like that happened and they were just giving up after the honeymoon phase was over.
I like her mother’s work, but I just don’t like Mamie. Maybe it was all the blind items where an actress complained that she should have already had more fame and accolades, and everyone guessed it was Mamie?
maybe she outgrew him. if it’s hollywood and tabloid coverage she wants, she’s going to need to date someone more famous
Would Scarlett dare to damage her career in that way? I don’t think Meryl Streep would be so vengeful on her daughter’s behalf but she is one of the most powerful women in hollywood, is that worth the risk? Anyway I guess no one will really mnow for sure.
Actresses are hardly powerful in Hollywood.
Had she been more powerful, don’t you think her daughter would have gotten farther by now?
Actors in general is not really running the show. Women especially struggle and are more trying to survive rather than lead. That’s why we need more female producers, directors and writers.
“Actresses are hardly powerful in Hollywood.”
Some definitely wield a considerable amount of influence, if you don’t want to call it “power.” I would include Meryl in that bracket.
“Had she been more powerful, don’t you think her daughter would have gotten farther by now?”
Not necessarily. Meryl may simply not be the type to encourage nepotism as a means of her daughters getting ahead. And in my opinion, though Mamie has an interesting look, she isn’t conventionally attractive enough (nor does she possess a look that could get her cast in “niche” roles) for Hollywood to take special notice of her, regardless of who her mom is.
“Actors in general is not really running the show.”
Tell that to Hollywood “elites” like Clooney. You’d be surprised at how much sway that man has.
“Women especially struggle and are more trying to survive rather than lead. That’s why we need more female producers, directors and writers.”
True in general.
When I read this on People.com they kind of wrote it that way but not really.
She’s spoiled, he’s a douche, someone has a temper, the excitement wore off, too much time apart; could be a number of reasons.
+1
in France ,we say “love lasts 3 years” . Here ,the 3 years are over
I thought the Beigbeder book came first? I didn’t realize it was a saying on it’s own. Is it?
Right! Also could be: they really weren’t suited to each other/for marriage, they disagreed about having children/where to live/how to divide their money, they got bored with each other, etc. etc. ad infinitum. People break up for many reasons that have nothing to do with cheating.
I hate these rumours started out of nothing more than coincidence. Maybe they spent too much time apart. She was trying to make a go of that TV series and he was in NY for months doing the play. If that’s the case, it sure doesn’t seem worth it. Her mediocre show was canceled, and the latest revival of ‘Cat’ was nothing special (despite the amazing Ciaran Hinds.)
Plus Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter was a giant flop.
Seems like when a marriage ends that soon and so quickly, no period of working on it, usually someone was stepping out. Who knows, but that’s a shame.
I like her on the Good Wife, but didn’t care for her sister on Smash, there was something odd about the character.
Agree about her sister’s character on Smash..a bit weak.
They look so much alike I thought she and her sister were the same person. LOL I was carching up on Smash episodes yesterday and remember thinking, “I like Mamie Gummer so much more in ‘Smash’ than that insufferably annoying ‘Emily Owens, M.D.”
Nope, I know her from that awesome doctor show set in south america with rachel le fevre in it!
Yes, that was the first show I saw her in too. Summer camp with angst & hot hormones met ER in isolated mountains, treating indigenous people.
I don’t think Walker would be interesting or hot enough to attract Scarlett.
So sad really, I like both of them.
Does she have bad teeth? Why does she smile like that, all head bent and closed mouth? It’s almost as though she’s trying to look like Princess Diana, but totally failing.
?? See first pic.
Sidebar…I never realized what great legs Mamie has.
I like her on good wife and would like to see her in more. She’s very believable and has made that role more than it was intended to be.
Off the bat I would have said no, but after reading a couple of different blinds about how Scarlett chews men up and spits them out like a meat grinder? I could see it .
Kaiser – funny that in the 2010 story on ScarJo’s split with Reynolds you said that you could see him with Blake Lively. Good call!
It’s always sad to see a marriage end. I think she’s talented and attractive. Wishing them the best.
infedility is not a reason for divorce, thats right ask her mom who’s been married for 100 years. all sorts of shit happens when one is married,. some just work it out some dont
That’s too bad, they were an attractive couple (she looks so much like her mom. so pretty!)
I like her skin. Pretty luminous. I can’y get over her name though.
Why would anyone name their child “Mamie”?
If he did cheat, then, I am so happy no children are involved in this marriage. She will easily find a nice guy and marry him.
It’s really sad if that’s true. That must have hurt, but she’s so young and will be able to move on in no time.
I know Mamie from Emily Owens MD -which I truly loved- and I’m sad to read about this.. hope her life will be great from now on.
She is pretty but seems really dull.
“Mamie” is a 19th century nickname for Mary, which is Ms. Gummer’s real name. I had a Great-aunt Mary called Mamie. Molly and Minnie are also old-fashioned diminutives for Mary. I back a revival for all of them, though Molly is already in common parlance.
Her mother Meryl is actually a Mary as well, Mary Louise. I think it’s some kind of tradition in their family to name the first daughter Mary and give her a nickname based on Mary and the middle name. I forgot what Mamie’s middle name is but I’m sure it can be found somewhere.
I might be wrong though.
This may sound harsh, but if I were one of Meryl Streep’s daughters I would never try to be an actress. They will always be in their mother’s shadow and there will always be comparisons. Even if they are both decent actresses, it’s doubtful that either are as talented as Meryl or will have the professional success that she has.
It’s interesting how so many children of celebrities go on to pursue acting careers. I guess it’s because that’s the world they grew up in and they see all the perks their parents get? If I were in their shoes, I’d like to think that I would want to branch out and do something completely different.
I don’t think he could get ScarJo.
I find it interesting that the split was announced the day that the play closed on Broadway.
Pair your conspiracy theory with this pic, whydontcha, ha! http://images.bwwstatic.com/upload10/431853/tn-500_catwm20066364.jpg
Interesting hand placement…his hand is very high up, like right under her breast side.
now thats a woman who could use some plastic surgery
Were they together for a long time before marrying?
Oh well. Another one bites the dust. It’s better they end it now (early) than 20 years down the road after building a bigger life together.
I saw her on stage in NYC (before I knew who she was). I was impressed! Like her mother, she is something to behold — she owned the stage that night.