Between The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Wolfman, and Weapons, Julia Garner has had a *very* busy couple of yearsâŠbut somehow, sheâs managed to keep her private life out of the spotlight. You may not even realize that she is married (!!) and has been since 2019.
Julia Garnerâs husband, Mark Foster, isnât just some rando, eitherâheâs a singer and musician best known as the front man for indie pop band Foster the People. (Remember when the song âPumped Up Kicksâ was playing legit e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e back in 2010? Yeah, you can thank Mark for that. Music vid incoming!)
Although they first met all the way back in 2013, it took several years for them to start dating. Once they did, however, things moved FAST, and in a matter of 18 months, the two got engaged and then married in a fabulously low-key ceremony. Hereâs everything you should know about Juliaâs hubs, including how he met the actor and how he rose to fame with Foster the People.
But first? A moment for this dreamy Gucci ad they did together:
Mark cofounded his band in 2009.
After graduating from his Cleveland high school in 2002, Mark decided to move in with an uncle in Los Angeles to pursue a music career. During that time, he worked several odd jobs, played with a few different bands, and even had a brief career as a commercial jingle writer before Foster the People was finally born.
âI felt like an 18-year-old Hunter S. Thompson,â Mark told the Los Angeles Times when asked about that time in his life. âI was just diving into this Hollywood Hills subculture and taking it all in. I wasnât shy about taking my guitar out at a party. I wanted to be the center of attention.â
Mark eventually founded Foster the People (initially called Foster & the People) with drummer Mark Pontius and producer Zach âReazonâ Heiligman, and they played their first show in October 2009. His longtime friend Cubbie Fink later joined as bassist, and in late 2010, the group hit it big after their single âPumped Up Kicksâ became a viral success.
Today, the band is composed of Mark and keyboardist Isom Innis, and since its inception, Foster the People has released four albums: Torches, Supermodel, Sacred Hearts Club, and Paradise State of Mind.
He struggled with drug addiction.
During his first few years in Los Angeles, Mark struggled with addiction while balancing several jobs and attempting to launch his music career. âIt got pretty dark,â he told Rolling Stone. âMy friends thought I was going to die. I was blind to it. When I was 19 years old, it got to a point where I said, âEnough is enough.ââŠI saw time was just passing me by. I wasnât being productive.â
According to Mark, it was a run-in with an old friend that convinced him to reevaluate his life. ââŠMy friend ran into me and he justâhe started crying,â Mark explained to NPR. âAnd that kind ofâthat was the first thing that shook me up, âcause this was, like, a kid that partied with me for a lot of it, you know. And I was like, wow, it must be serious if heâs worriedâjust âcause I was so skinny.â
He *may* have dated Nina Dobrev.
Julia isnât the first celeb Mark has romanced. He also apparently dated Nina Dobrev for, like, a month back in 2014. Ofc, the two never actually confirmed the relationship, so itâs unclear how long they dated (or if they even dated at all). Regardless, pls enjoy this photo of them together from 2012 with Ninaâs ex Ian Somerhalder, with whom Mark is apparently also friends:
Mark also sparked dating rumors with Michelle Trachtenberg for a hot minute in 2012, but again, rumors were never confirmed and they were short-lived.
He slid into Juliaâs DMs after they met.
In January 2013, Mark met his future wife at the Sundance Film Festival, where her horror film We Are What We Are was making its debut. The two bonded over the fact that Juliaâs grandma lived in the same small town outside of Cleveland that Markâs dad lives in, as she later told Vogue. But they didnât exchange info at the time, and they didnât speak again until Mark found Julia on Instagram.
Julia told the Hollywood Reporter that Mark started Liking all her pics after giving her a follow. âI was like, âWhoâs this guy Liking all my photos? Is this a stalker?ââ she joked. âI clicked on him and I was like, âOh, Mark. Oh, heâs cute. Iâm going to follow him back.â Then he DMâd me.â
They got married after one-and-a-half years of dating.
In April 2019, during a cross-country RV trip before Julia left to begin filming season 3 of Ozark, Mark decided to pop the question. The two had been dating for about 10 months at that point, and as Julia told Vogue, the proposal went down in Flathead Lake, Montana, where Mark read her an original poem before asking her to marry him.
After they got engaged, Julia and Mark debated between having a big wedding or simply eloping. Initially, theyâd planned on a June 2020 celebration, but luckily, they ended up tying the knot before the COVID-19 crisis became global.
âFor some reason, I was like, âYou know what? Letâs not wait until June. Letâs just do it, because who knows?ââ Julia explained to the Hollywood Reporter.
In December 2019, the two had a quiet ceremony at New Yorkâs City Hall, where Juliaâs parents had gotten married 40 years earlier. The next day, they held a reception at Public Hotel, where Mark surprised Julia with an original song, âLovers in a Stream,â for their first dance.
He seems to be Juliaâs biggest fan.
Although their schedules keep âem busy, Mark and Julia still seem to make *plenty* of time for each other (and cheering each other on). Mark has shared TONS of mushy posts in honor of his wife and her accomplishments, and he raves about her in interviews, too. When she won her Best Supporting Actress Emmy in 2019 for her work in Ozark, Mark had a major Proud Partner Momentâą on IG.
âCongratulations, you beautiful angel of a human,â he gushed in a since-deleted post. âIt brings me immeasurable joy to see you lifted up and recognized by your peers, your industry, and your fans. You deserve every bit of love and respect. Youâre so incredibly special. I consider myself the luckiest guy on the planet to be able to watch whatever you do from the front row, with a bag of popcorn and your hand wrapped in mine.â UmâŠđ.
Pls keep on being adorable, you two.
