Amber Tamblyn has spent most of her life in the public eye, building a career that stretches from acting to writing and activism. Away from her individual work, she has also shared a long relationship with another familiar entertainment figure, actor and comedian David Cross.
Tamblyn and Cross have been together since 2008 and married since October 2012. Their relationship has lasted through different stages of their careers, occasional professional collaborations and the arrival of their daughter, Marlow Alice Cross.
Cross is best known to many viewers as Tobias Fünke from Arrested Development, although his career goes much further than that famous role. He has spent decades working across stand-up comedy, television, writing and film.
Here is a closer look at Amber Tamblyn’s husband, their marriage and the family they have built together.
Who Is Amber Tamblyn’s Husband?
Amber Tamblyn’s husband is David Cross, an American actor, comedian, writer and producer with a long career in entertainment.
The couple started dating in 2008. After several years together, Cross and Tamblyn became engaged in August 2011.
They married on October 6, 2012, choosing an outdoor ceremony for their wedding.
Their marriage brought together two performers with noticeably different career paths. Tamblyn first became widely recognized through dramatic acting, while Cross established himself primarily through alternative comedy, sketch television and unconventional comedic roles.
Those differences appear to have worked naturally within their relationship. Both have maintained their own careers while occasionally finding opportunities to work together.
Who Is David Cross?
David Cross has been active in comedy and acting for decades.
He became especially well known through Mr. Show with Bob and David, the HBO sketch comedy series he co-created with Bob Odenkirk. The show developed a devoted audience and became an influential part of American sketch comedy.
For a much broader television audience, however, Cross is probably most recognizable as Tobias Fünke in Arrested Development.
Tobias became one of the sitcom’s most memorable characters thanks to his awkward personality, unusual ambitions and Cross’s distinctive comedic performance.
Cross has also worked extensively as a stand-up comedian and writer, allowing him to maintain a career that extends far beyond a single television character.
His combination of acting, writing and live comedy has made him a familiar figure across several different areas of entertainment.
David Cross Also Appeared in Major Movies
Cross’s career is not limited to television and stand-up.
He has appeared in numerous films and has also worked as a voice actor. One role that introduced him to a younger and more family-oriented audience was Ian Hawke in the Alvin and the Chipmunks movie franchise.
The character was very different from the more adult comedy associated with much of Cross’s career.
His willingness to move between independent comedy, mainstream television and large studio movies shows the variety of work he has taken on over the years.
That broad professional background also gives Cross and Tamblyn something important in common. Both understand the unpredictable nature of building a long career in entertainment.
How Did Amber Tamblyn and David Cross’s Relationship Begin?
Tamblyn and Cross began dating in 2008.
Their relationship attracted some public curiosity, partly because both were already established entertainers and because of the age difference between them. Still, the pair continued building their relationship without making every aspect of it a public event.
After approximately three years of dating, they became engaged in August 2011.
The engagement marked the next step in a relationship that had already become serious away from the constant attention often surrounding celebrity couples.
A little more than a year later, they were married.
When Did Amber Tamblyn and David Cross Get Married?
Amber Tamblyn and David Cross tied the knot on October 6, 2012.
Their wedding was held outdoors, giving the ceremony a more relaxed atmosphere than the highly staged celebrity weddings commonly associated with Hollywood.
By the time they married, Tamblyn and Cross had already been together for roughly four years.
Their relationship has since lasted through changing careers, new creative projects and parenthood.
For two people working in entertainment, where schedules can involve filming, touring, promotion and extended periods away from home, maintaining a long marriage comes with practical challenges.
Tamblyn and Cross have nevertheless remained together for well over a decade.
Amber Tamblyn and David Cross Have Worked Together
Their relationship has not been limited to their personal lives.
Tamblyn appeared in The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, a comedy series created by Cross, who also starred in the show.
Tamblyn had a recurring role on the series, creating an interesting overlap between their marriage and professional careers.
Working with a spouse can sometimes create an unusual dynamic, especially when both people already have established careers of their own. For Tamblyn and Cross, however, the project offered an opportunity to bring their different creative backgrounds together.
Cross’s comedy often leans toward satire and uncomfortable situations, while Tamblyn’s career has included drama, television, film, poetry and writing.
Their collaboration therefore represented a meeting point between two fairly different artistic careers.
Do Amber Tamblyn and David Cross Have Children?
Yes. Amber Tamblyn and David Cross share one daughter, Marlow Alice Cross.
Marlow was born in February 2017, nearly five years after her parents married.
Becoming parents introduced a completely new part of their relationship.
Tamblyn has occasionally discussed family life publicly, but she and Cross have generally avoided making their daughter a constant part of their public identities.
That balance is understandable given how recognizable both parents are.
Marlow was born into a family deeply connected with the entertainment and creative worlds, but her parents have largely allowed her childhood to remain separate from the level of exposure attached to their own careers.
David Cross as a Father
Tamblyn has occasionally offered glimpses into Cross’s relationship with their daughter.
One subject she has discussed is how he encourages Marlow to feel comfortable with herself rather than placing too much importance on conventional expectations surrounding appearance.
That parenting approach fits with a broader conversation Tamblyn has often been part of through her writing and public work.
For Cross, fatherhood represents another side of a public personality most audiences know through comedy.
Fans may immediately associate him with Tobias Fünke or his stand-up material, but his private life with Tamblyn and their daughter is considerably removed from the exaggerated characters he plays on screen.
Amber Tamblyn Has Built a Career Beyond Acting
Understanding the couple’s relationship also means recognizing how much Tamblyn’s own career has evolved.
She first became familiar to many television viewers through acting and later appeared in a range of film and television projects.
Over time, however, she expanded increasingly into writing.
Tamblyn has published poetry and books while also becoming known for discussing cultural and social issues. This has given her a public identity that extends well beyond Hollywood acting.
Cross has similarly avoided staying in one professional lane. He has moved between stand-up, acting, writing, producing and television creation.
Their careers are different in tone, but both have shown a preference for creative variety rather than relying entirely on one successful role.
Why Amber Tamblyn and David Cross Keep Their Family Relatively Private
Tamblyn and Cross are public figures, but they have not built their marriage around constant social media updates or publicity.
Fans know important details about their relationship, including when they started dating, their engagement, wedding and the birth of their daughter. Much of their everyday family life, however, remains private.
That approach has allowed them to talk about one another when it feels relevant without turning their relationship into an ongoing public performance.
It has also given their daughter more separation from the entertainment industry surrounding her parents.
For a couple who have collectively spent decades working in front of audiences, maintaining that distinction between public careers and private family life appears meaningful.
Amber Tamblyn and David Cross Have Built Their Own Path
Amber Tamblyn and David Cross may come from different corners of the entertainment industry, but their relationship has developed steadily over many years.
They began dating in 2008, became engaged in 2011 and married on October 6, 2012. Nearly five years after their wedding, they welcomed their daughter, Marlow Alice Cross.
Professionally, both have continued following individual paths. Cross remains closely associated with comedy, particularly Arrested Development and Mr. Show with Bob and David, while Tamblyn has expanded her career from acting into writing and other creative work.
They have also occasionally brought those worlds together, including Tamblyn’s appearance in The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret.
More than a decade after their wedding, David Cross remains more than simply the answer to the question of who Amber Tamblyn’s husband is. He has his own substantial entertainment career, while together the couple have built a marriage and family that largely exists away from the constant glare of celebrity attention.