Is Alison Brie married? All about her relationship with Dave Franco

Since her mainstream acting debut as Trudy Vogel in Mad Men, Alison Brie has had a slew of both comedic and dramatic roles. From the adorably neurotic Annie Edison in Community to the cut-throat wrestling badass Ruth Wilder in the now-cancelled Glow, Brie has spent the better part of the last decade and a half working in Hollywood. With such an impressive list of achievements, it comes as no surprise that the actor is making the rounds promoting her newest flick Somebody I Used to Know, but her promotional (and life partner) may come as a surprise.

Who is Alison Brie’s husband?

Dave Franco is the youngest of the three Franco brothers. Initially going to school for creative writing, Franco would eventually be convinced by big brother James Franco’s agent to try acting. The younger Franco started his career with small acting roles in films like Superbad (2007) and Charlie St. Cloud (2010). After landing the starring role in the nineth season of Scrubs Franco hit his first real break in 21 Jump Street (2012). He has lent his voice to several productions in the last few years with roles in shows like Bo Jack Horseman and The Lego Movie. He has since moved behind the screen and taken more directorial roles with projects like The Rental and Somebody I Used to Know, two projects that feature his wife, Alison Brie.

How did the two meet?

The two met in New Orleans in 2011 after running into each other in the airport. In an interview with Jimmy Fallon, Brie revealed that the whole thing was orchestrated by a mutual friend, who invited the pair to dinner, where she discreetly tried to hook them up. “My friend texts me under the table and was like, ‘You should hook up with Dave.'” Brie recalls responding with enthusiasm and “with a lot of thumbs up emojis.” Franco was just as interested and the two went on to spend the next 48 hours in a haze of “drugs, sex, and a lot of making out.” Throughout the weekend, the couple had a playful back and forth with a silver mask Brie wore, and by the end of the weekend, she had left it for Franco with a romantic note.

Franco would go on to invite Brie to New York, where he was filming. Brie refers to this as the “romantic portion of our meeting.” Franco certainly plays the part of romance well; on their final days in New York, Brie says he slipped a note inviting her to Paris into her pocket. Two years in, the couple was already making shorts together. Their first project was the Funny or Die skit, Dream Girl w/ Dave Franco & Alison Brie.

After five years together, Franco popped the question in 2017.  In an interview with James Corden, Franco reveals the proposal didn’t go quite as planned. While visiting Big Sur in California, Franco donned the Mardi Gras mask and took a knee. Unfortunately, five years had passed, and Brie didn’t recognize the piece of costume jewelry, Franco was also working with a $10 placeholder ring. “So, what she sees is me wearing this weird, stupid mask, holding up this janky stone ring.”

Understandably confused, Brie burst out laughing. Franco said, “so the entire proposal is her saying ‘What is happening right now?’ And it’s me trying to explain how sweet it is that I kept the mask for five years.”  

While never seeing herself as the marrying type, Brie happily accepted his proposal. The actress claims that marriage has made her feel more free than ever. The couple values their freedom, preferring to be pet parents( Franco describes himself as a ‘quirky cat guy‘) rather than have children. As a female actor, the decision to have children takes a lot of planning around a shooting schedule, something that Brie is glad to not think about. With no kids splitting their attention, the couple is free to pursue their own projects. Franco has cited his wife’s support as invaluable as a director.

In an interview with MovieMaker, Franco admitted his wife — beyond helping him write the script and also playing a leading role — was invaluable during the process of making The Rental. “There were moments throughout the shoot that I would get really into my own head and start to doubt myself in small ways. So, to be able to go home to her every night and have someone who would build me up and remind me that things were going well and that I was doing a good job – it was invaluable and I honestly don’t think I could have done this without her.”