Why Ali Larter's Husband Looks So Familiar

Ali Larter's husband, Hayes MacArthur, has stood by her side throughout her career, and vice versa. Named after his great aunt, Hollywood legend Helen Hayes, MacArthur started his career as a stand-up comedian and studied at The Groundlings while living in a rat-infested apartment with fellow comedians Ike Barinholtz and Josh Meyers, as he joked on "Late Night with Seth Meyers" in 2016. In 2003, MacArthur won the Rebels of Comedy Competition; soon after, he began making guest appearances on TV, showing up in episodes of "King of Queens" and "Medium" in 2005.

MacArthur has continued to work in film and TV, having roles in hit movies like girl dad Dwayne Johnson's family comedy "The Game Plan" and the holiday comedy "Dear Santa." Along the way, MacArthur executive produced and starred in "Mr. Mom," a series based on the classic Michael Keaton movie, and guest-starred on "The Morning Show." Among comedy fans, though, MacArthur is likely best known for playing Rashida Jones' partner Detective Jay Geils in Nancy and Steve Carell's show, "Angie Tribeca." In 2025, MacArthur starred in the Amazon series "Runarounds."

Hayes isn't the only famous MacArthur. As he posted on Instagram, his grandmother modeled for Coca-Cola and was, as he put it, "The woman who launched the whole beverage." His brother, Scott MacArthur, also works in film and TV; he was a writer and actor on "The Righteous Gemstones" and "The Mick," and is a series regular in Kate Hudson's Netflix series "Running Point." Finally, his aforementioned great aunt Helen was the first person to win the so-called Triple Crown of acting, garnering an Oscar, an Emmy, and a Tony.

Hayes MacArthur met his wife, Ali Larter, on the set of the 2007 movie "National Lampoon's Homo Erectus." She quickly fell in love with her future husband, telling Cosmopolitan (via Us Weekly), "I told my boyfriend after three weeks that I wanted to marry him and that we could do it tomorrow." They were engaged before the end of the year, continuing Larter's stunning transformation as an actor and person.

The two tied the knot in 2009 at Kennebunkport, Maine, with Larter's "Varsity Blues" co-star and close friend Amy Smart in attendance for the event. Speaking with People 16 years later, Larter explained the secret to their marriage in two simple credos: "Enjoy every day," and "Try to be really kind." The couple has generally kept their private lives to themselves, rarely discussing their relationship in interviews, but some odd details of their marriage have slipped out.

Larter and MacArthur had their first child, a boy, in 2010, and their second child, a girl, in 2015. The family moved out of Los Angeles and to Sun Valley, Idaho, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Larter explained to Rue that they initially went to the small town to have an adventure, and what started as a two-month escape turned into a new home. Speaking to Country Living, Larter explained that she preferred raising her children in a small town as opposed to Los Angeles, saying, "There's a different level of respect that comes with growing up in an intimate community — when you're in line, you don't bump your horn at the car in front of you because you probably know them. Manners mean something."

After the move to Idaho, Ali Larter and Hayes MacArthur began to get involved with the charity Higher Ground, which serves people with disabilities, veterans, and first responders. Larter spoke about their work on "Live with Kelly and Mark" and how her father's service in the military led them to the organization. Larter explained that her dad, Danforth Larter, was drafted during the Vietnam War and rarely spoke about it, but has started to open up about his experiences as time has gone on. The charity focuses on giving veterans and first responders with disabilities, as well as their families, opportunities to deal with their trauma through adaptive recreational activities and therapy, as well as help them develop skills to be successful in everyday life.

Along with hosting Higher Ground events with guests like Peyton Manning, Larter has used her social media to help bring focus to the organization, posting about it on Instagram. At the same time, MacArthur has used his stand-up skills to put on benefit shows for the group with guests that include Patton Oswalt and Jay Chandrasekhar. MacArthur serves on Higher Ground's board of directors and has also worked with charitable organizations like Feeding America, Communities in Schools, and The Art of Elysium.