Who Is Paula Harwood? Meet Peter Gallagher’s Wife

Paula Harwood is the wife of famous actor Peter Gallagher. But Paula has her own story too. She grew up in a creative family. She also studied at Tufts University, where she first met Peter.

Their love story did not start right away. Peter noticed Paula in college, but he was too shy to ask her out. It took him years to make that move. Their friendship slowly turned into love.

Today, Paula Harwood and Peter have been married for over 40 years. They also have two children. Let’s learn about Paula’s family, college years, love story, work, marriage, and private life.

Paula Harwood Quick Bio


Full Name	Paula Harwood
Famous As	Peter Gallagher’s wife
Birth Year	Around 1955, not confirmed
Age	Around 70, as of 2026
Birthplace	United States
Nationality	American
Ethnicity	Not confirmed
Education	Tufts University
Career	Interior designer, former producer
Mother	Paulette Harwood
Husband	Peter Gallagher
Married	May 7, 1983
Son	James Gallagher
Daughter	Kathryn Gallagher
Children	2
Height	About 5’6″–5’7″, unconfirmed
Net Worth	Not confirmed
Residence	Connecticut, reported
Known For	Long marriage to Peter Gallagher

Who Is Paula Harwood?

Paula Harwood is an interior designer. She also did some work as a producer. Still, most people know her as the wife of Peter Gallagher, a popular American actor.

Peter is known for The O.C., While You Were Sleeping, and many other movies and TV shows. Paula has joined him at some public events. Still, she does not enjoy living in the spotlight.

Paula likes to keep her life private. She does not share every part of her life with the public. This is one reason people want to know more about the woman who has been beside Peter for decades.

Paula Harwood’s Early Life

Not much is known about Paula Harwood’s early childhood. She has kept many family details private. Even her exact birthday has not been clearly confirmed by strong public sources.

Some reports said Paula was 67 years old in 2023. However, there is no clear public record that gives her exact birthday. It is better not to guess when the facts are not clear.

We do know that Paula grew up around art and dance. Her mother, Paulette Harwood, was a dancer. This creative family life may have helped Paula grow interested in art and other creative work.

Paula Harwood’s Mother Was a Ballet Dancer

Paula’s mother, Paulette Harwood, was a professional ballet dancer. She loved dance and spent much of her life sharing that love with other people.

Paulette started her own ballet studio. She ran Paulette’s Ballet Studio for 58 years. She taught many young dancers during that time. Her work became an important part of the Harwood family story.

Paulette died on August 23, 2019. Before her death, Paula’s son James filmed his grandmother teaching dance. The videos later became a short film called Paulette. It helped keep her story and love of dance alive.

Paula Harwood’s Education and College Years

Paula Harwood went to Tufts University in Massachusetts. Her college years became very important, not only because of her studies. This was also where she met her future husband.

Peter Gallagher was also studying at Tufts. At the time, he was just a young college student. He had not yet become the famous actor people know today.

Neither Paula nor Peter could know what was coming. A simple meeting at college would later lead to love, marriage, two children, and a life together that would last for decades.

How Paula Harwood Met Peter Gallagher

Peter first saw Paula during their first week at Tufts University. They passed each other on a stairway. They did not even speak during that first meeting.

Still, Peter remembered Paula very clearly. He remembered her hair and clothes. He thought she looked very stylish. Peter, however, did not feel very confident about himself at the time.

He thought Paula was too hard for him to reach. Peter even found her picture in their college yearbook. Later, he would see her at lunch and try to make her laugh. Slowly, they became closer.

Paula Harwood and Peter Gallagher’s Love Story

Their romance did not happen quickly. Peter has said it took him about seven years to finally ask Paula out. He liked her for a long time before he had the courage to make a move.

Making Paula laugh became an important part of their bond. Peter has said that humor is still a big part of their marriage. Even after many years together, laughter helps keep their relationship warm.

They also faced hard times. Peter and Paula once broke up. Peter’s mother told him that Paula was a wonderful woman. She also told him to think about his own mistakes before walking away from the relationship.

Paula Harwood and Peter Gallagher’s Wedding

Peter took his mother’s advice seriously. He and Paula found their way back to each other. Their love became stronger, and they decided to build a future together.

Paula Harwood married Peter Gallagher on May 7, 1983. Peter was already working as an actor, but his biggest years of fame had not arrived yet.

Paula was there before The O.C. and many of Peter’s famous movie roles. Their wedding started a new part of their story. Soon, they would build a family, raise two children, and face the changes that came with Peter’s growing fame.

How Paula Harwood and Peter Made Their Marriage Last

Paula Harwood and Peter Gallagher have been married for more than 40 years. Their marriage has lasted through busy jobs, raising children, and many changes in life. Peter says there is no magic trick behind it.

Peter often jokes about their long marriage. His simple advice is, “Don’t get divorced.” He has also said that he and Paula can drive each other crazy. Still, they keep choosing to stay together.

Peter has compared marriage to a garden. A garden needs care to stay healthy. He feels marriage needs care too. In 2023, Paula and Peter marked 40 years of marriage. By 2026, they have been married for 43 years.

Paula Harwood’s Career and Work

Paula Harwood has worked outside her husband’s acting career. She has been described as an interior designer. This work allowed her to use her creative side without becoming a major public name.

Paula also had some work in film production. Still, there is not much public information about her projects. She chose a quieter career path, while Peter spent much of his working life on movie sets, TV shows, and stages.

This tells us something important about Paula. She has lived around fame for decades, but she did not make fame her goal. She built her own life and kept much of her work away from the public eye.

Paula Harwood and Peter Gallagher’s Children

Paula and Peter have two children, James Gallagher and Kathryn Gallagher. They became parents while Peter’s acting career was growing. Their children were raised in a home filled with music, acting, film, and other forms of art.

Both children later chose creative paths. This is not too surprising when we look at the family. Their father is an actor, their mother has a creative background, and their grandmother Paulette spent decades teaching ballet.

Paula and Peter also seem proud of their children. Kathryn once thanked her parents publicly and spoke warmly about them. As the children grew older, they began making names for themselves instead of simply living under their father’s fame.

Paula Harwood’s Son James Gallagher

James Gallagher was born in 1990, according to published reports. He became interested in film and started working behind the camera. His work also helped save an important part of his own family history.

Before his grandmother Paulette died, James began filming her dance classes. At first, he simply wanted to record his grandmother doing what she loved. The filming soon became something much bigger.

James turned the footage into the short documentary Paulette. He has also directed other work, including Love. His path shows how the family’s creative story moved from one generation to another.

Paula Harwood’s Daughter Kathryn Gallagher

Paula and Peter’s daughter, Kathryn Gallagher, was born on July 23, 1993. Like her father, she went into entertainment. Kathryn became an actress, singer, songwriter, and stage performer.

She appeared in the Netflix series You. She also became known for her work in the Broadway musical Jagged Little Pill. Her stage work earned her a Tony Award nomination, which was a major moment in her career.

There is also a sweet link between Kathryn’s career and her mother. Paula loved playing Alanis Morissette’s music in the car when Kathryn was young. Years later, Kathryn became part of a Broadway show built around those songs.

Where Is Paula Harwood Today?

As of 2026, Paula Harwood continues to keep a low public profile. A 2024 report said Peter was living with Paula in Connecticut. Their children are now adults and have their own careers.

Paula still appears with Peter from time to time. Yet she does not spend her life trying to get media attention. After decades around Hollywood, she seems comfortable keeping most family moments away from the cameras.

Her story is interesting for that reason. Paula has been close to fame for much of her adult life. Still, she has found a way to keep a normal side to her life and protect many personal details.

Final Thoughts

Paula Harwood is much more than Peter Gallagher’s wife. She comes from an artistic family, studied at Tufts University, worked in creative fields, and helped raise two children who later followed creative paths of their own.

Her love story with Peter is also special. Peter noticed her in college, spent years trying to win her heart, and married her on May 7, 1983. More than four decades later, they are still sharing their life together.

Paula has never needed constant fame to make her story interesting. Her mother’s dance career, her children’s work, and her long marriage all form part of that story. In 2026, Paula Harwood remains a private but important part of the Gallagher family.