Who Is Mena Suvari's Husband? All About Michael Hope

Mena Suvari and Michael Hope's real-life love story is straight out of a romance film — literally. 

The actress met Hope on the set of the 2016 Hallmark movie I'll Be Home for Christmas. She starred in the holiday project alongside James Brolin, while Hope worked in the art department as a set director and prop master.

Two years after their meet-cute, the couple married in a secret ceremony in 2018, and later welcomed their first child in 2021. Though the marriage marked the first for Hope, it was Suvari's third time down the aisle. The model-turned-actress eloped with cinematographer Robert Brinkmann in 2000, but the pair divorced in 2005. Suvari then got married a second time to concert promoter Simone Sestito in 2010 before they split in 2012.

In September 2018, Suvari celebrated their "forever" happiness on Instagram. 

"One month apart, only one day together," she captioned a photo of the two wearing black sunglasses. "There are no words that express...The only thing: luck in that we have each other in the first place. You are a beautiful soul @mikehope__ and I am only ever my true self when I am with you."

So who is Mena Suvari's husband? Here's everything to know about Michael Hope and his relationship with the American Beauty star.

He's from Canada

According to Hope's LinkedIn, he's from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, just north of the U.S. border near the Great Lakes.

He attended Sault College in Ontario from 2010 to 2012 and majored in graphic design. Hope has worked on the set of series such as Slasher, Killjoys, Cardinal and The Umbrella Academy. 

He's a painter and photographer

Not only is Hope a prop master and set designer, but he's also an artist with a penchant for painting and photography. He shared his work — many of which are of basketball players in action — on his Instagram, before making the account private.

He and Suvari secretly wed in an intimate ceremony

The couple initially sparked marriage rumors in August 2018 after Suvari posted a photo of them dressed in white and holding hands. She captioned the image, "Forever finally found us…"

Over a month later, Suvari confirmed she and Hope tied the knot in 2018. 

"It's great. I'm really happy. We're happy," the American Pie actress told Us Weekly that October while attending the Last Chance for Animals' Annual Celebrity Benefit. 

She revealed that the ceremony "was very intimate" and "very beautiful" but remained tight-lipped about when and where the nuptials were held.

"I had my closest friends with me," she told the outlet. "It was very meaningful. After all these years, sort of having ups and downs, it's very nice just being settled, especially at this point in my life." 

When asked whether the pair planned to expand their new family with kids, Suvari said at the time, "I have a few years left. We'll see!"

He shares a son with Suvari

PEOPLE exclusively revealed that Suvari and Hope were expecting their first child in October 2020. Their son Christopher Alexander arrived in April 2021. 

When she announced her pregnancy, Suvari told PEOPLE she was excited to bond with her son and that her son's childhood would be spent with present parents.

"I've always had this attitude of I can't wait to get to know them," she said. "I just want to be like, 'Who are you? Where do you come from? What do you have to teach me?' I want to give as much as I can and try to communicate as much as possible and be really present."

She continued, "But I don't want to be that helicopter parent! I feel like my husband is going to be the cool one, and I'm going to be the one that's nervous about everything."

Suvari — who published her first memoir, The Great Peace, in 2021 — told PEOPLE, "I'm still falling into that place and just feeling so honored that he came to us. It's all I ever wanted for years. Even before I met my husband, I always wanted a little boy, and it just feels so beautiful and special."