Kevin Grandalski is a former Burbank police officer best known as the longtime husband of Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin. Unlike Matlin, whose career has unfolded in film, television, theater, and advocacy, Grandalski spent his professional life largely outside the entertainment industry. The two met while Matlin was working on the NBC police drama Reasonable Doubts and married in 1993. They later raised four children together. Grandalski has maintained a relatively private profile, although he has occasionally accompanied Matlin to major events, including the Academy Awards.
Kevin Grandalski Quick Facts
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Kevin Grandalski |
| Known for | Husband of actress Marlee Matlin |
| Profession | Former/retired Burbank police officer |
| Spouse | Marlee Matlin |
| Marriage | August 29, 1993 |
| Children | Sarah, Brandon, Tyler and Isabelle |
| Connection to entertainment | Met Matlin during production of Reasonable Doubts |
| Recent public appearance | 98th Academy Awards in March 2026 |
Contemporary and recent coverage supports Grandalski’s law-enforcement background, his 1993 marriage to Matlin, and their four children. The Los Angeles Times described him as a retired Burbank police officer when he attended the 2026 Oscars with his wife.
Who Is Kevin Grandalski?
Kevin Grandalski built his career in law enforcement rather than Hollywood. His name became more widely recognized after his relationship with Marlee Matlin, but his documented professional history shows that policing was more than a biographical footnote.
A 1993 Los Angeles Times report identified Grandalski as a Burbank police officer serving on a newly established bicycle patrol in downtown Burbank. The unit was created to address summer crime, traffic, crowds and police visibility in the area. Grandalski and fellow officer John Dilibert were mentioned in connection with an unusual traffic stop involving a bicyclist suspected of riding while intoxicated.
Later coverage has described Grandalski as a former or retired police officer. PEOPLE used the description “former police officer” in its profile of the couple’s children, while the Los Angeles Times called him a retired Burbank police officer in March 2026.
Reliable publications do not consistently document his exact birth date, educational background, personal wealth or detailed police-service record, so such claims are best left out of a factual biography.
How Kevin Grandalski Met Marlee Matlin
Grandalski and Matlin met through an unusual intersection of their respective careers.
From 1991 to 1993, Matlin starred as Assistant District Attorney Tess Kaufman in NBC’s Reasonable Doubts. Grandalski was working in law enforcement when their paths crossed during production. PBS’s American Masters says Matlin met Grandalski while preparing for the television role, and contemporary reporting from the Los Angeles Times confirmed in March 1993 that she had become engaged to the Burbank police officer she met while making the series.
Accounts of the meeting have added that Grandalski was involved with security and traffic duties connected with filming. Matlin later recalled that she saw him while he was monitoring traffic during production.
By March 1993, the couple were engaged and planning an August wedding.
Their 1993 Wedding at Henry Winkler’s Home
Kevin Grandalski and Marlee Matlin married on August 29, 1993. A Los Angeles Times report published days after the ceremony said both were 28 at the time and that the wedding took place at the home of actor Henry Winkler, one of Matlin’s longtime friends and mentors. The ceremony was jointly conducted by a priest and a rabbi.
The location carried personal significance for Matlin. Winkler and his wife, Stacey, had previously welcomed her into their home, and their relationship remained an important part of her life. The 2025 documentary Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore revisited that history, including the fact that Matlin and Grandalski were married in the Winklers’ backyard.
Their marriage has lasted for more than three decades. In a July 2025 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Matlin described herself as enjoying empty-nester life with Grandalski. The following March, the couple appeared together on the red carpet at the 98th Academy Awards.
Kevin Grandalski and Marlee Matlin’s Children
Grandalski and Matlin are parents to four children: Sarah, Brandon, Tyler and Isabelle. PEOPLE identifies Sarah as the eldest, followed by Brandon, Tyler and Isabelle.
The family grew over a period spanning the late 1990s and early 2000s:
| Year | Family milestone |
|---|---|
| 1993 | Kevin Grandalski and Marlee Matlin marry |
| 1996 | Daughter Sarah is born |
| 2000 | Son Brandon is born |
| 2002 | Son Tyler is born |
| 2003 | Daughter Isabelle is born |
| 2024 | Sarah makes Matlin and Grandalski first-time grandparents |
| 2026 | Grandalski and Matlin attend the 98th Oscars together |
The children’s birth years are documented by PEOPLE and an official Los Angeles city document discussing Matlin’s family. PEOPLE also reported that Sarah later became a mother, making Grandalski and Matlin grandparents.
A Life Mostly Outside Hollywood
Although Grandalski is married to one of America’s best-known Deaf performers, he has never developed a comparable entertainment career.
His public appearances have generally been connected to Matlin. He has accompanied her to industry ceremonies and charitable events, and IMDb lists him only in archive footage as “Self – Husband” in the 2025 documentary Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore. That credit should not be confused with an acting career.
His relatively low-profile public life also explains why reliable biographical details about him are narrower than those available for Matlin. What can be firmly established is his policing career, his meeting and marriage to Matlin, their family, and occasional appearances alongside her.
Kevin Grandalski and Marlee Matlin Today
Recent reporting confirms that Grandalski remains part of Matlin’s public and family life. In 2025, the Los Angeles Times described the couple as empty nesters. Coverage surrounding Matlin’s documentary also discussed their long marriage and four adult children.
Their appearance together at the March 15, 2026 Academy Awards provides an especially recent public reference. The Los Angeles Times photographed and identified Grandalski alongside Matlin on the Oscars red carpet, describing him as her husband and a retired Burbank police officer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Kevin Grandalski?
Kevin Grandalski is a retired Burbank police officer who is best known publicly as the husband of Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin. His documented career was in law enforcement rather than entertainment.
What does Kevin Grandalski do for a living?
Grandalski worked as a police officer in Burbank, California. Recent reporting describes him as retired. A 1993 Los Angeles Times article documented his work with Burbank’s downtown bicycle patrol.
How did Kevin Grandalski meet Marlee Matlin?
They met while Matlin was working on the television drama Reasonable Doubts. Grandalski’s law-enforcement duties brought him into contact with the production, and the couple were engaged by early 1993.
When did Kevin Grandalski and Marlee Matlin get married?
They married on August 29, 1993, at the home of Matlin’s longtime friend Henry Winkler.
How many children do Kevin Grandalski and Marlee Matlin have?
They have four children: Sarah, Brandon, Tyler and Isabelle.
Is Kevin Grandalski an actor?
No established acting career is documented. IMDb lists him in archive footage as himself in the 2025 documentary Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore, reflecting his connection to Matlin rather than a professional acting career.
Conclusion
Kevin Grandalski’s biography is closely connected with Marlee Matlin, but his own documented career belongs to law enforcement. He served as a Burbank police officer, met Matlin while she was working on Reasonable Doubts, and married her in 1993. Together they raised four children and later became grandparents. More than three decades after their wedding, Grandalski continues to appear occasionally alongside Matlin while otherwise maintaining a much quieter public profile.
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