Celebrities

‘Law & Order’ Chris Noth Raises 2 Biracial Sons With a Wife He Did Not Marry for 10 Years

Despite their 27-year age difference, Chris Noth and Tara Wilson started quite early and went to great lengths to keep their relationship private.

While the couple stayed away from the spotlight, they worked together on several occasions, from starring in movies to business partners.

ABOUT CHRIS NOTH

On November 13, 1954, Christopher David Noth was born to Charles James Noth, a marketing-company vice-president and insurance agent, and Jeanne Parr, a news reporter, with her talk show “The Jeanne Parr Show.”

His parents separated when he was a child, and he lost his father when he was 11. Noth spent the remainder of his childhood with his mother and three siblings.

He attended an experimental coed school called The Barlow School, which completely changed his life to focus on the arts. After graduation, he studied at Marlboro College in Vermont.

Noth wanted to be a writer or poet but studied English literature and religion. While still in school, he joined the repertory theatre company and first appeared on stage in the play “She Stoops To Conquer.” He went to Yale School of Drama, and before he graduated, he studied with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse in Manhattan.

To make ends meet, Noth worked as a waiter in different restaurants. In 1985, Noth had graduated with a Masters of Fine Arts, and because the theatre was his first love, he told his agent he would not do television.

Unfortunately, roles were slow to come, and he had to do television to survive. In 1988, he filmed a pilot for “Law & Order” as NYPD’s homicide detective Mike Logan. He became the last original cast member to leave the series in 1995. Three years later, he reprised his role for the TV movie “Exiled: A Law & Order Movie.” While Noth appeared in films and series, his stage career also blossomed.

In 2000, Noth made his Broadway debut when he played the role of Senator Joseph Cantwell in a revival of Gore Vidal’s “The Best Man” at Virginia Theatre. Between 1998 and 2004, Noth established himself as a romantic comedian when he played the role of Carrie Bradshaw’s on-again, off-again boyfriend “Big” on “Sex and the City.”

In 2005, he returned to the role of Mike Logan on “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and played the role for another three years. Noth has also starred in other series like “The Good Wife,” “Tyrant,” “The Equalizer,” among others. In 2001, he won the World Theater Award – Best Broadway Debut for “The Best Man,” In 2015, he was named GQ International Icon Of The Year.

Noth is also a businessman interested in the entertainment side of the business. He co-owns several clubs and is a majority-stake owner of Ambhar Tequila.

HOW NOTH MET HIS WIFE

The couple met in 2002 while Tara Wilson was working as a bartender at “The Cutting Room,” a music club, which Noth co-owns with Steve Walter.

Besides being a bartender, Wilson is also an actress who went to New York City to pursue acting, and she graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. After their first meeting, Noth and Wilson realized they were compatible, beginning their fairytale love.

The actress, who starred in an episode of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” in 2004, is also a businesswoman. Noth and Wilson co-own the tea house “Once Upon a Tea Cup” in Windsor, Ontario. The couple, who now have two children, got married after ten years of dating. Even though Wilson has continued to act on stage in productions, very little is known about her because she and Noth are very protective of their private life.

Noth has always prioritized privacy when it comes to his family. He has become adept at dodging paparazzi over the years, preferring to shield his loved ones from the intrusive lens of celebrity life.

Their engagement came in 2009, following the birth of their first son. In 2009, they shared the screen in the indie film “Frame of Mind.” However, it wasn’t until April 6, 2012, that they exchanged vows.

Noth and Wilson opted for an intimate ceremony, taken aback when their wedding photos surfaced publicly. Their nuptials unfolded in a secluded Hawaiian locale on Maui, witnessed by a mere ten guests at a lavish oceanfront estate on Makena Beach, with their son Orion taking on the role of ringbearer.

For Noth, the invasion of privacy that comes with celebrity status is distasteful. He endeavors to shield his family and relationship from the prying eyes of the media. Moreover, being married to an African American-Filipino woman, their interracial relationship has sometimes drawn unwelcome attention.

They’ve encountered hate mail and discouraging messages urging them not to appear together in certain places. Yet, Noth remains resilient, choosing to ignore the negativity and hoping for the healing of those who harbor such sentiments.

Raising their two biracial sons, Noth envisions a future where diversity is embraced naturally, transcending the confines of black and white. Orion Christopher, their first son, arrived in January 2008 in Los Angeles, marking the couple’s foray into parenthood.

In February 2020, their family welcomed a new addition, Keats, after announcing the pregnancy in September of the prior year. With parenthood, Noth’s focus on protecting his children has intensified. They split their time between New York and Los Angeles, favoring the tranquility of suburban life over the paparazzi-infested bustle of urban celebrity hubs.