You’ve probably seen the name Eric Johnson pop up in your news feed and immediately thought of Jessica Simpson. It’s a common mix-up. But here’s the thing: that Eric Johnson is a former NFL player. If you’re looking for the Canadian actor who played the brooding Jack Hyde in Fifty Shades Darker or the legendary Flash Gordon, you’re looking for a completely different guy with a very different love life.
Eric Johnson actor wife is actually Adria Budd, a woman who has been by his side since the early 2000s. While the "other" Eric Johnson is often in the tabloids, the Vikings actor and Adria have built one of those rare, long-lasting Hollywood marriages that actually stays under the radar.
Honestly, it’s kinda refreshing.
🔗 Read more: Melania Trump Net Worth 2024: What Most People Get Wrong
How Eric Johnson and Adria Budd Actually Met
They didn't meet at a glitzy Hollywood party or through a high-priced dating app. It happened on the set of Smallville. Remember that show? Eric played Whitney Fordman, Clark Kent’s high school rival.
Adria Budd wasn't an actress on the show. She was working behind the scenes. Specifically, she was a personal assistant to veteran actors Annette O’Toole and John Glover. Working long hours on a TV set in Vancouver has a way of bringing people together.
They hit it off almost immediately.
By 2004, they decided to make it official. They got married on August 7, 2004. If you’re doing the math, that means they’ve been together for over two decades. In industry years, that’s basically an eternity.
📖 Related: Tulsi Gabbard Hair Color: Why That Silver Streak Actually Matters
Who is Adria Budd?
Adria isn't just "the wife." She’s a powerhouse in the Canadian film and TV industry in her own right. She’s a writer and producer who has worked on several projects, often collaborating with her husband.
- Writing Credits: She’s known for her work on The Chat Channel.
- Producing: She has a keen eye for independent projects.
- Industry Roots: Having started as an executive assistant, she knows the business from the ground up.
They aren't just partners at home; they’ve also been partners on set. Adria has produced projects that Eric starred in, which sounds like a recipe for disaster for some couples, but for them, it seems to be the secret sauce.
The Reality of Their Private Life
In 2007, their lives changed in a big way. They welcomed their daughter, Calla Prairie Johnson.
Unlike many celebrity parents who sell the first photos of their kids to magazines, Eric and Adria have been pretty protective. You might see a stray Instagram post here or there, but they aren't pushing their family life as a brand.
It’s a stark contrast to the NFL Eric Johnson, whose marriage to Jessica Simpson—and their subsequent separation in late 2024/early 2025—has been documented in every tabloid from here to Timbuktu.
The Confusion Factor
Let’s clear this up once and for all because the internet is a messy place.
If you are searching for Eric Johnson's wife and you see headlines about "living separately" or "painful situations," that is not about the actor. Those reports concern Jessica Simpson and the former athlete Eric Johnson.
The actor Eric Johnson and Adria Budd are, by all accounts, still very much a team. They live a relatively quiet life, split between filming locations and their home base.
Why Their Relationship Works
It’s mostly about shared perspective. Since Adria understands the grueling schedule of a working actor—the 4 a.m. call times, the months spent on location in places like Ireland (where Eric filmed Vikings)—there’s an inherent level of empathy there.
He’s played some pretty dark characters, too. Dealing with the psychological toll of playing a villain like Jack Hyde requires a solid support system at home.
What You Should Know About Eric’s Career
To understand their dynamic, you have to look at how busy Eric has been. He isn't just a "one-hit-wonder" actor.
💡 You might also like: Ken Vanderpump Young: The Wild Reality of Ken Todd Before the Cameras
- Smallville: Where it all began.
- Flash Gordon: He took the lead in the 2007 reimagining.
- Rookie Blue: He played Luke Callaghan for several seasons.
- The Knick: A gritty, period medical drama where he showed serious range.
- Fifty Shades Franchise: This put him on the global map as a romantic (and slightly terrifying) lead.
Throughout all of these career shifts, Adria has been the constant.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're following the career of Eric Johnson the actor, don't get sidetracked by the gossip surrounding the NFL player of the same name. It's easy to do, especially since Google often lumps their search results together.
- Verify the Middle Name: The actor is often credited as Eric Johann Johnson.
- Follow the Right Accounts: Eric is active on social media, but he keeps it mostly about his work, his photography, and his occasional outdoor adventures.
- Support Their Work: Look for projects where Adria Budd is involved in the production side; these often feature the best of their collaborative spirit.
The couple remains a testament to the fact that you can have a successful, decades-long marriage in show business as long as you keep the private stuff private. They’ve managed to avoid the "celebrity couple" trap by simply being a normal couple who happens to work in the movies.