Oscars 2020: Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach Are the First Couple to Compete Against Each Other

May the best partner win! 

When Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig started dating in 2011, who could have known that almost a decade later the immensely talented directors would be contenders for one of the biggest honors in the entertainment industry. It was announced this morning that both Noah and Greta are nominated for Best Director for the 2020 Oscars. 

Noah is nominated for his work on the film Marriage Story, which he also wrote. Greta is nominated for directing the classic film Little Women, which she also shares a writing credit on. The pair is no doubt in support of one another, but this is a history making moment not only personally, but it will be the first time romantic partners are up for the same award. 

This is Greta’s third nomination, and second in this category. Her 2017 film Lady Bird was nominated for Best Original Screenplay and Greta also received a Best Director nod. Noah was nominated in 2006 for his work on the movie The Squid and the Whale, which he wrote and directed, and got a Best Original Screenplay nomination for. 

The couple, who welcomed their first child together in 2019, has been together since 2011 after meeting on the set of Greenberg. In a profile with The Hollywood Reporter, they recently shared how tough it can be to be in a relationship with someone who has the same career as you. “You come home at 3 in the morning and you climb into bed and the other person’s half asleep—you feel…” Noah shared before Greta finished his sentence. “Lonely,” she answered. 

However, they’ve learned to work through the ebb and the  flow. “The thing you want more than anything is for someone to just take care of you because shooting a movie is so much,” Greta shared. “But because we’re both doing it, we haven’t necessarily always been able to be the person who was there. Sometimes it’s not completely possible.”

Best of luck to the happy couple!