John Michael Higgins Opens Up About Love, Career, And Family

It’s not every day you meet someone as effortlessly charming as John Michael Higgins. This Hollywood heavyweight, who’s made a name for himself with his sharp wit and comedic timing, has found love and success by breaking some of the rules he once swore by. “I’ve been acting my whole life, but I always had this rule: never date someone you work with, and definitely don’t marry an actress,” John, now 56, tells Closer Weekly in an exclusive interview. “And guess what? I did both,” he laughs, reminiscing about the early days of his relationship with actress Margaret Welsh.

Love struck John unexpectedly during a production of George Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man in Connecticut. It was there he met Margaret, and as he puts it, “She had me wrapped around her finger from the start.” The two have been together for 20 years and have two children: a 16-year-old daughter, Maisie, and a 13-year-old son, Walter. Their family life is a testament to the power of love and the joy that comes with breaking self-imposed boundaries.

Though Connecticut gave him love, it was Hollywood that gave him fame. John’s quick-witted characters have graced the screens in films like Pitch Perfect and Best in Show, and he’s brought laughter to households as a cast member on Fran Drescher’s sitcom Happily Divorced. But it’s his hosting gig on the game show America Says that seems to have unlocked a new level of his comedic genius. “I want to do work that brings joy and recognition to people,” John says. “And if I can help facilitate those experiences, that’s where the magic happens.”

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Scroll below to read our exclusive Q&A with John!

What Makes Hosting America Says So Special?

John has hosted awards shows before, but this is his first foray into game shows. “I’ve never done a game show, so it’s been an exciting challenge,” he says. “There are eight contestants per show, and I do six shows a day. My job is to find what makes each contestant unique and turn them into characters. It’s always fascinating to uncover those stories. I might have said 'interestingly' three times already! [Laughs]”