Spencer Garrett, Dana Bash's Boyfriend: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know (2024)

GettySpencer Garrett and Dana Bash in 2015.

CNN journalist Dana Bash is moderating a debate between Senators Lindsey Graham, Bill Cassidy, Bernie Sanders and Amy Klobuchar on Monday with Jake Tapper. The 46-year-old Bash is dating actor Spencer Garrett Heckenkamp, known professionally as just Spencer Garrett.

Bash has been married and divorced twice previously. She was first married to former CIA And Defense Department Chief of Staff Jeremy Bash from 1998 to 2007. She was also married to fellow CNN anchor John King from 2008 to 2012. She has a son, Jonah Frank, with King.

You can follow Garrett on Twitter and Instagram.

Here’s what you need to know about Garrett and his relationship with Bash.

1. Bash & Garrett Met in 2013 & Were Introduced by Mutual Friends

Garrett and Bash first met in 2013 when he was on a break from House of Cards production, The Washington Post reported. He was out shopping with entrepreneur Susanna Quinn, who was also in Below The Beltway (2010) with Garrett, when he asked if she knew any single women.

A source told the Post that Quinn’s reply was, “Yes, the smartest single woman alive: Dana Bash.”

Later, Quinn texted Bash, telling her to Google Garrett and then go over to her house. They’be been together ever since. Bash even called him her “celebrity crush” in a Q&A for The Hill.

2. Garrett Is No Trump Fan, Once Calling the President a ‘Psychotic Twit’ on Twitter

GettyDana Bash and her boyfriend, actor Spencer Garrett, in April 2017.

A quick glance at Garrett’s Twitter page will make it clear that he’s no fan of President Donald Trump. After Trump was elected, Garrett posted something that went a little too far and deleted it.

As Mediate reported, Garrett tweeted at Trump after Trump wrote that CNN must be “so embarrassed” because Hillary Clinton lost.

“Go the f**k to sleep you psychotic twit,” Garrett wrote. “Haven’t you embarrassed us enough?”

Garrett deleted the tweet moments later, but it was up long enough for a screenshot to be made.

3. Garrett’s Mom Is Actress Kathleen Nolan

GettySpencer Garrett with his mom Kathleen Nolan.

Garrett is a third-generation actor who was born in Los Angeles. His father is the late Richard Steven Heckenkamp, who founded the Film Artists Associates talent agency.

Garrett’s mother is Emmy-nominated actress Kathleen Nolan, who was born Jocelyn Schrum. She earned an Emmy nomination in 1959 for her supporting role in the comedy The Real McCoys. Now 83, Nolan continues to act, most recently in the film Dog Years with Burt Reynolds. Nolan was also the first woman president of the Screen Actors Guild.

In a 2014 interview with Icon Versus Icon, Garrett said his grandparents, his aunt and his uncle were all actors.

“When I got out of college, I spent about four years in Washington, DC working for NPR,” Garrett told Icon Versus Icon. “I started doing theater in Washington, DC and that is where I got the bug. That is when I thought, ‘Alright, I am going to give this a shot! I will give it a couple of years. If it works, great! If not, I have a good degree and I will move on to something else.’ It kind of took hold and I haven’t stopped working since!”

4. Garrett Appeared in an Episode of ‘Mad Men’ as an Avon Marketing Executive

GettySpencer Garrett in 2016.

Garrett has made several memorable appearances on television shows, even if you aren’t familiar with his name. Mad Man fans remember him from his appearance in the 2013 episode “A Tale of Two Cities” as Avon’s new marketing chief, Andy Hayes. He had a scene with Christina Hendricks’ character Joan Harris.

Garrett also made appearances in Dallas, 21 Jump Street, The X-Files, JAG, Law & Order and House of Cards. This year, he’s been seen in multiple episodes of Insecure as John Merrill.

Star Trek fans also know him from his appearance in a 1991 Star Trek: The Next Generation episode and a two-episode arc on Star Trek: Voyager in 2000. He played two different characters in the franchise.

5. Garrett’s Been Told He Looks Like Beau Bridges By Beau Bridges Himself

GettySpencer Garrett in 2015.

During a RedditAMA, Garrett was asked if anyone has ever told him that he looks like actor Beau Bridges, Jeff Bridges’ brother and the late Lloyd Bridges’ son. He said he’s been told that for about 20 years and even Bridges himself agrees.

When they worked on Masters of Sex in 2013, “I introduced myself, and he looked at me, and he said, ‘Has anyone ever told you that we look alike? I feel like I’m looking in a mirror’ and then he proceeded to tell me a story about when he was a young boy, he was at my parent’s wedding, both Beau & Jeff, and their father Lloyd, and Lloyd’s wife, were at the wedding of my mom & dad,” Garrett wrote.

At the wedding, Beau “bumped” into Garrett’s mother and gave her a bloody nose! Bridges then asked Garrett if he could call his mother to apologize all 50 years later, using Garrett’s phone.

“So I got on my cell phone, we called my mom, she picked up, I said, ‘Mom I have someone here who’d like to talk to you,’ and then Beau said ‘Hey Kathleen, it’s Beau Bridges’ and I heard this funny laugh, my mother’s funny laugh on the other end of the phone, and Beau said, ‘I just wanted to apologize for giving you a bloody nose 50 years ago.’ And she said, ‘All is forgiven, my dear, take care of my son.’ Isn’t that sweet?”