Meredith Hagner has built a career defined by sharp comic timing, from her early daytime television days to standout roles in prestige comedy series. Beyond acting, she’s become a familiar name for her marriage into the Russell-Hawn family and her growing life as a mother of two. This piece walks through her career, relationship, and family milestones.
Biography Table
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Meredith Hagner |
| Profession/Occupation | Actress |
| Years Active | 2008–present |
| Education | Chapel Hill High School (2005); Boston Conservatory |
| Spouse/Partner | Wyatt Russell (m. September 2019) |
| Children | Two sons — Buddy Prine (b. March 2021) and Boone Joseph (b. February 2024) |
| Notable Works | As the World Turns, Search Party, Strangers, Palm Springs, Bad Monkey, You’re Cordially Invited |
| Awards/Honors | Daytime Emmy nomination, Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series (2009) |
Meredith Hagner Early Life and Education
Hagner was born in New York City but spent much of her childhood in Houston, Texas, before her family relocated to Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She graduated from Chapel Hill High School in 2005, already leaning toward performance over anything else.
After high school, she spent roughly six months at the Boston Conservatory before making the leap to New York City to chase acting work full time. It was a fast, unglamorous start — she took an unpaid job, slept on a hand-me-down hospice bed that had belonged to her late grandmother, and shared a railroad apartment to cover rent.
To stay afloat, Hagner worked as a server at the Jekyll & Hyde Club, a tourist-trap restaurant in Times Square, and handed out fliers for movie screenings. She’s joked about setting a personal record for the fewest people she managed to pull in off the street.
Her first paid gig came through a commercial for Acuvue, followed by other national ad spots for brands like 3M, JCPenney, Levi’s, and Subway — practical, unglamorous work that funded her early years in the city while she pursued acting roles.
Meredith Hagner Movies and TV Shows: A Career Built on Comedy
Hagner’s screen debut came on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, where she played Liberty Ciccone, the illegitimate daughter of Brad Snyder and Janet Ciccone, from 2008 to 2010. The role earned her a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series in 2009.
After leaving the soap, she moved into primetime and film, appearing in the short-lived FX drama Lights Out and the TBS sitcom Men at Work from 2012 to 2014. She also guest-starred on shows like Royal Pains, In Plain Sight, and CSI: Miami during this stretch, building range across genres.
Her breakout came with HBO Max’s Search Party, where she played Portia Davenport, a shallow but scene-stealing hipster actress, from 2016 through 2022. Rolling Stone named the character one of the 20 best TV characters of 2016, and the role cemented Hagner as a comedic standout.
She followed that with the Facebook Watch comedy-drama Strangers (2017–2018), the Quibi comedy Dummy (2020), and a supporting turn in the hit 2020 film Palm Springs. More recently, she starred opposite Vince Vaughn in Apple TV+’s Bad Monkey (2024) and appeared in the 2025 rom-com You’re Cordially Invited alongside Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell.
| Year | Project | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–2010 | As the World Turns | Liberty Ciccone | Soap opera |
| 2012–2014 | Men at Work | — | Sitcom |
| 2016–2022 | Search Party | Portia Davenport | Comedy series |
| 2017–2018 | Strangers | Lead | Web series |
| 2020 | Palm Springs | Supporting | Film |
| 2024 | Bad Monkey | Eve | Crime series |
| 2025 | You’re Cordially Invited | Supporting | Film |
Meredith Hagner Younger Years: From Ad Campaigns to Series Regular
In her younger years breaking into the industry, Hagner leaned heavily on commercial work to pay the bills while auditioning for scripted roles. Spots for Radio Shack, Truth, and Subway kept her working steadily before her soap opera break arrived.
Landing a series regular role on As the World Turns in her early twenties gave her the training ground many actors of her generation lacked. She’s described soaps as a “delayed zeitgeist moment” — underappreciated in the moment but foundational to her acting instincts.
That early period also shaped her comfort with fast-paced, high-volume production schedules, something that clearly carried over into her later comedic work on ensemble shows like Search Party, where quick, layered line delivery became her signature.
How Meredith Hagner Met Wyatt Russell
Hagner and Wyatt Russell met on the set of the 2016 film Folk Hero & Funny Guy, where they worked together as co-stars. The connection wasn’t instant tabloid fodder — the pair kept their budding relationship largely private in the years that followed.
Their on-screen chemistry apparently carried off-camera, and the two continued dating quietly while both pursued busy, separate acting careers. Wyatt, son of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, was already navigating a public last name long before he and Hagner became a couple.
Interestingly, Hagner also had a blink-and-you-miss-it moment tied to Wyatt’s family well before their relationship — a one-second cameo in a project connected to the Russell-Hawn circle, though the real spark came later, on set, away from any spotlight.
Meredith Hagner and Wyatt Russell’s Engagement and Wedding
Wyatt Russell proposed to Hagner in December 2018 during the Christmas holiday season in Snowmass, Colorado. He presented her with a diamond halo engagement ring in what she later called an “epic surprise” surrounded by close family.
Hagner shared the news on Instagram with photos of the couple embracing, captioning the moment by calling Wyatt “the best guy in the world” and referring to him as the “love of my dang life” — a caption that quickly circulated among fans of the family.
The couple married in September 2019 in Aspen, tying the knot at Goldie Hawn’s family home. Guests were transported to the property via school buses, and the ceremony leaned into a western theme, complete with cowboy hats and a rehearsal dinner at a local restaurant the night before.
Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson, Wyatt’s siblings, were both in attendance, and photos from the celebration showed the wedding party in matching navy blue shirts — a relaxed, family-first affair rather than a heavily publicized Hollywood event.
Meredith Hagner and Kate Hudson: Why Fans Think They Look Alike
One of the more persistent online conversations around Hagner centers on her resemblance to sister-in-law Kate Hudson. Since Wyatt is Hudson’s brother, the two women are connected by marriage, not biology — yet many fans insist they could pass for twins.
The comparisons intensified after the two appeared together at the 30th Critics’ Choice Awards, where their ensemble cast won for Best Acting Ensemble. Hudson wore a black figure-hugging dress while Hagner stunned in an elegant white gown embellished with silver sequins, and side-by-side photos went viral almost immediately.
It’s a fun coincidence more than anything else — Hagner and Hudson aren’t biologically related, but their similar coloring, bone structure, and shared circle have made the “separated at birth” jokes a recurring theme whenever they’re photographed together.
Meredith Hagner’s Kids: Meet Buddy and Boone
Hagner and Russell welcomed their first child, a son named Buddy Prine Russell, in March 2021, after announcing the pregnancy in November 2020. Wyatt spoke to Entertainment Tonight about becoming a new dad, calling the experience a “mish-mash” that reshapes how your brain works almost overnight.
Their second son, Boone Joseph Russell, arrived in February 2024. Hagner shared the news on Instagram with a photo from the hospital bed, cradling her newborn just a week after his due date, with a caption describing hearts overflowing.
Reflecting on fatherhood in an interview with PEOPLE in April 2025, Wyatt said becoming a father of two shifted his entire perspective on what a fulfilled life actually looks like, describing the challenges of parenting as “amazing problems” worth having.
Despite the public interest in their baby news, the couple has kept most details about their sons — including their day-to-day routines — largely out of the spotlight, sharing milestones on their own terms rather than through constant press coverage.
Life With In-Laws Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn
Marrying into the Russell-Hawn family means Hagner’s in-laws are two of Hollywood’s most enduring stars. She’s spoken about how sharp and comedically gifted both Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn are, comparing Hawn’s timing to a “one of a kind” talent on the level of Lucille Ball.
Despite the star power surrounding the family, Hagner and Wyatt have consistently opted for a private approach to their relationship, rarely walking red carpets together and avoiding the kind of visibility that could come easily given his parents’ fame.
When they have appeared publicly — including the Vanity Fair Oscar party and an Apple TV+ Primetime Emmy party — it’s been low-key. Hagner has used Instagram more than red carpets to celebrate her husband, praising his “amazing performances” and saying she’s “endlessly proud” of his work.
That balance of private family life and occasional public support has become a defining trait of their marriage, especially compared to the higher-profile visibility often associated with the wider Russell-Hawn family.
Family Road Trips and Vacations
Between demanding filming schedules, Hagner and Russell prioritize travel as a way to reconnect, often opting for unconventional trips over traditional vacations. In March 2021, while expecting their first child, the couple converted a Mercedes Sprinter van for a cross-country road trip.
The van came equipped with a stovetop, a dining banquette, and sleeping areas — practical enough for long stretches on the road. They’ve also taken camping trips to Oregon and traveled internationally to Greece, favoring flexible, last-minute plans that fit around their acting jobs.
Hagner has spoken candidly about the less glamorous side of van travel, including quick, timed showers at rest stops and laughing through cramped quarters — a far cry from the polished vacation photos typical of celebrity travel content.
These trips, often taken with close friends and family in tow, reflect a broader pattern in how the couple spends downtime: low-key, adventure-driven, and intentionally removed from the more staged version of celebrity life.
Meredith Hagner Net Worth
While Hagner hasn’t publicly disclosed an exact figure, her net worth is generally estimated to fall in the low millions, built through nearly two decades of steady television and film work rather than any single breakout paycheck.
Her income streams span daytime television, cable sitcoms, streaming series, and film roles, alongside early commercial work for major national brands. Series regular roles on shows like Search Party and Bad Monkey — both multi-season commitments — likely represent significant, consistent contributors to her earnings.
It’s worth noting that unlike her husband’s side of the family, Hagner’s financial profile is built almost entirely on her own acting résumé rather than inherited wealth, reflecting a career built gig-by-gig from commercial work up through streaming leads.
FAQs
Who is Meredith Hagner married to?
Meredith Hagner is married to actor Wyatt Russell, son of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn. The couple met on the set of Folk Hero & Funny Guy in 2016 and married in Aspen, Colorado, in September 2019.
Does Meredith Hagner have kids?
Yes, Hagner and Wyatt Russell have two sons together: Buddy Prine, born in March 2021, and Boone Joseph, born in February 2024. Both births were shared publicly on Instagram.
Why do people say Meredith Hagner looks like Kate Hudson?
Hagner is Kate Hudson’s sister-in-law through her marriage to Wyatt Russell, and fans frequently note a strong resemblance between the two women. The comparisons grew louder after they appeared together at the 30th Critics’ Choice Awards.
What TV shows is Meredith Hagner known for?
Hagner is best known for playing Portia Davenport on HBO Max’s Search Party, alongside earlier work on As the World Turns and more recent roles in Apple TV+’s Bad Monkey and the film You’re Cordially Invited.
What is Meredith Hagner’s net worth?
Hagner’s net worth is generally estimated in the low millions, built through steady television, film, and commercial work spanning nearly two decades rather than one major payday.
How did Meredith Hagner become a mother-in-law to Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn’s son?
Through her 2019 marriage to Wyatt Russell, Hagner became part of the Russell-Hawn family, making Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn her in-laws and Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson her siblings-in-law.
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