Who Is NCIS: Los Angeles Star Chris O'Donnell's Wife?

Chris O'Donnell has been called "Mr. Squeaky Clean," and lives a low-key family life, so it's no surprise that his wife, Caroline Fentress, is very down-to-earth. LL Cool J might be his partner on "NCIS: Los Angeles," but O'Donnell and his real-life partner Fentress will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in April, per PopSugar. According to Wide Open Country, the celebrity couple have never had a nanny, juggling their busy lives with five children: Lily, 21, Christopher Jr., 20, Charlie, 17, Finley, 14, and Maeve, 13. 

Most of what we know about Fentress comes from her husband's interviews and social media. The "NCIS: Los Angeles" star talked to Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest in 2020 about the challenges of having all five kids home during the pandemic. "When COVID hit, everybody came home from school, so we had all five in the house," O'Donnell said during an interview on "Live! With Kelly and Ryan." The father of five continued, "On the one hand, it was nice that we had more family dinners in two or three month's span than we've had in previous years, but you kind of realize at a certain point, college-age kids aren't meant to be home with their parents all the time. It's not natural." 

But long before they welcomed their brood, O'Donnell and Fentress were just two kids themselves (relatively speaking, of course). In fact, the way the romance between O'Donnell and Fentress began is a funny story — one worthy of a Hollywood celebrity couple!

Caroline Fentress and Chris O'Donnell both come from big Catholic families and, as it happens, she was the little sister of one of his friends. In a Redbook interview from May 2010, the "NCIS: Los Angeles" star said the couple's shared values are one reason they have a strong marriage. O'Donnell explained, "Our families have the same values and traditions, and I think that goes a long way because when the excitement and heat of romance wears off, those are the things you fall back on." The father of five also told Rolling Stone in December 2000 that he got his "altar-boy values" as the youngest of seven kids.

The actor told Redbook that he met Fentress through her brother, Andrew. O'Donnell said, "She came to visit, and we had a little smooch. I knew there was something special about her from that moment." Fast-forward three years, when the actor and Andrew were out together. O'Donnell told Redbook they then called Fentress, "She was like, 'Why are you calling me?' I didn't really know why, except that I had never forgotten her. And we started talking ... We dated for three years and got married when I was 26."

When O'Donnell and Fentress began dating, he was starring in movies with Al Pacino and having dinner with Princess Diana. But the "NCIS: Los Angeles" star told Redbook, "The first time I kissed her, I was like, Wow." O'Donnell recalled, "But she was the sister of a good friend, so my next thought was, 'Oh, God — Andrew's going to be really pissed off!'"

Caroline Fentress and Chris O'Donnell have a laid-back life. From the little known about Fentress, her life (like her husband's) is centered around family. Fentress is an elementary school teacher, according to the Baltimore Sun. The "Scent of a Woman" star's wife also has two acting credits: the 2002 television movie "Sunday" and a 2015 appearance on her husband's show, per IMDb. Fentress was a guest star on "NCIS: Los Angeles" in Season 7 along with their youngest daughter Maeve.

As mentioned, Fentress is extremely private; there are few credible sources of public information about the mom\ther of five. Mrs. O'Donnell doesn't seek the spotlight — she has a private Instagram account, no profile photo, and approximately 500 followers. In 2021, O'Donnell gushed about his wife to Country Living. "I know I have shortcomings — like a short fuse — but I've learned you can't come home from a long day of work and snap at the kids," he said. "Caroline is really laid-back, so she's helped me with that. I'm lucky. I think we balance each other out."