How did Sam Rockwell and Leslie Bibb meet? All we know about the couple amid the actor’s The White Lotus appearance

Sam Rockwell just made a surprise appearance in The White Lotus Season 3 episode “Full-Moon Party.” The show also features his longtime partner, Leslie Bibb, in a main role, while the Oscar-winning actor guest-starred as Frank, a friend of Rick (Walton Goggins).

Rockwell has been dating The White Lotus star for more than 17 years. The couple first met in October 2007 at West Hollywood’s Chateau Marmont. Sam was staying at the hotel while filming for Frost/Nixon. On the night of their first encounter, Bibb was waiting for her friends in the hotel lobby.

The 50-year-old actress recounted the first meeting with Sam Rockwell on OWN’s The Rosie Show in 2012. She told the host, Rosie O’Donnell,

“I was standing there about to have dinner with some girlfriends and somebody looked over my shoulder and waved…”

Leslie added,

“I turned around, and it was him. He was walking behind me. He was staying there because he was doing Frost/Nixon. I just smiled and he smiled at me and I thought, ‘Oh no, what’s that?' Sometimes you just get struck.”

She continued,

“I was like, 'I'm really not into anything,' and then I think three weeks later, I was like, 'I love you so much.”

They went on their first date after their first meeting, and since then, the pair has been in a relationship.

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More about Sam Rockwell and Leslie Bibb’s relationship over the years

The Oscar winner began dating Bibb in 2007, and the next year, they made their first public appearance on the CineVegas Film Festival red carpet. The pair has continued to get clicked together at different events over the years, while Leslie has continued to post about Sam Rockwell through her Instagram handle occasionally.

Bibb and Rockwell never admitted to having married, but they speculated about the wedding rumors in August 2017 through a social media post. The Palm Royale star posted a picture with her partner and addressed them as “the Rockwells” in the caption.

“buona sera...ti amo...night lovebugs xo-the rockwells.”

Many of the couple’s fans were left intrigued whether Sam and Leslie had finally tied the knot, but nothing was ever confirmed. In a conversation with Evening Standard, Rockwell did remark on his relationship with Bibb,

“[We are] basically married. She’s in my will. I feel like we are married. We live like a married couple. I’m really proud of her.”

He further added,

“We are both actors, so [we] understand our lifestyle. We can help each other with scenes. She’s awe - some. She’s very kind to me and takes care of me.”

During the same interview, Sam Rockwell also reflected on his stance on parenthood. He told the newspaper,

“We just like it the way it is. We don’t want kids. It’s interesting when you tell people this. They get very upset with you. I know more and more couples who don’t have kids. Listen, if I knew they’d turn out great, then maybe – but there’s just no guarantee. Also, I don’t want to be selfish and be a bad parent. My dad was a single parent, it takes a lot to be a parent.”

Apart from their personal lives, Rockwell and Bibb have shared screens as well. They first appeared together in the MCU flick Iron Man 2. Sam portrayed the role of Tony Stark’s adversary, Justin Hammer. Leslie reprised her role of Christine Everhart from Iron Man.

They also acted together in the 2015 indie comedy, Don Verdean. Sam Rockwell played the titular role, while Bibb portrayed the supporting role of Joylinda Lazarus. They also appeared in The White Lotus Season 3 but didn’t share any scenes.