Inside Hallmark Star Wendie Malick's Relationship With Her Husband Richard

When it comes to marriage, the second time has been the charm for actor Wendie Malick, who appears in the Hallmark+ series "The Chicken Sisters." In fact, it is hard to remember that Malick's first marriage — to screenwriter Mitch Glazer — even happened, given how long she has been with her current husband Richard Erickson. Malick and Glazer were married in 1982 and divorced in 1989. The star did not get married again until 1995, when she wed Erickson on a mountaintop in Sedona, Arizona, in front of 10 friends. They have remained married ever since and are proof that, even in Hollywood, decades-long marriages are possible with the right person.

Despite growing up in a generation that prioritized marriage, Malick never cared much about the institution. "I remember as a child never wanting to be married," she once told "TODAY." "I just thought, `Why would you ever want to give up your independence?' That freedom was so much more alluring to me." This hesitation certainly did not stop Malick from walking down the aisle (or mountaintop) — although she has bucked norms in other ways, such as choosing to be child-free and then later adopting the teenage niece she was already helping to raise. 

For as much professional success as Malick has had, she has retained a relatively low profile thanks to her move away from Hollywood. Here is a look inside this Hallmark star's real-life relationship with her husband Richard and the peaceful life they lead on their Santa Monica ranch.

Wendie Malick and Richard Erickson live on a 50-acre ranch in Topanga Canyon, far away from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood. The actor has always loved rural life, and she told The Hollywood Reporter that it had long been her dream to live on a ranch. This made the pair a perfect match, as Erickson also had a desire to move away from city life. He took Malick up to the Santa Monica Mountains shortly after they met, and it was not long until the pair made the area home. "Most of the property is unbuildable, but our living spaces, which are all cedar with rusted steel roofs, look like a series of prairie buildings with sliding barn doors to keep out the afternoon sun. We've also got a couple of barns, with paddocks and plenty of room to roam," Malick said in a 2016 interview with Cowgirl Magazine.

Malick and Erickson have many animals — multiple horses, multiple dogs, a cat, a donkey — and treat those animals like their children. The serene life they have built is what helps keep them grounded, according to Malick. "The peace and quiet of having this alternate universe makes me a better actor and much kinder person," she explained in the same interview. "We feed the horses, clean their stalls, and brush them in the morning, and then take the dogs for a walk if I don't have an early call. I try to take a piece of this into my other world."

As is common in many couples, Wendie Malick and Richard Erickson have key personality differences, but common underlying values and standards. For example, they both very strongly believe in giving back to the community through volunteer work. In fact, the couple met when both signed up to build homes for impoverished families in Tijuana. The "Just Shoot Me" actor — who has also volunteered with Literacy Volunteers for America and Ocean Park Community Center, amongst others — is on the Board of The Environmental Media Association and a spokesperson for the Human Society and Return to Freedom, a wild horse sanctuary and advocacy group,

All of this underscores Malick's commitment to humanitarianism, environmentalism, and wildlife, which she shares with her hubby. The couple have also committed to sustainability, which they made a priority when building their home. When it came to building it, Erickson's expertise in construction balanced out Malick's inability to understand plans for their living spaces. "Richard would build me these little models to show me what it was going to be like because I'm not good at looking at plans; I need things three-dimensional," the star said to The Hollywood Reporter.

Malick and Erickson also differ in terms of personality, according to the actor. She described her husband as "thoughtful, quiet, and contemplative" in a 2013 interview with AARP. "The shorthand when I describe our marriage is he makes me think and I make him laugh. And it works for us," she said.