For more than two decades, Australian actor Jesse Spencer has captivated audiences — first as the charming Dr. Robert Chase on House and later as the steady and selfless Captain Matthew Casey on Chicago Fire. But away from the screen, the actor’s greatest role may be the one he plays at home: devoted husband and father. At the center of his personal story is his brilliant and beautiful wife, Dr. Kali Woodruff Carr, a neuroscientist whose own life is just as fascinating as the characters her husband portrays.
A Festival Encounter That Changed Everything
The couple’s journey began in 2014 at a Chicago music festival. Spencer, then riding high on his Chicago Fire fame, crossed paths with Woodruff Carr, who at the time was working toward her Master of Science degree at Northwestern University. Their connection was instant and enduring. Unlike Spencer’s past high-profile relationships within Hollywood, this time he had met someone outside the entertainment industry — something he had quietly wished for.
“I realized maybe it’s not for me to date actors,” Spencer once confessed. “I hoped to find something else outside the industry.” With Woodruff Carr, he found exactly that.
A Proposal in the Clouds
Five years later, Spencer turned their love story into a lifelong promise. In 2019, during a breathtaking hike along the Inca Trail in the Peruvian Andes, he got down on one knee and proposed. It was the kind of cinematic moment that even Chicago Fire couldn’t script better.
A Pandemic Wedding with Deep Meaning
On June 27, 2020, the two said “I do” in Neptune Beach, Florida — the bride’s hometown. The date wasn’t random; it was the wedding anniversary of both Woodruff Carr’s parents and grandparents, tying their union to a legacy of lasting love.
Their wedding, like so many in 2020, was shaped by the pandemic. Guest lists were trimmed, venues shifted, and even a Saharan dust plume and a thunderstorm threatened the day. But for Spencer, it was all worth it.
“What a silver lining to 2020,” he later reflected. “She’s pretty, smart, and way ahead of her years. She is my port in every storm.”
The Brilliant Dr. Woodruff Carr
While Spencer’s career has unfolded on sets in Hollywood and Chicago, Woodruff Carr has carved out her own impressive path in science. A Florida native, she graduated from the University of Florida with dual bachelor’s degrees in psychology and music performance before going on to earn a master’s and Ph.D. in communication sciences and disorders from Northwestern.
Today, she works as a research scientist at Boston Children’s Hospital, where her focus includes how children use rhythm to process speech, how infants learn sounds, and how listening experiences shape our understanding of the world.
“My research interests are about how listening and learning shape perception,” she wrote on her professional profile. In short: while Spencer plays a doctor on TV, his wife is making groundbreaking discoveries in real life.
Adventures Together
Travel has been a cornerstone of their relationship. From hot air balloon rides over Kenya to wandering the colorful cliffside villages of Cinque Terre, Italy, the pair have collected memories across the globe. They even attended the prestigious Kentucky Derby in 2018, with Woodruff Carr donning a custom-made hat that Spencer proudly showcased online.
Parenthood and Priorities
The couple welcomed their first child in April 2022, a new milestone that forever changed their priorities. Just months before, Spencer had shocked Chicago Fire fans by stepping away from his role as Captain Casey after 200 episodes. His decision? Family.
“This was a difficult decision because I loved the show from the start, but there are other things I want to do and family I need to take care of,” he explained.
Though he has since returned for guest appearances, Spencer is no longer a series regular — trading long days on set for quality time at home with his wife and child.
A Private but Supportive Partnership
Despite their busy careers, Spencer and Woodruff Carr keep their relationship largely out of the spotlight. Still, the neuroscientist has shown up to support her husband, even behind the scenes of Chicago Fire. After Spencer wrote a farewell song marking his exit from the series, she proudly shared:
“Proud doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel about this beautiful song my husband wrote to commemorate 10 years and 200 episodes.”
A Love Story Written for the Long Run
In a world where celebrity marriages often make headlines for the wrong reasons, Jesse Spencer and Dr. Kali Woodruff Carr have quietly built something solid, rooted in respect, adventure, and shared priorities. He may have played a heroic firefighter and a gifted doctor on television, but Spencer’s greatest success seems to be the love story he’s living off-screen.
