The Real-Life Partners Of Netflix's East Of Eden Cast

If you watched Netflix's "East of Eden" then you know that the romantic lives of the characters are a bit turbulent, to say the least. The 2026 series, which is the latest screen adaption (we have pics of the "East of Eden" casts throughout the years) of the famous 1952 John Steinbeck novel, is centered around toxic and destructive relationships that are more dark than romantic. However, the cast's real-life relationships couldn't be more different, since many of the actors on "East of Eden" seem to be in happy, committed partnerships.

Of course, some of the show's stars like Mike Faist, who plays Charles Trask, have kept their relationship status private, even if he was once linked to professional dancer Tilly Evans-Kreuger. He explained to Indie Wire in 2021, "I do a self-preservation thing, because ... I think I learned my lesson a long time ago doing 'Dear Evan Hansen' of just not paying attention to any of those things." Then there's his co-star Joseph Zada, who plays Cal Trask, and who has confirmed he has a girlfriend, a student whom he met in his native Sydney. Yet, he keeps their romance out of the spotlight. Fans have however, spotted them together in a few of their Instagram Stories. Thankfully though, there are other members of the "East of Eden" cast who are more open with their love lives. So, let's get to know some of their real-life partners

Unlike her "East of Eden" character, Cathy Ames, Florence Pugh is in a happy relationship with her boyfriend, "Peaky Blinders" actor Finn Cole. The two were first linked in July 2024 when they were seen together at Glastonbury Festival, before Pugh confirmed she was seeing someone in British Vogue that October. While she didn't reveal his identity then, Pugh did share that they were taking things slow, since she admitted that she can get caught up with the rush of falling in love. "I'm allowing myself to take time to let something evolve and let it be completely real to its core, as opposed to racing into that," Pugh explained.

It wasn't until March 2026 that Pugh and Cole went Instagram official after she posted a photo of them attending a Bulgari event. That September, she opened up more about their relationship to Vanity Fair, despite not wanting to share too much with the public. "The important thing is that we're happy, and I feel solid and safe and sturdy. And that's worth its weight in gold in our lives," she said. Pugh doesn't want to hide their relationship either, and a month later they made their red carpet debut at the London premiere of Cole's movie "In the Shadows." Pugh, who famously isn't afraid to try the latest hair trends, doesn't seem to be afraid of giving glimpses into her relationship either, as long as it's on her terms.

Christopher Abbott and Aubrey Plaza didn't spark romance rumors until 2025, but the two had worked together years before they started dating. Abbott, who plays Adam Trask in "East of Eden," first worked with Plaza on the 2019 thriller "Black Bear," and later in the 2023 play "Danny and the Deep Blue Sea." Plaza, who was married to filmmaker Jeff Baena at the time, raved about working with Abbott on stage, telling The New York Times in 2023, "It's fun and it's also good and it's also safe." Their chemistry was obvious even then, with Abbott adding, "We want to entertain the audience, but I personally want to entertain Aubrey."

Abbott wasn't romantically linked to Plaza until July 2025, a year after she and Baena separated and months after he died. Fans spotted Abbott and Plaza canoodling at a farm in upstate New York and that November they were seen at a Knicks game. While the two never officially confirmed their relationship, they did announce they were expecting a baby in April 2026 and that July, Plaza, who had "always wanted" to become a mom, gave birth to their daughter. Abbott, who hasn't talked about Plaza publicly, did say on the 2026 "Happy Sad Confused" podcast when ranking his accomplishments, "I gotta put dad first." The couple also posed together for the first time on the red carpet at the June 2026 Tony Awards and Plaza later supported Abbott at the September 2026 "East of Eden" premiere.

Hoon Lee is another star of Netflix's "East Of Eden" who keeps his relationship with his partner private, even if he's been married for almost 20 years. Lee, who plays Lee on the hit show, met his wife, stage actor Sekiya Billman, back in 2001 in New York City, where they both performed with the Second Generation theater company. Around that time, they also created the Mr. Miyagi's Theatre Company together with some friends. They later tied the knot at Brooklyn's Bubby's restaurant in 2008. The couple eventually welcomed a son, who they were raising in Queens, before deciding to leave New York City for Charlotte, North Carolina in 2015.

While Lee hasn't spoken much publicly about his wife or family, he did tell the Charlotte Observer  that year that they decided to stay in Charlotte, where his TV series "Banshee" was filmed, for their son. "Having spent the past season here all together, we just realized it was such a great place for him to run around and be a kid," he explained. It's unclear if Hoon, his wife, and son are still living there since he did add, "The nature of this business is such that I don't know where we'll be in five years." In September 2026, Billman and their son were photographed with Lee in New York City, supporting him at the "East of Eden" premiere. 

Tracy Letts is an "East of Eden" star who hasn't kept his relationship out of the spotlight, since he's married to fellow actor Carrie Coon. Letts, who plays Cyrus Trask on the Netflix show and who's also a playwright, first met Coon in 2010 when she auditioned for the play "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf." They started dating during that play's run, before tying the knot three years later. It wasn't the usual Hollywood over-the-top wedding though, since it took place at a hospital, where Letts was having emergency gallbladder surgery. "Tracy's WGA insurance covered that whole visit, so it was a very inexpensive wedding," Coon joked to Rolling Stone in 2018.

The couple went on to welcome two children, a son in 2018 and a daughter in 2021. That year, Coon gushed about their relationship to The Guardian saying, "I have a healthy, happy marriage ... let's say I didn't always conduct myself with integrity in my relationships. Now I've found a partner who I can be truly honest with, I never want to go back." Not only is Coon Lett's life partner, but his screen partner as well, because they continued to work together in 2017's "The Post" and 2018's "The Sinner." In January 2026, Coon even starred in his play "Bug." He told People, "We just like each other and like being with each other. We met working with each other, so we're fans of each other's work."

Ciaran Hinds, who plays Samuel Hamilton in Netflix's "East of Eden," tied the knot with French-Vietnamese actor Hélène Patarot in 1987, but you'd think they just fell in love for how he talks about her. The couple met while performing in a Paris theater production and worked together again in the 2022 Irish TV series "The Dry." When talking about Patarot to the Irish Independent, Hinds gushed, "She is very gifted. She acts and is a very creative cook too and she designs costumes" (via Evoke). Yet it wasn't just her talents that made Hinds fall in love with her. "Her depth of feeling for people is kind of extraordinary and also she has a wicked sense of fun to balance that. It is very joyous. She makes me laugh," he added.

Hinds and Patarot share a daughter, Aoife Hinds, a successful actor like her parents. Yet the couple doesn't live in Hollywood and instead have residences in Paris and London. "I'd be dead without the Eurostar!" he joked to The Guardian in 2024. Whether Hinds is in France, or England, or New Zealand where Netflix's "East of Eden" was filmed, it's clear that he and Patarot make it work despite the distance. It seems that many of the cast of "East of Eden" have truly found their happily-ever-after with their partners, even if their characters didn't have the same fate.