News | Entertainment
4 Mar 2026 19:49
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Tim Daly fell in love with Tea Leoni just "four minutes" after meeting her on the set of Madame Secretary

    The pair were introduced on the set of the political drama in 2014 and they struck up a romance which they tried to keep under wraps while they were working together before going public as a couple a year later and marrying in July 2025.


    Tim, 69, has now opened up about falling for the 59-year-old-actress revealing he was smitten with her within minutes. Asked when he realised he was in love with Tea, Tim told LifeMinute: "God, about four minutes after I met her at the office of Madam Secretary."
    The pair played husband and wife Henry and Elizabeth McCord Madam Secretary which ran from September 2014 to December 2019 and Tim has now admitted their onscreen chemistry was real.
    He said: "Every time people said we had great chemistry, I was like: 'Yeah, no s***!' It was funny because our first season, we were supposedly trying to keep it [the relationship] quiet, be on the down low.
    "But the teamsters were picking us up at each other's house all the time and we were looking at each other with goo goo eyes."
    The couple finally tied the knot over the summer but Tim has now revealed he actually asked the actress to marry him nine years before they decided to exchange vows.
    He said: "Well, I actually asked Tea to marry me, I think, about nine years ago, and she said: 'Yes, let's just wait a minute.'
    "Then nine years later, she asked me, and I was like: 'Yeah, I already asked!' So anyway, we got it done. I like being married to Tea."
    Tim went on to reveal he had actually crossed paths with Tea several times over the years before they were paired up on Madame Secretary.
    He explained: "I was doing a fundraiser when I was doing Wings. I was at Paramount, and she was there as a smoking hot 23-year-old. And I didn't pay her any mind 'cause I was in the midst of all kinds of stuff.
    "And then I met her again because her then-husband [David Duchovny] was friends with my first cousin, so I had just kind of shaken her hand a couple times.
    "And then Madam Secretary happened, and she just kind of caught me in her tractor beam and I was terrified. I was like: 'Oh my God.' Anyway, it was quick."


    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     04 Mar: Matthew Lillard spent decades "petitioning and campaigning" for a return to the Scream franchise
     04 Mar: Shaun Ryder has described having ADHD as "having a f****** brain like a watering can" - but he is happy he wasn't diagnosed until he was 50
     04 Mar: Harry Styles was advised to practice "peeing on" himself as part of his marathon training
     04 Mar: Hilary Duff's husband Matthew Koma saved their relationship by wooing her back using Words With Friends
     04 Mar: Sir Paul McCartney wanted some "embarrassing" footage removed from his new documentary Man on the Run
     04 Mar: Lily Collins' recovery is "an ongoing process" after battling an eating disorder
     04 Mar: Meredith Monroe has shared a touching tribute to her late Dawson's Creek co-star James Van Der Beek following his death
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    New Queensland Firebird netballer Kelly Jackson believes consistent chat between Silver Ferns throughout their club seasons will have the team in a good space for their Commonwealth Games campaign More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    Air New Zealand's financial position could worsen before it gets better More...



     Today's News

    Entertainment:
    Matthew Lillard spent decades "petitioning and campaigning" for a return to the Scream franchise 19:35

    Entertainment:
    Shaun Ryder has described having ADHD as "having a f****** brain like a watering can" - but he is happy he wasn't diagnosed until he was 50 19:05

    Health & Safety:
    A specific batch of Steinlager Ultra Low Carb beer is being recalled due to individual bottles in some 24-packs being incorrectly labelled as alcohol free 18:57

    Law and Order:
    Police have shut down a suspected meth lab in Auckland's Riverhead, thought linked to the Headhunters 18:37

    Entertainment:
    Harry Styles was advised to practice "peeing on" himself as part of his marathon training 18:35

    National:
    Russia wanted a new world order. This wasn’t the one it had in mind 18:17

    National:
    Iran’s missile mayhem show the limits of Middle East defences 18:07

    Cricket:
    Black Caps fast bowler Lockie Ferguson is expecting plenty of runs in their T20 World Cup semi-final against South Africa overnight 18:07

    Entertainment:
    Hilary Duff's husband Matthew Koma saved their relationship by wooing her back using Words With Friends 18:05

    Cricket:
    New Zealand will add their own dab of colour to the Hindu Holi festival in Kolkata overnight, when they meet South Africa in the first T20 World Cup cricket semi-final 17:37


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd