Kevin Grandalski is a retired law-enforcement officer best known as the longtime husband of Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin. His own professional life, however, was far removed from Hollywood. Grandalski spent decades with the Burbank Police Department in California, advancing from police officer to sergeant and eventually lieutenant before retiring around the end of 2016. He met Matlin while she was working on the television drama Reasonable Doubts, and they married in 1993. The couple went on to raise four children while Grandalski maintained a comparatively private life alongside one of the most recognizable Deaf performers in American entertainment.
Kevin Grandalski Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Kevin Grandalski |
| Profession | Retired law-enforcement officer |
| Police department | Burbank Police Department, California |
| Highest documented rank | Police lieutenant |
| Education | Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Fresno State, reported as completed in 1988 |
| Spouse | Marlee Matlin |
| Marriage date | August 29, 1993 |
| Children | Sarah, Brandon, Tyler and Isabelle |
| Retirement | Retirement reception documented by Burbank city records by January 2017 |
Who Is Kevin Grandalski?
Kevin Grandalski built his career in policing rather than entertainment. Long before he became known publicly through his marriage to Marlee Matlin, he was working for the Burbank Police Department in Southern California.
A biographical entry on Matlin published by Encyclopedia.com states that Grandalski studied criminal justice at Fresno State and earned a bachelor’s degree in 1988. The same source says he had also learned sign language while in college, a skill that later became particularly meaningful in his relationship with Matlin.
Grandalski never developed a conventional entertainment career of his own. His appearances at premieres, awards ceremonies and other Hollywood events have generally been alongside Matlin rather than as an actor or media personality.
His Career With the Burbank Police Department
Grandalski’s police career is unusually well documented for someone primarily known as a celebrity spouse.
A 1993 Los Angeles Times report identified Grandalski as a Burbank police officer assigned to the city’s newly established downtown bicycle patrol. The unit had been created to improve police visibility, handle crowds and traffic, and respond more easily in parking structures and busy downtown areas.
His career later moved into supervisory roles. Burbank City Council minutes from March 2005 identify him as Sergeant Kevin Grandalski and record that he received a Professional Esteem Award from the police department.
By 2009, official City of Burbank employee records listed Grandalski as a police lieutenant. City payroll records continue to show him holding that title in subsequent years, including 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016.
His retirement can also be traced through municipal records. Minutes from a January 10, 2017 Burbank City Council meeting state that Council Member Bob Frutos had attended a retirement reception for Lieutenant Kevin Grandalski. More recent coverage from People describes him as a former or retired police officer.
Kevin Grandalski’s Career Timeline
| Period | Documented milestone |
|---|---|
| 1988 | Reported to have completed a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at Fresno State |
| 1993 | Working as a Burbank police officer and member of the downtown bicycle patrol |
| 2005 | Identified as a sergeant and received a Professional Esteem Award |
| 2009 | City records identify him as a police lieutenant |
| 2016 | Still listed by Burbank as a police lieutenant |
| By January 2017 | Burbank City Council records reference his retirement reception |
How Did Kevin Grandalski Meet Marlee Matlin?
Kevin Grandalski and Marlee Matlin met through an unexpected intersection between television production and police work.
Matlin starred opposite Mark Harmon in NBC’s Reasonable Doubts from 1991 to 1993, playing assistant district attorney Tess Kaufman. PBS’s American Masters biography says Matlin met Grandalski during the series and that the couple married in 1993.
Matlin has also described the meeting herself. In an account published by Guideposts, she recalled noticing Grandalski while working on the show and learning that he was a police officer. She said his ability to sign was among the things they connected over when they began dating.
Their relationship therefore began before Grandalski became associated with Hollywood through marriage. He was at the production because of his law-enforcement work rather than an ambition to enter the entertainment industry.
Kevin Grandalski and Marlee Matlin’s Marriage
Grandalski married Matlin on August 29, 1993.
The wedding took place at the home of Matlin’s longtime friends Henry and Stacey Winkler. Matlin’s own account says that after she and Grandalski announced their engagement, Stacey Winkler offered their home for the ceremony. PBS independently records the same wedding date and location.
Their marriage has lasted for more than three decades. Recent coverage continues to identify Grandalski as Matlin’s husband, while photographs from major entertainment events show the couple making occasional public appearances together.
Their Four Children
Kevin Grandalski and Marlee Matlin have four children: Sarah, Brandon, Tyler and Isabelle.
PBS records Sarah as born in 1996, Brandon in 2000, Tyler in 2002 and Isabelle in 2003. People has also profiled the four adult children and their different educational and professional interests.
The couple generally kept their family life separate from Matlin’s acting career, although their children have occasionally appeared in interviews and features connected with their mother.
In 2024, their oldest daughter Sarah welcomed a daughter, making Grandalski and Matlin grandparents.
Grandalski Learned Sign Language Before Meeting Matlin
One detail that helps explain the couple’s early connection is that Grandalski already knew sign language.
Matlin has said that he learned to sign to fulfill a language requirement during college. An Encyclopedia.com biography similarly states that he studied sign language while attending Fresno State. His ability to communicate in sign language therefore predated his relationship with Matlin.
Matlin, who has been Deaf since childhood, has spent much of her career advocating for authentic Deaf representation and greater recognition of American Sign Language. Grandalski’s prior familiarity with signing meant that communication through sign language was not something introduced only after their marriage.
A Life Mostly Outside Hollywood
Grandalski’s public record is centered on law enforcement and family rather than entertainment.
Even after marrying an Oscar-winning actress, he continued his career with the Burbank Police Department for decades. Municipal documents chart his progression from officer to sergeant and lieutenant, while his eventual retirement was recorded in official city proceedings.
That career history provides a clearer picture of Kevin Grandalski than speculative celebrity-biography claims about his wealth, age or private background. His documented story is that of a longtime police professional whose work unexpectedly brought him into contact with Matlin and, eventually, into a family connected with Hollywood.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Kevin Grandalski?
Kevin Grandalski is a retired Burbank Police Department lieutenant and the husband of actress Marlee Matlin. The couple married in 1993 and have four children.
What did Kevin Grandalski do for a living?
He spent his professional career in law enforcement with the Burbank Police Department. Records show him working as an officer in 1993, later serving as a sergeant and eventually becoming a police lieutenant.
How did Kevin Grandalski meet Marlee Matlin?
They met in connection with Matlin’s NBC television series Reasonable Doubts in the early 1990s. Grandalski was working as a police officer at the time.
When did Kevin Grandalski and Marlee Matlin get married?
They married on August 29, 1993, at Henry and Stacey Winkler’s home.
How many children does Kevin Grandalski have?
Grandalski and Matlin have four children: Sarah, Brandon, Tyler and Isabelle.
Does Kevin Grandalski know sign language?
Yes. Matlin has said Grandalski learned to sign while in college to meet a language requirement, before the two met.
Conclusion
Kevin Grandalski’s biography is defined more by a long law-enforcement career than by Hollywood. He served with the Burbank Police Department for decades, rose to the rank of lieutenant and retired around the end of 2016. His connection to entertainment began when his police work brought him into contact with Marlee Matlin during Reasonable Doubts. They married in 1993, raised four children and have remained together for more than three decades. The strongest public records portray Grandalski as a career police professional who largely kept his own life outside the celebrity spotlight.
Read also : Lexi2Legit Age: How old is Lexi2Legit really?