It's been a long time since tabloids speculated about Mary-Louise Parker's career or life, but she's recently given them something to gossip about by appearing as Colin Kaepernick's mom in 'Colin in Black & White.'

But although her start in Hollywood actually came about in the '80s, Mary-Louise has been plenty busy since then. It's just that not many people seem to be tuned in to what she's doing. In fact, after her headline-earning breakup in the early 2000s, Mary-Louise Parker seemed to relish flying under the radar in many ways.

Now that she's about to embark on a 'Weeds' revival, among other projects, Parker is more visible in Hollywood than she's been in a long time, reminding fans why she sort of drifted off in the first place.

What Is Mary-Louise Parker Known For?

Mary-Louise Parker is an impressive actress whose acting awards and nominations span three decades and a variety of formats. From theater to film and television, Parker has been everywhere and done almost everything.

Unfortunately for the veteran actress, one singular headline has loomed above all others throughout her career.

In 1996, she began dating fellow actor Billy Crudup. By 2003, however, Billy had left her for Claire Danes. At the time, Mary-Louise was pregnant with Billy's son, and she went on to raise him as a single mom.

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Clearly, the breakup couldn't have been easy, but Parker made her own way afterward and picked up the pieces of her life. These days, if she has a love life at all, Parker isn't very public about it. That fact alone leads fans to wonder whether Parker's sworn off love for a lifetime, or if she's had a change of heart since the Billy episode.

Who Has Mary-Louise Parker Dated?

To be fair, Mary-Louise Parker doesn't seem to have wallowed in heartbreak after Billy. Her son William was born in 2004, and the very next year, Parker began working on 'Weeds.' At that point, around 2006, she actually dated her co-star Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

In 2007, Parker became a solo mom times two when she adopted her daughter Caroline Aberash, AKA Ash, from Ethiopia. But through it all, she was still tied to Jeffrey Dean Morgan off and on until 2008 when they got engaged. That ended in 2009, however, so maybe marriage wasn't in the cards for Parker after all.

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In 2009, Mary-Louise also reportedly dated Charlie Mars, a musician 10 years her junior, but that fizzled out fairly quickly as well. Since then, there's been no word of Mary-Louise Parker's relationship status. But is she sitting around heartbroken? Not necessarily.

Mary-Louise Parker Has Specific Thoughts About Love

While Mary-Louise Parker is obviously a busy mom of two with plenty going on in her career, no one knows much about her personal life these days. Yet in 2017, the actress gave a somewhat revealing interview that clarified how she feels about love, in general.

When the interviewer told Parker their parents' meet-cute love story, Parker's response hinted at the relationship problems she's had in the past. Parker reportedly replied, "That ruins you, sadly. You're never going to get somebody to believe in that unless they see it for themselves."

Further, when the interviewer asked Mary-Louise whether she thinks romance is an illusion, she answered somewhere in the middle. Parker admitted that she was "moved by the stories" but that part of her also doesn't believe in that kind of love because "she doesn't see it anywhere."

If that sounds a bit jaded, that's understandable. Mary-Louise Parker has been through a lot and obviously come out stronger for it. And one of the ways she exhibits that strength is by admitting that she's not waiting on some fairytale love story to sweep her off her feet.

There's also another complication in Parker's life, and while it may have to do with the fact that at least one romantic partner has wronged her in the past, it's also a challenge many creative people likely face.

The Actress Says She Relates Better In Character

Mary-Louise Parker explained to Believer that lyrics in music tend to move her, but that she also is moved by narrative in the theater. Not so much in film roles, she noted, but in theater, Mary-Louise Parker "felt more connected" to one co-star than she previously did "in many relationships in life."

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Other actors can probably relate, but it sounds like Mary-Louise's problem is that she's able to dive into others' emotions and thoughts in her work, so her real-life relationships can seem stale in comparison. That is, of course, depending on who they're with.

Parker also talked about her memoir, which is a book of open letters, in which she explained she didn't want to be "snarky or bitter" although her editor asked her to "write a piece about men." It does seem that Parker has experienced personal growth from her experiences, and given her indecisiveness on the topic of true romance, maybe there's a chance she'll find her true love after all.

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