NEED TO KNOW
Peacemaker actress Jennifer Holland opens up about the work-life balance in her relationship with series creator James Gunn — or, lack thereof
“I know that his number one focus right now at this time in his life has been taking on this opportunity that he has at DC with 100% full force,” she tells PEOPLE exclusively
Holland stars as Emilia Harcourt on Peacemaker alongside John Cena
Jennifer Holland is opening up about sharing husband James Gunn with the DC Universe.
Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE at the Peacemaker season 2 red carpet premiere at AMC Lincoln Square Theater in New York City on Wednesday, Aug. 13, Holland, 37, admits there’s “very little” work-life balance in her marriage with Gunn, 59, who serves as creator, writer and showrunner of the hit HBO Max series.
“I’ve not been, in any way, upset or judgmental with James, but I know that his number one focus right now at this time in his life has been taking on this opportunity that he has at DC with 100% full force,” she says.
“I think he’s doing that with just every ounce of his being, and he wants to make sure that it’s everything that the fans could hope for,” she continues.
River Callaway/Variety via Getty
James Gunn and Jennifer Holland at the ‘Superman’ world premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on July 7, 2025
https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf
Holland has a front-row seat to everything Gunn is doing both at home and at work, as she stars as Emilia Harcourt in Peacemaker.
The actress admits that while Gunn is striving to put the fans first with his efforts with the DCU (he wrote and directed the recent Superman film, which came out in July), she says she knows that “you’re always going to disappoint some people, that’s just the way it is.”
“But if anyone could get a little piece of an insider view of what it’s like, he just wants to do the characters justice, and he just wants to give it what it deserves for all of these people who’ve lived with these characters in these comics that they’ve been reading [and] the characters that they created in their brains and everything,” Holland explains.
“He’s very committed to making it the best that he’s able to make it,” she adds.
Holland also praised Gunn’s work on Peacemaker.
“We’re all just doing our best to service the story, and so it was just an incredible experience,” she notes about herself, Gunn and Peacemaker star John Cena.
Speaking specifically of Cena, Holland gushes, “I couldn’t have asked for a better, more professional partner than John in this whole ride from season 1 to season 2, honestly.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Addressing her character specifically, she says that while “a lot of the characters are evolving,” Emilia is “kind of devolving in a way, so you get to see a different side of Harcourt.”
“You get to see a couple of different sides of Harcourt, actually,” she teases.
Curtis Bonds Baker/Max
Jennifer Holland and John Cena in ‘Peacemaker’ season 2
Holland and Gunn’s love story goes back a full decade.
The couple first started dating in July 2015. Gunn marked the 10th anniversary of their first date last month with a sweet tribute on social media, calling Holland “without a doubt the best thing that ever happened to me.” They tied the knot in October 2022.
Holland has also appeared in numerous films directed by Gunn, including 2021’s The Suicide Squad, 2023’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and 2025’s Superman in an uncredited role.
The actress also starred in the 2019 film Brightburn, which Gunn produced.
Peacemaker season 2 premieres Aug. 21 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO Max.
Read the original article on People
