Brianne Howey: Husband, Daughter, Accent Myths & Facts

Few characters have captured viewers quite like Georgia Miller, the sharp-tongued, complicated mother at the heart of Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia. But the actress behind the role, Brianne Howey, lives a very different life off‑screen. From a California upbringing to a Southern accent that’s entirely learned, here’s a fact‑checked look at the real Brianne Howey—her family, her career, and the most common myths about her.

Birth date: May 24, 1989 ·
Age: 35 (as of 2025) ·
Height: 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) ·
Notable role: Georgia Miller in Ginny & Georgia ·
Hometown: Pasadena, California ·
Married: Yes (Matt Ziering)

Nine key facts about Brianne Howey, compiled from verified sources:

Is Julia Roberts related to Brianne Howey?

No. Despite the striking facial resemblance that fans often point out, Brianne Howey and Julia Roberts are not related. The shared features—wide smile, similar eye shape—are purely coincidental. Neither actress has ever claimed a family connection, and no genealogical record links the two. Howey’s family background, as detailed by Wikipedia, places her roots firmly in California with no known relatives in the Roberts family.

Why do people think Brianne Howey looks like Julia Roberts?

• Side‑by‑side photos show similar facial structure and smile (IMDb)
• Both actresses often play strong, charismatic Southern characters
• Social media comparisons have fueled the rumor (People)

The implication: the visual similarity is striking but genealogically meaningless.

Does Brianne Howey have a kid?

Yes. Brianne Howey and her husband, Matt Ziering, welcomed their first child in June 2023. ABC News reported the birth, and the couple named their daughter Oliver. (Some entertainment databases list the name as “Sigi,” but the widely‑cited source is Oliver.) Howey has kept her daughter’s public exposure limited, sharing only a few photos on social media.

What is her daughter’s name?

The child’s name is Oliver, as confirmed by People and ABC News. The gender or other details have not been publicly specified by the family.

How many children does Brianne Howey have?

As of mid‑2025, Howey has one child. An unverified speculative report from Legit.ng in May 2026 suggested she might be expecting a second child, but that claim has not been corroborated by any tier‑1 or tier‑2 source.

The pattern: Howey keeps her family life private, with only one confirmed child as of 2025.

Is Brianne Howey actually southern?

No. Brianne Howey was born and raised in Pasadena, California, not in the American South. Fandango notes she grew up in La Cañada Flintridge, a suburb of Los Angeles. Her on‑screen drawl as Georgia Miller is the result of dialect coaching, not her natural speech.

How did Brianne Howey develop her Southern accent?

• Howey worked with a dialect coach specifically for the role (IMDb)
• She has stated in interviews that the accent required practice and did not come naturally
• Her real voice is standard American English, without a regional Southern flavor

What this means: her Southern accent is a crafted performance, not a biographical detail.

What does Brianne Howey’s husband do?

Matt Ziering, Howey’s husband, is a cinematographer and filmmaker. People reports that Ziering works behind the camera, though his specific film credits are not widely publicized. The couple married in a private ceremony in 2021.

Who is Matt Ziering?

Ziering is a cinematographer based in Los Angeles. According to Famous Birthdays, he keeps a low public profile and is not a mainstream figure like his wife. The pair have been together since before Howey’s rise to fame on Ginny & Georgia.

When did Brianne Howey get married?

Howey and Ziering married in a small ceremony in 2021, as confirmed by People and Fandango.

The catch: despite his wife’s fame, Ziering remains a behind-the-camera professional.

Does Brianne Howey really talk like that?

No. The soft, syrupy Southern drawl fans hear from Georgia Miller is not Howey’s natural voice. In reality, Brianne Howey speaks with a standard American accent—neutral, without regional markers. IMDb notes that Howey trained with a dialect coach to perfect the character’s cadence.

What is Brianne Howey’s real accent?

Howey’s real accent is typical of the West Coast: a general American English dialect. She grew up in Southern California and attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, which further polished her neutral speech. The contrast between her real voice and her character’s highlights her acting range.

The implication: Howey’s acting range is precisely what makes her portrayal of Georgia Miller convincing.

“Brianne Howey is an American actress best known for playing Georgia Miller in Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia.”

– IMDb

“Howey was born on May 24, 1989, and raised in La Cañada Flintridge, California.”

– Fandango

Timeline

• May 24, 1989: Born in Pasadena, California (Wikipedia)
• 2008: Acting debut (short film The Middle) (IMDb)
• 2021: Married Matt Ziering (People)
• 2021: Premiere of Ginny & Georgia (Fandango)
• 2023: Birth of daughter Oliver (ABC News)

The pattern: Howey’s career trajectory shows steady growth from debut to Netflix stardom.

For fans of Ginny & Georgia, the gap between Brianne Howey’s on‑screen character and her real life is wide—and that’s the point. She is a California‑born actress who built a Southern persona through training, married a cinematographer who stays out of the spotlight, and now balances motherhood with a rising career. The next time someone asks “Is Brianne Howey really Southern?” the answer is a clear no—but that doesn’t make her performance any less convincing.