Celebrity Couples Who Managed to Keep the Romance Alive

Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard have been together for the past 18 years, making spectacular movies while managing to keep the romance alive. Maggie actually met her husband in 2002 through her brother, popular actor Jake Gyllenhaal, as the two had been close friends and coworkers.

Seven years after they decided to get serious, the two finally got married in May of 2009. By that point, they’d had their first daughter Ramona, and in 2012 a second, Gloria Ray.

In spite of these two having starred separately in several hilarious features, most people tend to be taken by surprise when they discover that Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher are together.

Not only are the two husband and wife, but they’ve actually kept their relationship alive for the past 18 years. We can only imagine what date nights must be like for these two. No doubt they’ve kept the relationship strong by keeping each other laughing non-stop.

In spite of judgemental tabloid articles being written Sharon Osbourne and Ozzy Osbourne, these two have managed to keep their relationship alive for an astounding 37 years! Sharon and Ozzy met when Sharon was only 18, and it was through her father that these two lovebirds became a thing.

Sharon’s father was managing Ozzy’s band when she fell head over heels for him. Not only did the two get married in 1982, but she took over the managerial responsibilities.

We’ve all had those parties that we don’t really feel like going to for whatever reason. Maybe it’s because we’re too tired, or we have work the next morning, or it’s just too far out of the way.

Whatever the reason, sometimes it’s best to forget about it, as in the case of Barbra Streisand and James Brolin, who met at a party and soon became one of Hollywood’s infamous power couples. The two have been married for 22 years.

When Jessica first got together with famous comedian Jerry Seinfeld there was quite a bit of controversy swirling around the two. Even though they were head over heels for each other, the tabloids were buzzing with excitement over the controversy that their relationship had resulted in Jessica’s relationship with husband Eric Nederlander to fall apart.

What kept them together through thick and thin? According to the two of them, it’s always been their shared love of good food.

Even before filming the 1989 comedy, The Experts, had started, John Travolta had already felt his heart soar for his co-star Kelly Preston. At the time of their meeting, the two were conducting a screen test, sort of a way to gauge the chemistry between the two actors, which seemed to go better than planned.

Clearly the two had powerful chemistry, so powerful in fact that Preston decided to leave her husband Kevin Gage and never once look back.

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have been two of the most powerful presences in the country music scene for years now. So when the two decided to get together it was more than just the union of two souls deeply in love with each other, it seemed like a fusion of musical talent and skill that was destined to be unrivaled.

Twenty-three years after they both said their I do’s, they have three kids and couldn’t be happier.

Here’s another marriage where laughter is no doubt the glue that holds these two lovebirds together through thick and thin. Filmmaker Judd Apatow has been behind some of the funniest projects in Hollywood, from Knocked Up to This Is 40, this hilarious director knows how to make films that crack up audiences.

The funniest part of it all, though, is that his wife Leslie Man has provided much of the comedy, starring in these films along with their two daughters.

After over 30 years of marriage, power couple Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick have become the envy of many as they have managed to balance successful careers while still remaining close.

The two actually met at work, while both starring on the television series Lemon Sky back when Bacon was 29 and his future wife Sedgwick was 22. The two married in 1988 and have had two children together. Through it all, the two managed to stick by each other.

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas have been married since the year 2000, after they were introduced by a mutual friend. That friend was none other than the hilarious and talented actor Danny DeVito, who brought them together at the Deauville Film Festival in 1998.

Their marriage was so special that BBC even named it the “wedding of the year.” As happy as they are, there have been issues, such as when they began living separately in 2013, reconciling in 2014.

There’s nothing like finding true love at the office. For Warren Beatty that office happened to be the set of his mafia drama, Bugsy. Beatty was frantically looking for a leading lady for the film, and after meeting Annette Bening he decided to trust his instinct and hire her.

The two kept things friendly and professional while on the set, but Beatty was having trouble keeping his eyes away from her. The two have been married 26 years.

Ringo Starr seems like the man who can do it all. Not only was he the drummer of The Beatles, arguably the most important, influential, and famous band in history, but he also snagged himself an incredible wife.

Barbara Bach was the female lead in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, one of the most popular James Bond films in history. After meeting on the set of Caveman in 1980, the two fell in love and married.

If it hasn’t been clear by now, there seems to be a bit of a theme going on with many of these celebrity couples. It’s that in spite of the many stresses and pressures that come under the heat of the spotlight and glare of the camera, romance is born.

That was certainly the case with star actor Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan, who met working together on the set of Family Ties where they played an actual couple.

Who could’ve imagined that an actress as beloved and chased after as Julia Roberts would manage to pick one man out of the sea of many who she knew she would love forever. In spite of the odds, she picked well, and not with who most people would think.

Rather than go for a co-star or fellow actor, Roberts fell in love with her cameraman, Danny Moder. The two have been together for 16 years and are still going strong.

Steve Carell wasn’t an immediate star, in fact it’s hard to imagine that it took the comedic actor years before he was finally able to find someone willing to take a chance on him. Even more surprising was that when it came to the ladies he wasn’t all smooth talk and charm.

Rather, he was quite shy and it took his wife Nancy Walls to make the first move. They met in drama class with her asking him out!

Sometimes the effort of dating combined with the disappointment of meeting someone unexciting, or the despair of getting rejected, can take a toll on people. For Viola Davis, she had pretty much given up on the idea of love and marriage.

In fact, in an interview she decided to give it one last shot by getting on her knees and praying. Sure enough, Julius Tennon showed up in her life and he was exactly the man she was looking for.

After being named the hottest “it” couple of the 1980s, many had their doubts that Mark Harmon and Pam Dawber were going to make it as a couple. After all, how does one not get jealous at all the attention that their partner must be getting after being named one of the hottest people of the decade?

Well, for them it seemed to be that they built their relationship on love and respect, keeping the marriage alive 32 years.

Ah the old Warner Bros. lot. A place where ideas have been dreamed up of, deals have been sealed, and movies have been birthed. In the case of Chris Henchy and Brooke Shields, it’s also a place where romance was born.

The two met in 2001. Henchy was a screenwriter and producer, while Brooke Shields was a model and an actress. It was a mutual friend that broke the ice for them and magic flew.

50 years is an incredibly long time to have been married for anyone whose marriage hasn’t been forced to deal with the strain and pressure of fame and stardom. But David McCallum and Katherine Carpenter must have a relationship that’s built out of stronger stuff.

When they first met, David was still reeling after his first wife had left him. But that very same year, he met his 21-year-old future wife, proving sometimes things happen for a reason.

Another Hollywood relationship that has lasted over half a century is that of Billy Crystal and his wife Janice Crystal. So how is it that these two managed to keep the love alive while so many other Hollywood relationships have crumbled around them?

According to an interview with Us, Crystal opened up about the secret to their success, saying that, “We’ve grown together, we’ve parented together, we’ve grand-parented together. I’m lucky that I found the person when I was 18.”

While it’s pretty common advice not to get into a serious relationship with somebody expecting to change them, there is always the possibility that a serious relationship will change them regardless of the other person’s actions.

For television star Tom Bergeon that seemed to be the situation. After marrying Lois in 1982, Tom reported that she majorly changed him—in positive ways. He attributed her to having a transformative effect on his mediation and anger management all for the better.

Steven Van Zandt has had a very busy career both on and off-screen. He was a member of Bruce Springsteen’s incredibly popular E Street Band, touring around the country with them in addition to his acting.

Some of the shows he was in were so popular (like The Sopranos) that it’s a wonder he had time to balance a relationship on top of everything. Sure enough, he’s kept his relationship with Maureen Santoro strong since 1983.

Christopher Walken is such a memorable figure on screen that it’s a wonder he’s managed to keep his relationship strong with all the work he puts into his movies. Apparently, there are some people who are just good at everything, and in Walken’s case that saying rings true.

Since the 1950s, Walken has starred in over 100 movies, and for 50 of those years his wife, Georgianne, was there by his side supporting her successful Hollywood movie star.

Alan Alda has been married to his wife Arlene since 1957, an astounding 63 years combining love and show business. Rather than repeat himself in interview after interview, Alda decided to write a book called Never Have Your Dog Stuffed (And Other Things I’ve Learned).

A reviewer wrote how it seemed to be an homage to true love saying, “The book is 224 pages, so you wait for the other shoe to drop: petty arguments, ugly affairs, divorce … Nothing.”

Having started as a successful actor, Ron Howard eventually made the switch to directing where he developed a reputation of being a more than talented director as well. With all that career success came yet another massive success in life, the marriage to his wife Cheryl Allen in 1975.

He described their relationship by saying, “I felt really lucky when we met. It’s crazy… We got married young, that shouldn’t have worked either, and yet it really and truly has.”

The year was 1975, and Jeff Bridges was becoming a bigger movie star than ever. All that attention from fans and directors came from another group as well. We’re speaking of course about his many adoring female fans.

While many were part of the high fashioned Hollywood society, Bridges somehow didn’t find the right spark there. Rather, it was with a young waitress named Susan who he met while filming a movie. The summer after filming ended, they married.

When William H Macy first met Felicity Huffman, many weren’t sure whether or not these two were destined for happily ever after. Even though they’ve been married since 1997, the couple has known each other for much longer, dating on and off for 15 years before tying the knot.

In spite of their rocky start, William has always described Felicity as his “dream girl” and the two have been together ever since. Now they also have two daughters together.

Jamie Lee Curtis has starred in many types of films, from dancing on screen next to John Travolta to making audiences laugh as she pretended to be inhabited by a 13-year-old girl.

But one of her biggest successes has been in the horror drama genre, where she has terrified audiences running from killers and the like. One thing she hasn’t run from is her husband, Christopher Guest. Curtis and Guest have been married since 1984!

There have always been those who try to caution young lovers, always trying to reign in their enthusiasm as they blindly rush into something new and exciting. While there will always be those much more cautious, there are others who have managed to make things work out.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Brad Hill have been an example of successful young love, meeting at Northwestern University while they were both students there. 31 years, and numerous Emmys later, they’re still in love.

Sting and Trudie Styler are proof that Shakespeare in the theater is still as romantic as it was during the Middle Ages. The two of them met at the Royal Shakespeare Company before going on their first date in 1982.

It would take a further 10 years of courtship before the two decided to marry, but that was the only thing that took a while. While they were dating they had multiple children, with only one born after they were married.

Kirk Douglas and Anne Buydens’ relationship is one for the history books, almost literally. The two of them were married in 1954, making them one of the longest-lasting couples in Hollywood ever. Not only has their marriage surpassed all expectations, but their children have too.

Kirk has two children from a previous relationship and two more with Anne. His son Michael Douglas is a much-respected actor with his other 3 boys also taking prominent positions in the industry.

Vince McMahon is the man behind one of the largest wrestling organizations in the world, the WWE or the World Wrestling Entertainment. But who is the woman behind the man? None other than his wife, Linda McMahon, who has been with Vince for the past 30 years.

During that time, Vince managed to take his father’s company and turn it into the wrestling sensation that it is today. The company is a multi-million dollar industry and their children are involved.

Meryl Streep seems to be one of those women who just cannot fail. She has starred in numerous highly acclaimed films, making millions at the box office, and earning herself a significant amount of acclaim and awards.

During much of the time that she was starring on the big screen, she had by her side her husband, Don Gummer. The two of them have been together for more than 40 years, and together they have four grown kids.

Amy Adams met her husband Darren Le Gallo in acting class, long before she became the major movie sensation that she is today. That’s lucky for Darren, considering that Amy Adams combines talent, charm, and beauty which she funnels into her many beloved characters on screen.

The two were engaged in 2008, and two years later they had their first child. But it wasn’t until another few years that the two made the next big step of exchanging marital vows.

Many first dates involve a fancy dinner and a movie. Even for those who don’t jump at the more “old fashioned” movie and dinner option, it will typically involve food or at least a drink at a bar or cafe.

But not for Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller, who spent their first date together playing Scrabble and eating grilled cheese sandwiches from dusk until dawn. Six years after the two started dating, Rogen popped the question and Lauren said yes!

Lisa Kudrow didn’t only find love playing Phoebe on Friends. In the real world, this popular actress also found love with a French advertising executive by the name of Michel Stern. Lisa later explained in an interview that she knew from the start that it was love at first sight.

The only problem? Stern was already in a relationship. Luckily Lisa was a patient woman and when the opportunity came about she made her move. The two married in 1995.

Another pair of celebrities who met not at some fancy premier or by working together on the set for a blockbuster movie, but rather in a way that many of us can relate to – in college.

Elizabeth Banks and Max Handelman were attending the University of Pennsylvania together in the early 1990s. Over a decade later, in 2003, the two decided it was time to declare their love to the world and got married. Together they own Brownstone Productions company.

For Bryan Cranston and his wife, Robin Dearden, their marriage has been about openness. They met in 1984 and were married five years later in 1989.

Cranston has credited their regular therapy sessions as the secret to their success saying, “I see a [therapist] from time to time when I’m feeling edgy or anxiety-ridden. My wife and I go to a couples’ therapist. Our agreement is, if either of us feels like we want to go, the other can’t object.”

Tina Fey has been involved in on-screen comedy since early on in her career. Many remember her incredible performances in shows like Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock, but comedy has been good for a lot more than just her career.

Through her early improv theater group, Chicago’s Second City improv, she met her husband, Jeff Richmond. That was in 1994, and the two got married 7 years later in 2001. They now have two daughters, Alice and Penelope.

When Hugh Jackman met his then future wife Deborra-Lee Furness, he was the unknown actor and she was the star. They met on the Australian show Correlli back in 1995 and Jackman could barely take his eyes off her.

According to him, “She was the star, and I had this major crush on her.” Somehow he got up the urge to ask her out and to his surprise she agreed. Things have changed, with Jackman now being the major star.

Keith Richards is a notorious rockstar whose wild attire and “cool” persona completely fit the idealized version of how a rockstar is supposed to look and behave. But when he met the woman who would become his wife, model Patti Hansen in 1979, she had no idea who he was.

Looks like Richards had to woo her using everything but fame. Based on this couple’s almost 40 year relationship, it’s safe to say that he succeeded in getting the girl.

Joel McHale is a man of many talents. Although he is well known for his numerous comedic roles on television, this funnyman is also a writer, producer, and even a television host.

Being so frequent and active in so many public places, it is a wonder how McHale has managed to keep his relationship with Sarah Williams out of the tabloids. But together, the couple have remained private and it seems that they’ve been all the better for it.

Not much is known about Matt Damon’s lovely Argentinian wife Luciana Barroso, although that hasn’t stopped reporters from trying to poke their nose into their relationship to get all the details that they can.

The two met in 2003 while Damon was filming the comedy, Stuck on You. The two were then married in a private civil ceremony in Manhattan two years later. Another interesting fact, Barroso has four daughters from another relationship.

There are few couples in Hollywood, and likely in the whole world, who are more popular than Elton John and his husband David Furnish. The couple met all the way back in 1993 at a party at Elton John’s house and, although Furnish wasn’t as familiar with the celebrity musician lifestyle as John, the two couldn’t help falling for each other.

After 12 years of being together, the two married once same-sex marriage became legal in the United Kingdom.

It’s fair to say that someone has made it when everyone knows you by just mentioning one name rather than a first and last name. Well, Bono might be the epitome of that success, and his ability to maintain a relationship in spite of it.

He’s been married to his wife Allison for 40 long, happy years and attributes his career success to her and the passion that they both put into their work.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is one of those classic Spielberg films that have all the markings of memorable Hollywood cinema. Action, adventure, and of course a bit of romance sprinkled on top. Well the romance went a lot further than what audiences saw on screen.

While working on the feature, Spielberg met his wife, Kate Capshaw, who had a role in the film as well. They married in 1991 and have a total of seven wonderful children.

This is one of those romances that seem to remind us that sometimes true love really does exist. Dustin Hoffman, one of the most successful actors in Hollywood, married his wife Lisa 30 years ago back in 1980 and together they have four children.

But their love stretches back much further than that. Apparently the two were actually childhood friends and knew each other long before he became famous. Even though she married Hoffman, Lisa keeps her distance from Hollywood.

It’s a well known and popular fact amongst musicians that a lot can happen on the road. Traveling between cities and states, and sometimes even countries, is exciting and tends to bring together those who are doing the traveling and performing.

For Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa this proved to be no exception. While the E Street Band was doing their Born in the USA tour they invited Scialfa along. Thirty years later and it’s obvious the rest is history.

For Dolly Parton and Carl Dean, they fell in love with each other the moment they laid eyes on one another. Their story could probably inspire its own country melody. They were both relatively young for making a match that would turn into years of marriage.

Parton was 18 while Carl was 21 and the two met outside of a laundromat in Nashville, Tennessee. While they decided not to have children, they do have some famous relatives like Miley Cyrus.

Christian Bale and his wife Sibi Blazic have been married for 20 years and have two lovely children together. Their marriage was probably a surprise to most people who knew Bale, as he had made it clear that he wasn’t interested in marriage after seeing so many of his relatives get divorced.

In spite of that, he couldn’t help himself after he met Sibi, who had been working as a personal assistant to Winona Ryder. They eloped in January 2000.

Carey Mulligan and Marcus Mumford are another couple in one of those rare love stories who started off as childhood friends. But rather than growing up running around the block and watching television at each others’ houses, they hardly saw each other, getting to know one another as pen pals instead.

As they grew up and their careers took a bigger priority, they stopped talking briefly. Then in 2012 things changed, the two met up and soon got married.

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. met while on the set for the popular teen horror film, I Know What You Did Last Summer, one of the most popular films of 1997.

Even though the two hit it off while working on set together, they didn’t actually start dating until several years later, in 2000. But it didn’t take long after that for the two of them to get married. By April 2001 the two had tied the knot.

Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber married in 1998 and have remained together ever since. The couple have been the envy of many as they’ve managed to keep the love alive through everything.

According to Gerber, their secret to staying married through everything has been the fact that before being husband and wife, they’ve always been friends. As he puts it, “We started as friends, and we remained friends. You have to just keep that friendship and fun in the relationship.”

Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell aren’t actually married, but the two of them have been together almost 40 years. It would seem to be that for both of them, having a meaningful and lasting relationship is more than just marriage.

The two met in 1966 but didn’t have their first date until years later in 1983. According to them, a “lasting relationship isn’t about marriage. It’s about compatibility and communication. And you both need to want it to work.”

In 1994, two young actors, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, walked into a screen test for the series, All My Children, unaware that the results were going to completely change their lives in multiple ways.

Kelly Ripa was playing for Hayley Vaughan while Mark was reading for the role of Mateo Santo, who was to be Ripa’s on-screen love interest. Seems as though the sparks were flying because 30 years later the two are married with three incredible children.