Hollywood marriages are notorious for their over-in-an-eye-blink durations. Yet some Tinseltown couples have bucked that trend and stayed hitched for decades. In fact, some duos have been with the same partner for 20 years or more. (For Hollywood couples that didn’t stand the test of time, see the shortest celebrity marriages of all time.)
Drawing on a variety of online sources and verifying the information independently whenever possible, 24/7 Tempo has put together a catalogue of particularly long-lived celebrity unions.
Most of them exceed the median duration of current marriages in the U.S. — which rose from 19 years to 19.8 years between 2010 and 2019, according to U.S. Census data. (That longevity may or may not have been influenced by how much it costs to get divorced in every state.)
Many of the celebrities on this list met as you’d think Hollywood luminaries would — on a movie set. But that’s not true in all cases. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Brad Hall were college sweethearts, and Bono and his wife Alison Hewsom first met when they were 12 years old. Michelle Pfeiffer and David E. Kelley started out as so many couples do — on a blind date. Not exactly the stuff of cinematic dreams, but they’ve been together for nearly 30 years.
Click here to see the 30 longest-lasting celebrity marriages
Many of these couples endured busted marriages before finding happiness the second time — or in the case of Chevy Chase, third time — around. Several have survived rumors of cheating and serious health issues. These couples prove that true love can conquer anything — just like in the movies.
30. Emily Blunt and John Krasinski
> Married: July 10, 2010 (11 years)
As Emily Blunt recalls, “The Office” star and “The Devil Wears Prada” actress had a rather unremarkable first meeting in a restaurant in 2008. A year later they were engaged, and in 2010, married at Villa D’Este on Italy’s Lake Como. The pair has worked together in the horror feature films “A Quiet Place” and “A Quiet Place 2.” But in private life, the two live happily with their two daughters.
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29. Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban
> Married: June 25, 2006 (15 years)
After Australian native Nicole Kidman left her well-publicized union with Tom Cruise, she met fellow Aussie Keith Urban in 2005 at a luncheon honoring their homeland. Two years later the actress and the country singer tied the knot in Australia. Urban overcame his battle with addiction early in the marriage. The pair have two daughters.
28. Julia Roberts and Daniel Moder
> Married: July 4, 2002 (19 years)
Julia Roberts and cinematographer Daniel Moder met on the set of “The Mexican.” Their love story had a bit of a scandalous beginning, as she was dating actor Benjamin Bratt at the time and he was married. But after Moder and his wife divorced in 2002, Roberts and Moder walked down the aisle in New Mexico. Twins Phinnaeus and Hazel were born to the couple in 2004, followed by son Henry in 2007.
27. Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas
> Married: Nov 18, 2000 (20 years)
Oscar winner Michael Douglas gave up the dating life when he met Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones. And they’ve made it last even through some rough patches after his diagnosis of throat cancer. Last year, Zeta-Jones and Douglas celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. The couple has a son and daughter.
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26. Tina Fey and Jeff Richmond
> Married: June 3, 2001 (20 years)
Actress and writer Tina Fey dated her husband, composer and musical director Jeff Richmond, for seven years before walking down the aisle in 2001. Despite Fey’s zany comedy, Richmond told “Vanity Fair” their marriage works because it’s “borderline boring — in a good way.” They share two daughters.
25. Victoria Adams and David Beckham
> Married: July 4, 1999 (22 years)
The matchup between Posh Spice of the Spice Girls and the U.K.’s reigning soccer king in the late 1990s sent the English tabloids into a frenzy. But fashion designer Victoria Adams and David Beckham have stayed together for 22 years despite constant public attention, and are raising a family of three.
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24. Jada Pinkett and Will Smith
> Married: Dec 31, 1997 (23 years)
Actor and rap star Will Smith first laid eyes on Jada Pinkett when she appeared on his sitcom, “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” in 1990. But they didn’t marry until 1997. They’ve overcome some public troubles and a separation, but have remained steadfast as they raise three children.
23. Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick
> Married: May 19, 1997 (24 years)
“Sex and the City” star Sarah Jessica Parker and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” star Matthew Broderick met in the early 1990s when both were working on Broadway. They started dating in 1992, and got hitched in 1997. In 1995, the pair starred in the Broadway revival of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” But that wasn’t their only collaboration: they have a son and twin daughters.
22. Leslie Mann and Judd Apatow
> Married: June 9, 1997 (24 years)
Judd Apatow met his future wife in 1996 when he was producing “The Cable Guy,” and instantly knew comedienne Leslie Mann was the woman for him. Married in 1997, the couple have two daughters. They’ve also worked together in a number of his films, notably, “Knocked Up” (2007), “17 Again” (2009), and “This Is 40” (2012).
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21. Deborra-Lee Furness and Hugh Jackman
> Married: April 11, 1996 (25 years)
Like so many couples, Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness met on a set, in their case, the Australian TV show “Correlli” in 1995. A year later they married in their native land. After struggles with infertility, they have an adopted son and daughter.
20. Lisa Kudrow and Michel Stern
> Married: May 27, 1995 (26 years)
“Friends” star Lisa Kudrow met French-born advertising executive Michel Stern in the 1980s when he was dating her roommate. She was smitten, but kept her distance in respect for her friend. After the roommate and Stern broke up, he and Kudrow met again — at her roommate’s birthday party — and in 1995, they married. They have one son.
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19. Michelle Pfeiffer and David E. Kelley
> Married: Nov 13, 1993 (27 years)
Actress Michelle Pfeiffer and TV producer David E. Kelley met on a blind date. Ten months later, they married. But unlike many couples in Hollywood, Pfeiffer and Kelley haven’t worked together, and don’t plan on doing so.
18. Annette Bening and Warren Beatty
> Married: March 3, 1992 (29 years)
Perpetual Hollywood bachelor Warren Beatty dated a string of actresses before settling down with actress Annette Bening. The two first met when Beatty cast her in his 1991 film, “Bugsy.” A year later they married and now share four children.
17. Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon
> Married: Sept 4, 1988 (32 years)
There’s no degree of separation between actors Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, who first laid eyes on each other in the 1970s. In 1987, they worked together in the film, “Lemon Sky.” The next year they strode down the aisle, and now parent a son and a daughter.
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16. Tracy Pollan and Michael J. Fox
> Married: July 16, 1988 (32 years)
Both Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan were dating other people when they met on the set of his sitcom, “Family Ties.” Pollan was dating Kevin Bacon and Fox actress Nancy McKeon. Those relationships eventually dissolved and Pollan and Fox began dating after filming “Bright Lights, Big City,” released in 1988. They married that same year, and now raise a son, Sam.
15. Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks
> Married: April 30, 1988 (33 years)
Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson met on the set of his sitcom, “Bosom Buddies,” in 1981. But it wasn’t until Hanks divorced his first wife in the late 1980s that the two started dating. In 1988, they married, and have endured health challenges such as her breast cancer battle in 2015 and the coronavirus, which struck both of them. They share two sons.
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14. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Brad Hall
> Married: June 25, 1987 (34 years)
College sweethearts Julia Louis-Dreyfus and actor/writer Brad Hall first met when they attended Northwestern University. After appearing together on “Saturday Night Live,” the pair wed in 1987. They have two grown sons.
13. Pam Dawber and Mark Harmon
> Married: May 21, 1987 (34 years)
“St. Elsewhere” and “NCIS” star Mark Harmon and “Mork and Mindy” star Pam Dawber got hitched in 1987. Although Dawber slowed her career after the birth of her two sons, she recently appeared with her husband on four episodes of “NCIS.”
12. Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest
> Married: Dec 18, 1984 (36 years)
After seeing Christopher Guest’s photo from the movie “This is Spinal Tap,” Jamie Lee Curtis told a friend she would marry him. And she did. The secret to their 36-year marriage? Curtis says it’s because actor/director Guest makes her feel “safe.” The couple share two adopted children.
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11. Patti Hansen and Keith Richards
> Married: Dec 18, 1983 (37 years)
Rolling Stone Keith Richards and model Patti Hansen met in the most late-1970s way — at legendary Studio 54 in 1979. Yet this marriage made in rock ‘n’ roll heaven has managed to buck the trend of brief liaisons, as they’ve been married for over three decades. They’ve raised two daughters in the most un-rock ‘n’ roll-like place, Connecticut.
10. Pauletta Pearson and Denzel Washington
> Married: June 25, 1983 (38 years)
When they met during the filming of “Wilma” in 1997, sparks didn’t initially fly between actor Denzel Washington and actor/singer Pauletta Pearson. A year later they did fly when they re-met at a party. Married in 1983, they later renewed their vows in a ceremony in South Africa officiated by Archbishop Benjamin Tutu. They have four children, each of whom has pursued a career in the film industry.
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9. Alison Stewart and Bono
> Married: Aug 21, 1982 (38 years)
Although U2 frontman Bono and his wife activist Alison (Ali) Hewson have been married for 38 years, their relationship began much, much earlier. In fact, Paul David Hewson (as Bono was born) and Stewart met when they were 12 years old and attending school in Dublin. They have four children. While Bono pursues his musical career, Alison works advocates for environmental issues.
8. Sharon Levy and Ozzy Osbourne
> Married: July 4, 1982 (39 years)
Sharon Levy first met rock bad boy Ozzy Osbourne when she signed on to manage his band. From a professional relationship a romantic connection grew. They were one of the first reality show families and have weathered their share of ups and downs, including rumors of a cheating scandal. Yet they’ve stayed together and have raised three children.
7. Jayni Luke and Chevy Chase
> Married: June 19, 1982 (39 years)
Comedian Chevy Chase endured two divorces before meeting production coordinator Jayni Luke on a movie set. Despite her initial reluctance, he won her over and they married in 1982. Chase credits Luke for helping him get sober. They have three daughters.
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6. LaTanya Richardson and Samuel L Jackson
> Married: Aug 18, 1980 (40 years)
Samuel L. Jackson and actress LaTanya Richardson met when both were attending college in Atlanta and part of the same theater group. Like many couples, they didn’t hit it off immediately: She was interested in theater and he in the movies — but by 1980 they were married. They have one child together.
5. Meryl Streep and Don Gummer
> Married: Sept 30, 1978 (42 years)
When Meryl Streep first met sculptor Don Gummer she was mourning the death of her boyfriend, John Cazale, in 1978. Gummer helped her move out of the apartment she shared with Cazale, and they were married soon after. Despite the sad beginning, the two have been together for more than four decades and have raised four children. They share one grandchild.
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4. Georgianne Thon and Christopher Walken
> Married: Jan 1, 1969 (52 years)
Christopher Walken and Georgianne Walken were dancers in a theater production of “West Side Story” in 1963 when they first met. Six years later they danced down the aisle. He’s been a successful actor, while she’s pursued a career as both an actress and casting director. They don’t have children.
3. Anne Bancroft and Mel Brooks
> Married: Aug 5, 1964 (56 years)
Comedy legend Mel Brooks and stage actress Anne Bancroft met during the taping of a Perry Como TV special in 1961. For Brooks, a comedy writer with Sid Caesar’s show at the time, it was love at first sight and he pursued her relentlessly. They married four years later, and were together until her death in 2005. They shared one son, Max, and a grandson.
2. Virginia Quinn and Bob Newhart
> Married: Jan 1, 1963 (58 years)
The late comedian Buddy Hackett set up Bob Newhart and Virginia “Ginnie” Quinn (daughter of character actor Bill Quinn) on a blind date in 1962. He was a rising comedy star and she was working as a babysitter for Hackett’s children. A year later they married and have raised four children. The couple has 10 grandchildren.
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1. Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller
> Married: Sept 14, 1954 (66 years)
Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara laughed together for six decades as a famous comedy duo — and as husband and wife. Sadly, she died in 2015, while the “Seinfeld” actor passed away last year. In addition to their memorable comedy routines, they raised two children, actress and comedian Amy Stiller and actor-writer-director Ben Stiller, who gave them two grandchildren.
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