It is no surprise that tabloid targets Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, a.k.a. “Brangelina,” just split up. Of course, this is not the only time this has happened in Hollywood. Interestingly enough, if you look up “Hollywood marriage” on Wikipedia, the article mentions the "short duration." What is fun, rather humorous, to do is google actors and actresses from the 50’s and 60’s (i.e., Mickey Rooney, Elizabeth Taylor) and see how many times they were married and divorced. Nonetheless, in honor of the trending news of Brangelina’s split, or should I say in response, I decided to write a list of celebrity marriages that have lasted a long time. Please note that this list includes celebrities married to famous and nonfamous people.
- Jeff Bridges and Susan Geston (m. 1977): The marriage between Jeff Bridges and his wife is considered one of the most respected marriages. He and his wife have three daughters and, from what I know, one grandchild. Interestingly, there is a Huffington Post article about their marriage.
2. Meryl Streep and Don Gummer (m. 1978): It’s such a surprise that one of the most famous and talented actresses in Hollywood would only be married only once. Streep and her husband have three daughters and one son.
3. Sissy Spacek and Jack Fisk (m. 1974): Sissy Spacek is married to a man who, like her, is in the film industry. However, he works behind the scenes as a production designer. He has worked alongside acclaimed film directors Terrence Malick and Paul Thomas Anderson. Sissy Spacek and Jack Fisk have two daughters, Schuyler and Madison.
4. Christopher and Georgianne Walken (m. 1969): My mom joked that maybe they have been together all these years because his wife is “afraid to leave him,” but of course she was only making an exaggeration. Walken met his wife while touring with “West Side Story.” Like Sissy Spacek’s husband, Jack Fisk, Christopher Walken’s wife is not completely out of the entertainment industry picture. In fact, she was a casting director for The Soprano’s. Christopher Walken and his wife have no children, but they do have a cat.
5. Denzel Washington and Pauletta Pearson (m. 1983): Denzel and his wife manage to keep their life private and their marriage strong. They have four children, one of them being football player John David Washington.
6. Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest (m. 1984): I always thought that this was such a random combination, not that that’s a bad thing. In fact, I think it is so cool that these two are married because they are equally talented and funny in their own ways. Jamie and Christopher have two adopted children named Annie and Thomas.7. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson (m. 1988): Although Tom Hanks is one of the most famous actors, he is rarely reported in the news. Like Denzel Washington, he manages to keep his marriage and family life private while continuing to do films.8. William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman (m. 1997): As of next year, 2017, these two will be married for 20 years. Nonetheless, 19 years is still long for a celebrity marriage, especially when both the husband and wife are actors. It is awesome how they are the first Hollywood couple to get Walk of Fame stars on the same day.
9. Michelle Pfeiffer and David E. Kelly (m. 1993): They are another example of a couple where one acts and the other works behind the scenes. Michelle Pfeiffer’s husband, David E. Kelly, is a television writer and producer for several shows including Ally McBeal, Boston Legal, Picket Fences, and more.
10. Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward (m. 1953-2008): The marriage between Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward is so iconic that you cannot miss it. That is why I chose a picture of them as the cover photo of this listicle. Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward are one of the only celebrity couples that I know of that met on the set of a movie, and remained together until death. I always remember Paul Newman as the “old car from the movie Cars,” but when he died, his death was reported on the news, and I remember Joanne Woodward said, “his eyes were blue and beautiful.”
Is there a secret ingredient to a long-lasting Hollywood marriage? I would not know being that I am only 21 years old and still in college. However, in terms of trends seen with these couples, the “famous person” tends to be married to a non-famous person, or a person who works behind the scenes (i.e., Sissy Spacek and Jack Fisk, Michelle Pfeiffer and David E. Kelly). As for celebrity couples where both are actors (i.e. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman), they tend to stay out of the spotlight. In other words, they keep their marriage and family life private. Nonetheless, most long-lasting celebrity marriages, whether or not both are famous, usually stay out of the spotlight.