Hollywood Relationships That Stand the Test of Time

Here’s to celebrity relationships that have made it 20 years or longer.

Hollywood Relationships That Stand the Test of Time

tom hanks — Rita Wilson, left, and Tom Hanks arrive at a special screening of "Inferno" at the Directors Guild of America Theatre on Oct. 25, 2016, in Los Angeles.

There’s a reason a “Hollywood marriage” is shorthand for a relationship that is not just star-studded, but short-lived. We have countless examples of famous marriages that have lasted just days (or hours — hello, Britney Spears).

That kind of drama garners the kind of headlines that the quieter stories, about a love that lasts, don’t. Here’s to celebrity relationships that have made it 20 years or longer.

Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen

When they started dating: 1993

Actors Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen met in 1993 on the set of "Pontiac Moon” — and married two years later. They’ve been together ever since.

Ted Danson on finding love when you least expect it: "I was a mess-and-a-half. I thought, I'm incapable of being in a relationship. But I was working on myself. Ironic how life works in those moments. Once you throw your arms up and surrender, a lot of times things come your way."

Ted Danson on the power of marriage: "If I were to die, I can say, I know what it's like to be loved and to love."

Elton John and David Furnish

When they started dating: 1993

Although the pair didn’t officially marry until December 2014, Elton John and David Furnish have been together since 1993, having met at one of Elton’s dinner parties. (They entered into a civil union in 2005, before gay marriage was legalized).

Elton John on the legalization of gay marriage: “To be worthy of someone's love, you have to be brave enough and clear eyed enough to be honest with yourself and your partner. Almost 24 years ago, I met the person with whom I could be fully myself. When we married in 2014, it felt like that fact was accepted by the world. For David and me, being able to openly love and commit to one another and for that to be recognized and celebrated is what makes life truly worth living.”

Elton John on having a family: “If you'd had said to me 10 years ago I'd be sitting on [The Ellen Show] married to the man I love and have two beautiful children I would have said, 'You put acid in my drink.’ But life throws you challenges and life throws you curveballs — and great curveballs. These two children have come along at a time I never thought I'd have children. They are the greatest thing in our lives."

Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld

When they started dating: 1998

Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld are such a quintessentially New York City couple that he first told her he loved her over lox and bagels at Zabar’s. They met in August 1998, at the Reebok gym on the Upper West Side.

“I was going through a difficult time, and I was approached by Jerry Seinfeld and he attempted to make me laugh, and I was really not interested in being entertained at that moment,” she told “The New York Times.” But he persevered, and they wed a little over a year later.

Jerry Seinfeld on why marriage should be rare: "To me, the thing about marriage is, I can't believe how often it happens. I mean, I like the idea of it, but I can't believe that many people are meeting people that they want to see every single day, every day, every day, every day and every day. That should happen three or four times, you know, in the whole century."

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas

When they started dating: 1999

When Michael Douglas first met Catherine Zeta-Jones at the Deauville Film Festival in France, in 1998, Douglas said to her, "I want to father your children." Fast-forward more than 20 years, and the pair are parents to a college-aged son, Dylan, and teenage daughter, Carys. Despite a public separation in 2013 to re-evaluate their relationship, as well as brushes with stage IV cancer (Douglas) and a bipolar disorder diagnosis (Zeta-Jones), the couple, who are 25 years apart, remain together.

Catherine Zeta-Jones on what you learn through the trials of marriage, including her own diagnosis with bipolar disorder: “You find out who you really are and who you are married to. You find things inside yourself you never imagined were there.”

Catherine Zeta-Jones on being real about long-term relationships: “It’s been great, but I think it’s just unfathomable to me that you would be with one person for 18 years, and things are not rosy every day. They’re just not.”

Michael Douglas on their time apart: “I think every couple has their difficult times. The only problem is, as you well know, we're all in the public eye, and it tends to get a little more exposed than most.”

Faith Hill and Tim McGraw

When they started dating: 1996

Faith Hill and Tim McGraw first met in 1994, but it wasn't until they were on the Spontaneous Combustion Tour together in 1996 that they first kissed — and they married that very same October.

Faith Hill on choosing to leave a relationship to be with Tim: “If someone is going to judge my character because I was engaged to somebody and then I left him for somebody else — ‘Oh, okay, now she’s a slut and a bad person’ — I can’t control that. But I wasn’t about to let Tim slip through my hands.”

Tim McGraw on what keeps their relationship going: “Funny, as we get older, it’s less about the big gestures and more about just spending the time together at home.”

Tim McGraw on the healing power of his marriage: “Faith saved my life in a lot of ways — from myself more than anything. I can go down a dark road sometimes, when you’re not feeling good about yourself, and she pulls me out. My wife makes me a better man.”

Annette Bening & Warren Beatty

When they started dating: 1990

In 1990, after some 12,500-plus “conquests,” one of the most voracious bachelors in Hollywood, Warren Beatty, met his match: Annette Bening. He was trying to cast her in the leading role for the film “Bugsy,” and she had been forewarned about his reputation.

Nevertheless, the pair fell in love and wed in 1992 — and now have four children together.

Warren Beatty on finally settling down: “I always felt I wasn’t trying to avoid marriage; I was trying to avoid divorce. I had no doubt when I met Annette that it was time to get married.”

Annette Bening on their age difference: “I’m sure everybody that has an age difference in their marriage — with Warren and me it’s 21 years — there are times you just have to address it because you’re at different stages of life. You need a foundation of fundamental love and mutual respect and understanding.”

Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber

When they started dating: 1997

Supermodel Cindy Crawford met fellow model Rande Gerber at a wedding in 1991, when they were both with other people. They reconnected in 1995, got married three years later and now have two children together, who, yes, are also models.

Cindy Crawford on the secret to a long-term marriage: “I make my husband a priority and don't take things for granted.”

Rande Gerber’s take on their success in marriage: “We started as friends and we remained friends. You have to just keep that friendship and fun in the relationship."

Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick

When they started dating: 1991

The two beloved actors that helped define ’80s pop culture met each other in 1991 through Sarah’s brothers who had started a Broadway theater company called Naked Angels, of which Broderick became involved. The rest was history.

True to her role as a fashion icon, Sarah Jessica Parker wore black when the couple wed in 1997.

Sarah Jessica Parker on marriage: “I think marriage has a lot of vitality. If you’re fortunate, it’s like this dazzling organism.”

Matthew Broderick on the secret of long-term relationships: “We really are friends beyond everything else, and we talk a lot. She's really funny; she makes me laugh.”

Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith

When they started dating: 1995

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith started dating in the mid-90s, as Smith was divorcing his ex-wife Sheree Fletcher. They married on New Year’s Eve, 1997, and now have two children together. Despite numerous rumors of infidelity, pending divorce and open marriage, the state of the Smiths’ union is strong.

Jada Pinkett Smith on trusting her partner: “Here's what I trust: The man that Will is … is a man of integrity. He's got all the freedom in the world. As long as Will can look himself in the mirror and be okay? I'm good."

Will Smith on the nature of their long-term relationship: "We don't even say we're married anymore. We refer to ourselves as life partners.”

Beyonce and Jay-Z

When they started dating: 2001

Beyonce was just 19 when she met Jay-Z, back in 1999. The trials of their decades-long relationship are well-known, fodder for two of their latest albums, Lemonade and 4:44, but all indications, including their three young children, Blue Ivy, Rumi and Sir, point to many more years to come.

Beyonce on how her experience of marriage as a child shaped her: “I come from a lineage of broken male-female relationships, abuse of power and mistrust. Only when I saw that clearly was I able to resolve those conflicts in my own relationship. Connecting to the past and knowing our history makes us both bruised and beautiful.”

Jay-Z on moving past relationship troubles: “For us, we chose to fight for our love. For our family. To give our kids a different outcome. To break that cycle for black men and women.”

David and Victoria Beckham

When they started dating: 1997

David and Victoria Beckham are the couple people love to believe are on the rocks — and yet their relationship has stood the test of time. David Beckham still has the plane ticket “Posh Spice” wrote her number on back of in 1997. They wed two years later — and haven’t really stayed out of the tabloids since.

David Beckham on the trick to being married for so long: “To have been married for the amount of time that we have, it’s always hard work.”

Victoria Beckham on love at first sight: “Yes, love at first sight does exist. It will happen to you in the Manchester United players' lounge — although you will get a little drunk, so exact details are hazy.”

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr.

When they started dating: 2000

The iconic ’90s couple, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr., met on the set of "I Know What You Did Last Summer" in 1997 — and married in 2002.

Freddie Prinze Jr. on finding the right moment for marriage: “We were fortunate enough to be at the right times in our lives where we both wanted something serious and it worked. So we’re lucky, but we also work very hard at it. It’s not just dumb luck; it’s work.”

Sarah Michelle Gellar on the kinds of secrets that are good for a marriage: “I feel like there are certain things that should just be kept your own, and they never need to know. Also, maybe, possibly, a separate shopping credit card; or if you are a guy, maybe a separate gaming card, so I don’t have to see how much video games cost.”

Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan

When they started dating: 1987

Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan started dating after filming “Bright Lights, Big City” together in 1987 — and have stayed deeply committed through his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 1991 and raising their four children.

Tracy Pollan’s deceptively simple marriage advice: “Just give each other the benefit of the doubt. He assumes I’m doing the best I can.”

Michael J. Fox on not making too much of their relationship: "We don't say, 'We're going to be together forever.' It's not that Pollyannaish. We just say, 'This is a cool thing. Let's not talk about it — and maybe it won't go away.'"

Steve and Nancy Carell

When they started dating: The early 1990s

When the duo met, Steve Carell was teaching an improv class at Second City in Chicago; Nancy was his student. They’ve been married since 1995, and have two children.

Steve Carell on the secret to their relationship: “She makes me laugh more than anybody.”

Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon

When they started dating: 1987

Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon officially met during rehearsals for the PBS version of the play “Lemon Sky,” but they actually exchanged words in a diner years before that.

Needless to say, it didn’t take long for the two to get reacquainted. They married in 1988, the year the movie was released.

Kevin Bacon on his fellow actors’ lack of marriage expertise: “Whatever you do, don’t listen to celebrities on advice on how to stay married. That’s my secret.”

Kyra Sedgwick on the rules that keep a marriage going: “Keep the fights clean, and don't have sex with somebody else. Monogamy is a given, like 'Put the toilet seat down.'”

Deborra-Lee Furness and Hugh Jackman

When they started dating: 1995

Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness met in 1995 on the set of the Australian TV show “Corelli,” and married the following year.

Hugh Jackman on the benefits of having a marriage before fame: “One of the great pieces of fortune in my career, it started late, but that Deb and I were already set together, a team, madly in love, like literally before it all happened.”

Deborah-Lee Furness on meeting Jackman: “I had just made my New Year’s resolution, I said, ‘I am not dating any actors, and definitely not under 30. I then meet my husband.”

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson

When they started dating: 1984

With all the red carpets they’ve walked together, it seems like Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson have been together forever — but in reality, it’s only been a measly 30-odd years. They began dating after he divorced his first wife and married a year later in 1988.

Fun fact: They originally met in high school.

Tom Hanks on what really drives a relationship: “I wish there was a secret, you know. We just like each other. You start there.”

Kelly Preston and John Travolta

When they started dating: 1987

Kelly Preston and John Travolta met on the set of “The Experts” in 1987. They’ve been married for 27 of the last 31 years.

The two publicly supported each other after the death of their 16-year-old son, Jett, who suffered a seizure at the family's home in the Bahamas in 2009.

Kelly Preston on what goes into a marriage: “A relationship doesn’t just happen. You have to work at it. You’ve got to keep it fun and that’s what we do.”

John Travolta on the secret to a long marriage: “The secret to a good and successful marriage is to not look for secret formulas. It really just comes down to being yourself, being honest and remembering that you have to give as much as you take.”

Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham

When they started dating: 1986

Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham met at a charity event in Chicago in 1986 — the same year her show first debuted on the air. But they’ve never married.

Oprah Winfrey on marriage rumors: “Six people who know me well have called today congratulating me or surprised they weren't invited to my wedding. IT'S NOT TRUE!!”

Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest

When they started dating: 1984

Jamie Lee Curtis pursued Christopher Guest after seeing him in an issue of Rolling Stone magazine in 1984, promoting the cult classic film, “This Is Spinal Tap.” Luckily for Curtis, the two shared an agency, but when she left a message for him, he never called.

A couple months later, they met in person though at Hugo’s restaurant in West Hollywood. It didn't take long before the two were married (by the end of that year) at “This Is Spinal Tap” director Rob Reiner’s house. Oh, and Hugo’s did the catering.

Jamie Lee Curtis on the secret of staying together: “Don't get divorced. It's a fascinating thing. I could write a book on marriage called 'Don't Leave.'"

Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell

When they started dating: 1983

Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell first met in 1966, but it wasn’t until filming on the set of “Swing Shift,” released in 1984, that they became romantically involved.

They have now been happily unmarried for going on 35 years. They have a son, Wyatt, together and have grandchildren, but no wedding bands.

Goldie Hawn on the things that matter in a relationship: “Love, gratitude, compassion, because sometimes every man or every woman will drive their partner crazy. Family. Fun. Laughs. Sex. If you don’t nurture that, and remember, you’re done.”

Kurt Russell on the persistent marriage rumors: “They trot that one [marriage rumor] out every four or five years, now that we’re 400 years old ... no, unfortunately, for those that need to hear yes [we’re getting married], I do not have good news.”

Sting and Trudie Styler

When they started dating: 1982

Sting and Trudie Styler met while she was performing in the Royal Shakespeare Company in the 1980s. The duo married in 1992, after having been together for more than a decade, and they’re still going strong.

Sting on the ingredients that keep a relationship strong: “We love each other — which is a given! — but we also like each other.”

Trudie Styler on having space in a relationship: “Obviously, there has to be a chemistry — that’s why we can stay together for as long as we’ve been together. We have space apart because he tours, and I go and do the things that I have to do with my films — we don’t live in each other’s pockets.”

Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy

When they started dating: Early 1980s

Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy dated on and off for 15 years before getting married in 1997. The rest is history.

Felicity Huffman on getting married after many years of dating: “I was finally smart enough to go: ‘I'm going to marry this guy or really lose him for good.'"

William H. Macy on their relationship: “I don’t look at it as an achievement; I look at it as a lifesaver.”

Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance

When they started dating: 1994

Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance met at the Yale School of Drama, but they spent a long time as friends before their relationship turned romantic. They finally tied the knot, though, in October 1997.

Angela Bassett on the length of their marriage: “I don’t keep count!”

Courtney B. Vance on the “secret” of their marriage: "I don’t think there is a secret. We definitely didn’t find it. We discovered that it’s work. But we already knew that.”

Samuel L. Jackson and LaTanya Richardson

When they started dating: 1970

Samuel L. Jackson and LaTanya Richardson also met while in college — she at Spelman and he at Morehouse — and wed in 1980. They have one daughter together, Zoe, and he thanks both of them for supporting him through rehab.

Samuel L. Jackson on having role models: “We actually thought we were going to be the black Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, but we were going to stay together!”

Meryl Streep and Don Gummer

When they started dating: 1978

Out of tragedy comes one of the longest marriages in Hollywood. In 1978, when Meryl Streep’s boyfriend, John Cazale, died of lung cancer, she stayed in Don Gummer’s apartment. (He was a friend of her brother’s).

They married in September of that year, and now have four children together.

Meryl Streep on the power of communication: “You have to talk about all the issues that arise, even the smallest things. You have to listen to your partner's problems, suggestions and advice, and accept that you're not always right. Conversation is the key to a successful marriage."

Denzel and Pauletta Washington

denzel washington — Denzel Washington and his wife Pauletta Pearson attend the premiere of "Safe House" in New York on Feb. 7, 2012.

When they started dating: 1977

Denzel and Pauletta Washington met on the set of the 1977 television movie “Wilma” — and have been together ever since.

Denzel Washington on the secret to a successful marriage: “I do what I’m told. I keep my mouth shut.”

Pauletta Washington on what makes a true love story: “For me, the ‘love’ in the love story is how you come through the trials. The passion, the lust — that’s easy. The love story is how you come out in love after hardship.”

Jeff Bridges and Susan Geston

When they started dating: 1975

Jeff Bridges and Susan Geston got married in 1977, just five days after Bridges proposed. They had met two years prior — Bridges was filming on location in Montana for “Rancho Deluxe,” a Western, and Geston was waiting tables. They have three daughters together.

Jeff Bridges on his initial fear of commitment: “I don’t know how it is for women or for other guys, but when I was young and in my 20s, I had a fear of marriage. I thought it was a giant step toward death. So, I did everything in my power to resist it — the idea was frightening to me, man.”

Jeff Bridges on the power of staying together: “If you change partners every time it gets tough or you get a little dissatisfied, then you don't get the richness that's available in a long-term relationship.”

Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner

When they started dating: The early 1970s

Lily Tomlin and her long-time partner, Jane Wagner, tied the knot on Dec. 31, 2013 — after having been together since 1971. Their low-key, long-lasting relationship includes a host of professional accolades — Wagner wrote, directed and produced alongside Tomlin on some of her biggest work.

Lily Tomlin on the wedding plans: “We're thinking maybe we'll get married ... No rings, no bridal dresses. Maybe we'll be dressed like chickens."

Lily Tomlin on how to make a marriage last: “Commitment. Just willingness to go the distance. Caring about somebody, respecting somebody. Just wanting to build on that.”

Michelle Pfeiffer and David E. Kelley

When they started dating: 1993

Shortly after marrying writer-producer David E. Kelley in 1993, Michelle Pfeiffer more or less disappeared from Hollywood, settling into a much more normal life in Northern California. (They met on a blind date.) The intensely private couple have two children together — one adopted, one biological, both close in age.

Michelle Pfeiffer on why her marriage works: “Ultimately, I believe the only secret to a happy marriage is choosing the right person. Life is a series of choices, right?'

Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg

When they started dating: 1989

Steven Spielberg cast Kate Capshaw on the blockbuster film, “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” in 1984, when Spielberg was married to actress Amy Irving. They married seven years later.

Steven Spielberg on how "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" changed his life: “My leading lady is still my leading lady.”

Kate Capshaw, who had a daughter before she began dating Steven Spielberg, on what made the relationship work: “The way to a single mother’s heart is through her child.”

Phoebe Cates and Kevin Kline

When they started dating: 1985

Phoebe Cates and Kevin Kline first met in 1982, auditioning for “The Big Chill.” Kline got a role; Cates did not — but they both discovered the beginnings of what would become a decades-long relationship. Married in 1989, they now have two grown children.

Kevin Kline on what makes their marriage work: "We're both sensible, and we don't separate for long periods of time. We take care of the marriage."

Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne

ozzy osbourne — Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne arrive at the Elton John AIDS Foundation's sixth annual benefit "An Enduring Vision" at The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on Sept. 25, 2007, in New York.

When they started dating: 1979

Much of the Osbournes’ tumultuous married life has played out in the tabloids and on television, but despite Ozzy’s affairs, rehab for sex addiction and other marital strains, the couple, who married in 1982, has reconciled and remains together.

Sharon Osbourne on why they’ve stayed together: “I just can’t think of my life without him.”

Ozzy Osbourne on the longevity of marriage: “I believe that the marriage license is the heaviest contract that you will ever sign, you are giving your life to another person.”

Rhea Perlman and Danny Devito

When they started dating: 1971

Though recent headlines suggest that divorce is back on — after being on and off the table numerous times in the last decade — comedians Danny Devito and Rhea Perlman are still technically married. The pair met in 1971, and married in 1982.

Rhea Perlman on why they are still together: “We’ve been together a very long time, so there’s a lot of love and history.”

Danny Devito during one of their separations: “Rhea and I are really close. Actually still together, just separate, but together.”

Cheryl and Ron Howard

When they started dating: 1970

In Hollywood, it doesn’t get more “Mayberry” than this: Ron and Cheryl Howard went on their first date together at age 16, and have been together ever since. They married in 1975 and have four children together.

Ron Howard on meeting his wife so young: “We were teenagers; it shouldn't have worked. We got married young; that shouldn't have worked either, and yet it really and truly has.”

Dolly Parton and Carl Dean

When they started dating: 1964

The inimitable country star Dolly Parton has been with her husband, Carl Dean, since 1964. They married two years later. While Dean is famously reclusive, Parton is open about what makes their partnership work.

Dolly Parton on how their differences keeps them together: "They say that opposites attract, and it's true. We're completely opposite, but that's what makes it fun. I never know what he's gonna say or do. He's always surprising me."

Dolly Parton on the importance of having space: “I always joke and laugh when people ask me what's the key to my long marriage and lasting love. I always say, ‘Stay gone!’ and there's a lot of truth to that.”

Kirk Douglas and Anne Buydens

When they started dating: The early 1950s

At 102 and nearly 100 years old, respectively, Kirk Douglas and Anne Buydens have stood the test of time — and so has their marriage. They wed in 1954.

Kirk Douglas on his first impression of Anne Buydens: “She was the most difficult woman I ever met.”

Anne Buydens on accepting infidelity: “Kirk never tried to hide his dalliances from me. As a European, I understood it was unrealistic to expect total fidelity in a marriage.”

Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller

When they started dating: 1953

Ben Stiller’s parents — celebrity comedians in their own right — had been married since 1954. They were partners in comedy, and in life, for 65 years, until Meara’s death in 2015.

Anne Meara on knowing Jerry Stiller was “the one”: “I really knew this was the man I would marry. I knew he would never leave me."

Jerry Stiller on choosing marriage over their professional life: “I love Anne, but if I had depended on her in my professional life, I would have lost her as a wife.”

Jerry Stiller on the unlikeliness of their relationship: “If there was any logic to it, we never would have gotten married in the first place.”

Iman and David Bowie

When they started dating: 1990

Before David Bowie’s tragic death, from liver cancer in 2016, he and the Somali-born supermodel Iman were together for 26 years. They met in 1990 and married in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1992, and have one child together, a daughter born in 2000.

Iman on the down-to-earth nature of their marriage: “As I always said: I fell in love with David Jones. I did not fall in love with David Bowie. Bowie is just a persona. He's a singer, an entertainer. David Jones is a man I met.”

David Bowie on the unique nature of their relationship: “You would think that a rock star being married to a supermodel would be one of the greatest things in the world. It is.”