Mary Beth Evans Lives 'Suburban Life' in Small House with Husband of 37 Years - They Are 'Coolest Grandparents' of 4

Mary Beth Evans, also popularly known as Kayla Brady from "Days of Our Lives," fell for her husband, Michael Schwartz, at first sight at 19, and they have been together for 43 years. The lovebirds lead a "suburban life" in a small but beautiful house the actress decorated herself. They are also "the coolest" grandparents to their four cute grandbabies and share many memories.

Mary Beth Evans first came into the spotlight for her notable roles as Katherine Bell in "General Hospital," Sierra Esteban in "As The World Turns," and Candice DeLilly, the mother of a murder victim in "Criminal Minds." However, her role as Kayla Brady in "Days of Our Lives" propelled her to immense heights and garnered her indelible fame.

Her character in the show has graced the screens for nearly three decades, earning her a top spot at the most respected actor's table. And while her character Kayla had always been unlucky in love, the same cannot be said about Evans.

After Kayla's family disapproved of her romance with Steve Nichols, a character played by Steve "Patch" Johnson, she ended up marrying Jack, knowing only too well that her heart belonged to another. However, off-screen, Evans found love at an early age. The "Criminal Minds" actress and her husband, Michael Schwartz, met when she was only 19.

She retells how a friend of a friend visiting for a weekend from school in Chicago brought Schwartz to see a play she was in. It was love at first sight for the two, and she recalls how attracted they were to each other from the get-go.

The "Body of Proof" actress's first impression of her husband was that he was funny, handsome, and with a real sense of purpose, unlike the much laid-back surfer boys she had grown up around.

Schwartz was different in every aspect, and the way he dressed — in East Coast khakis and Brooks Brothers shirts — was the topping on the cake. He cemented her admiration for him with his chivalry, and when he opened her door for her, she was smitten.

Four months after their initial meeting, Evans moved to Chicago to be with the love of her life. The lovebirds dated for five years before tying the knot in 1985. They have been together since and raised three beautiful children together.

Being married for over three and a half decades is a success, especially in Hollywood, where divorce is the order of the day. However, not all has been smooth, and the two have had their share of challenges. Evans says sometimes things can get thick:

"So I know what being in a long-time marriage is like and how things can gnaw at you and irritate you and how there can be explosions when things have not been addressed."

Despite being in the spotlight for so long, Evans says she and her husband do not hang out with other actors like herself or doctors like her husband. Instead, they prefer their laid-back suburban life, where they get to spend time with their long-time friends.

In addition to her success in her career and marriage, Evans has also found happiness in motherhood. She and her husband are doting parents to their three children, the last of who is already grown and is currently engaged.

She loves spending time with her children, Danny, Katie, and Matthew, and is grateful that she now finds time to hang out with them. She recalls when Danny was born, she was only home for a few weeks before returning to work and did not get to spend as much time with her babies as she'd have loved to. Today, she grabs every opportunity she can.

Evans and Schwartz Moved into a Smaller House She Decorated Herself

After raising their children, Evans and her husband moved into a smaller house which Evans decorated herself with sentimental pieces she chose or received as gifts from her loved ones. Explaining her choice of decor, Evans disclosed that every detail in her home had either a personality or a story behind it:

"You can see that I enjoy a lot of little things like the shell blocks on the coffee table. My girlfriend and I have gone to a million flea markets over the years, and so much of what is in my home was put together through flea markets."

For instance, the clock on her wall, which she bought from a guy that carried antics in a truck, dates back 26 years. She loves her big grandfather clock and painting that takes up most of the wall spaces but also has a soft spot for the pillows and the coffee table that her daughter painted black.

She enjoys her backyard, which features climbing roses called the Old English Eden Climbers, and loves nurturing the bushes and relishing in the beauty of the first bloom of hundreds and hundreds of roses.

The backyard also features a clock which Evans says her husband uses to keep track of time during his lunchtime swim. Her back porch is a piece of art, donning a sectioned space with comfy outdoor sofas and bedazzled with climbing roses and a potted plant.

Her outdoor space also allows her and her husband to throw and host parties. And during Christmas, she can hang up the lights and transform the backyard into a picturesque space for hanging out and kicking back.

Her home also features beautiful photo frames with her grandchildren's photos, set beside a small gold table clock and other frames with photos of the whole family.

Another sentimental feature in her home is the Christmas socks embroidered with her grandchildren's names hung over the fireplace. When she is not collecting antic pieces for her home or decorating, Evans is a blogger.

The "Murder, She Wrote" actress runs a blog called the PLANK blog, where she speaks about her adventures, family, gardening, and even shares tips on decorating and turning one's home into a sanctuary as she has hers with her eclectic style.

Mary Beth Evans Enjoys Her Life at Home

While Evans has lived the high life of a respected actress, she never let go of her desire to lead a homey life. Besides her enviable roles in hit shows, she is an avid gardener and a fantastic cook who thoroughly enjoys interior decorating.

During an interview with CoffeyBuzz, Evans disclosed that she loved it when her kids came home wondering what she was doing, and she would be painting a wall or gardening. She believes everyone can make the most of what they have and transform their home into a beautiful living space. She says:

"You don't need to have a lot of money to have a beautiful place to live or to entertain yourself."

Her vegetable garden, which she nurtures herself, caters to all her cooking needs. A jack of many trades, Evans is also an entrepreneur and owns a business — Mary Beth's Apple Pie Company — which she says started on a dare by her husband.

She started by making pies and shipping them to her friends, but one day, she went to the QVC TV Network and sold 3000 pies in seven minutes. She turned it into a successful business, and today, people make her recipes, and she couldn't be prouder of herself.

One thing she keeps in mind when decorating or renovating her home is her grandkids. Like the doting grandma that she is, she built a playhouse for her grandbabies with a small garden where they could play and where she and her husband could entertain them.

The white playhouse has paved pathways leading up to it for easy access and is surrounded by beautiful greenery around the property. The playhouse also features window boxes where the actress' grandbabies can try their luck at gardening just like their grandma.

Mary Beth Evans’ Grandkids Are Lucky She Is Their Grandma — Here’s Why.

Suppose building their grandbabies a playhouse is not enough indication that Evans and Schwartz are "the coolest grandparents" ever. In that case, the numerous Instagram posts featuring their grandbabies sure do confirm that Evans and Schwartz love their grandkids.

And the feeling is mutual. Their grandchildren, Henry, Luka, Alice, and James, are lucky to have the actress and her husband as their grandparents, and one can quickly tell how much they enjoy making memories together from their photos.

Evans disclosed that she loves grandparenting with her husband and spending time with their grandbabies. And whenever they can't spend time together, they always ensure they catch up on Facetime.

On April 2023, the actress posted photos of herself and her husband spending quality time with their grandbabies. In one shot, Schwartz was bathing one of their grandkids and watching him as he played in the bathtub, while in a second picture, Evans sat on the floor bottle-feeding her grandbaby.

In a different photo posted on her Instagram only days earlier, Evans sat on the couch holding and playing with two of her grandbabies, who she called love bugs. The cute caption on the photo read:

"Great way to finish off the day... Time with these love bugs... Life is full!"

Not many grandparents are playful enough to wear a minion costume to impress grandkids. But Evans and her husband do it so easily! For Halloween of 2022, the pair dressed up as minions and had lots of fun with their grandkids, dressed as the characters from "The Incredibles."

Fans could not help but praise Evans and Schwartz for being the most incredible grandparents ever. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. Evans is big on making memories, and in December of 2022, she posted yet another photo of herself and her four grandbabies sharing incredible moments during a tea party.

The cute photo shows the actress holding one of her grandbabies while serving "tea" to the rest from their miniature dishes, and by the look of it, they were having plenty of fun.

Her grandbabies also enjoy the literal fruits of her gardening. In April 2022, the actress posted a short video of her grandson enjoying kumquat from her garden, with fans commenting about how adorable the whole thing was.

The grandma-grandbabies duo also enjoys time at their pool, with Evans acting as her grandson's swim teacher. And when the grandma-grandkids team is not exploring the outdoors, the actress enjoys reading to them as they nap.

As if that's not enough, Evans also enjoys doing two of her favorite things together — cooking while watching her cute grandbaby sleep. A photo posted in April 2020 showed the actress whisking some ingredients together while she watched her grandson, who was sleeping cozily in a rocker on the kitchen table.

Not to be left behind, Schwartz also spends quality time with his grandson, and when he is not bathing them, he is nurturing their talents. In a video posted on Evans' Instagram in October 2021, Schwartz can be seen teaching his grandson how to play the guitar. The video showed the little boy strumming the guitar strings as he sat on his grandpa's lap, and was captioned:

"Grandpa sharing his love of music with the little guy."

Big on memories, the "This Just In" actress also loves taking her youngest grandbaby out for walks as they bond, and even better, she and her husband love spending their summer riding golf carts with their three older grandchildren.

Evans posted the cute photo of her and Schwartz atop a golf cart looking all smiley as their oldest grandson, Henry, sat on his grandfather's lap and seemed to be steering while Alice sat on her grandmother's lap and Luka nestled comfortably between them.

Evans sure has plenty on her plate between wowing her fans in her shows, raising her grandkids, and gardening. Despite all that, she still relishes her time with family more than anything else. Achieving one's goals career-wise and being able to dote on family is almost unattainable for most celebrities, but the "Chasing Life" actress appears to have won at life in that aspect.