10 Celebrity Marriages That Lasted Way Longer Than Expected

Hollywood brings us the best romantic stories, but in reality, many of its stars don't end up with their own "happily-ever-after" accounts. However, while celebrities are stereotyped to change romantic partners as quickly as gloves, there are many who have proven true love exists in the industry. Christopher Walken and his wife have been married for 54 years and are still happy despite the hardships they went through – including a murder scandal.

In an industry where people seem to change their partners as easily as they change their clothes, there are still many celebrity couples to look up to when it comes to marriage. These couples are unique examples of everlasting love, proving that it still exists in such a fast-paced world.

Lasting marriages were more common back in the day, with the longest-married actor being from the vaudeville era. The late Irving Benson, an actor-comedian from the vaudeville era, was married to his wife Lillian Waldowsky for 79 years until they both passed away in 2016.

Their marriage is only one of many that have stood the test of time. There are a handful of celebrities who got married in the 1960s to the 1980s and remain happily devoted to their spouses nowadays.

Six Old Hollywood Couples with Lasting Marriages

William Daniels and Bonnie Bartlett first met when they were studying at Northwestern University. They dated for a couple of years before making things official.

Daniels wed Bartlett in 1951 and have been together since. They share two sons and are doting grandparents.

Through the years, Daniels and Bartlett starred alongside one another several times. Their most notable appearance as a couple was on the hit show "Boy Meets World," where they played love interests.

Although theirs is a lasting marriage, it didn't come without challenges. In the early stages of their union, they both acknowledged the mutual infidelity that took place.

It was a painful time for the couple, but overall, they were able to overcome their challenges and come out stronger. They chose to change and make the most out of their relationship, and after years of trying, they finally had the ideal marriage they both longed for.

Kirk Douglas and Anne Buydens were together until the actor's death on February 5, 2020. They got married in 1954 and share two sons together, one of whom is A-list actor Michael Douglas.

The older Douglas was once one of the most famous actors in Hollywood's Golden Age. He met his wife on the set of "Act of Love," and at the time, Douglas claimed she was "the most difficult woman" he had ever met.

She was a publicist, and when Douglas asked her to dinner after they met, she rejected him. "Oh, thank you very much," she told him, "but I'm so tired."

It hurt the man's ego, and when interviewed about it years later, he joked: "I mean, I was a big movie star!" Despite their unconventional start, they ended up being one of Hollywood's long-standing couples.

At one point in their marriage, Douglas credited his wife for saving his life. They had been arguing about the actor taking a private plane from Palm Springs to New York with director Mike Todd because Buydens refused to let him.

"Why don't you take a regular airplane?" she insisted. They had a big fight, and Douglas decided not to go upon Buydens' insistence.

He was furious, and they didn't talk to one another on the ride back home from Palm Springs to Los Angeles. They quietly listened to the radio, where it was soon reported that Todd's plane had crashed, and everybody aboard was killed. Douglas was dumbfounded and realized his wife had saved his life.

Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara were professionally known as "Stiller & Meara," having performed together for years. They met in 1953, and a year later, they got married.

At the time, Stiller was a fresh graduate from Syracuse University, while Meara was working in theater. They ended up teaming up professionally as a comedy duo, doing sketch shows throughout the 1960s, including the likes of "The Ed Sullivan Show."

A decade later, they realized they didn't want their joint gigs to hold back their individual careers. They decided to pursue independent acting gigs, and it ultimately saved their marriage and made them stronger than ever.

When they were a duo, it was difficult for them to draw a line between their acts and their marriage. "I love Anne, but if I had depended on her in my professional life, I would have lost her as a wife," Stiller once admitted.

Time would tell them that their decision to part ways professionally was a success. Stiller earned an Emmy nomination in the 1990s on "Seinfeld." He was also on "The King and Queens" for almost a decade from 1998 to 2007.

Meanwhile, Meara also reaped several movie and TV appearances through the years. She earned an Emmy nomination for her role on "Archie Bunker's Place," and had a recurring role on "Sex and the City."

Despite choosing to lead separate careers, they still reunited onscreen several times, including in "Archie Bunker's Place" and "The King of Queens." Unfortunately, their 61-year marriage came to an end when Meara died on May 23, 2015 at the age of 85.

Martin Sheen and Janet Templeton have been through a lot in their more-than-six-decades-long marriage. Through it all, Sheen credits his wife for sustaining him throughout each challenge in his life.

When Sheen was 37, he suffered a heart attack while shooting "Apocalypse Now" in the Philippines. They struggled to get him to a hospital because they were in a remote area.

Throughout the whole ordeal, Templeton was beside him. When they finally made it to the hospital, she leaned down and said: "It's only a movie, babe. Please, it's only a movie!"

Her words echoed in his head even years later, when one of their actor sons, Charlie, struggled with his mental health and with substance addiction. At the same time, the worried dad was struggling with health problems of his own.

It was Templeton who kept Sheen afloat in even the most difficult circumstances. She makes him laugh and reminds him not to take himself too seriously.

The couple has been focused on living their best lives with their children and grandchildren. "Every day is a celebration with this dame," Sheen once said about his wife.

Christopher and Georgianne Walken met in 1964 on a tour of "West Side Story," where they played each other's love interests. The actor admitted, "We loved each other right away."

It was love at first sight, and they married five years after meeting, in January 1969. Although the Walkens have no children, that didn't mean there was an absence of love in their lives.

During Christopher's start in the industry, Georgianne sacrificed her own career so he could make it. She sold cosmetics to help make ends meet while Christopher waited to land roles.

Through the years, Georgianne remained in the background and took care of Christopher. While he acted, she worked behind the scenes, making sure everything else in their lives was in order.

Now, they've been married for 54 years and counting. The actor, best known for his roles in "Catch Me If You Can," "Pulp Fiction," and "Batman Returns," believes he's had such a successful career because he had no kids to look after.

While he acknowledged that people he grew up with would have likely continued on in show business despite having kids, there was an added pressure on them to provide. "I didn't," he said. "So, I could get by even in periods of unemployment."

Christopher sees himself as your average, conservative guy. He doesn't have any expensive hobbies and does not feel the need to travel around the world.

Every day, he's content staying home except to go to work. He keeps himself in great company, particularly his wife and their cats.

Despite everything he's done in the industry, Christopher has yet to play a character that he actually really likes. Regarding the characters he played, he shared: "I play so many villains and strange, troubled people. I don't have that kind of life."

The kind of life Christopher has is one that thrives in his marriage that has stood the test of time, and even a murder scandal, involving the death of his then co-star Natalie Wood.

Wood drowned near Catalina Island while on board a yacht with Christopher and her husband, Robert Wagner. Years after what was perceived as an accident, Christopher was reeled back in as part of what became a homicide investigation of Wood's death. He was never declared a suspect in the investigation, and no proof of the incident being a homicide ever came to light.

Susan Lucci and Helmut Huber met in the summer of 1965 while working together at the Garden City Hotel in New York City. Lucci was a waitress while Huber was working as a chef.

It was love at first sight for Huber, who claims even after years of marriage, his wife could light up any room she walked into. At the time, Lucci saw Huber as nothing but an attractive older co-worker, and she was already looking to marry someone else.

However, months later, Lucci had broken up with her boyfriend. She began dating Huber, and on September 13, 1969, a year before Lucci made her debut on "All My Children," they got married.

Lucci played the role of Erica Kane for 41 years from 1970 until the show ended in 2011. She was nominated for over twenty Daytime Emmy Awards through the years and finally won one in 1999 after 18 years.

Lucci and Huber share two kids together, daughter Liza Huber whom they welcomed in 1975, and son Andreas Huber whom they welcomed into the family a couple of years later.

Modern Hollywood Love Stories

While long-lasting marriages are slightly more common in old Hollywood, there are still a number of modern Hollywood love stories worthy of being mentioned. In a world where everything seems to be instant, these couples have had to put in their fair share of work to make their relationships last.

Ron and Cheryl Howard met when they were only teenagers. Even the Academy Award-winning director admits it shouldn't have worked, especially since they were so young then.

They eventually got married young, too, and although Ron claims that shouldn't have worked too, it did. They beat all odds when they surpassed many Hollywood marriages and stayed together.

They share four children together, the eldest being actress Bryce Dallas Howard. They're each other's dates on red-carpet events and have been each other's support system through the years.

When asked about what has made their lasting union work, the director says there's no one specific technique he could share. Instead, he stressed the importance of communication, even in the most difficult circumstances.

Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks first met on the set of the TV series "Bosom Buddies" in the 1980s. By the time they filmed their second movie together, "Volunteers" back in 1985, they weren't together yet.

It was a year later in 1986 that Hanks and Wilson made their first red carpet debut as an item. They got married in 1988, and have remained this way for over three decades despite all the challenges they've faced.

Hanks and Wilson have become one of the world's most well-loved celebrity couples thanks to their constant presence on social media. They're also frequently seen on red-carpet events together, where Hanks proudly stands alongside his beautiful wife.

At the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards, Hanks received the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award for his years of stellar work in the industry. During his acceptance speech, he made sure to thank his family, especially his wife, for their support throughout his career.

Denzel Washington and Pauletta Pearson's love story proves the power of perseverance when it comes to love. They first met on the set of the TV movie "Wilma" in 1977 before dating and falling in love.

The couple once playfully bickered about the number of times Washington had to propose before he finally got a "yes." Regardless of how many times he did need to pop the question, they eventually got married on June 25, 1983.

Washington credits his wife for making their marriage work. "She did the heavy lifting," the actor once said. Although they've kept things private through the years, they've still shared a bit of their life together with their fans through interviews and social media.

In 1995, the lovely couple renewed their vows in South Africa, in a ceremony officiated by Desmond Tutu. It was a jam-packed event that the couple wasn't able to eat at their own wedding.

Instead, they celebrated together over a simple dinner. To Washington, it was as romantic as romantic gets.

Faith Hill and Tim McGraw are both country music royalty. While they often sing about love and heartbreak, they definitely didn't get inspiration from their own relationship, because they've been together for years.

In 1996, Hill was engaged to record producer Scott Hendricks. She called off the wedding to be with McGraw, and that's something she's never been afraid to admit.

"I wasn't about to let Tim slip through my hands," she once said. True enough, Hill and McGraw have proven all their doubters wrong.

Although they've been the subject of rumors through the years, the couple has continued to prove people wrong. They remain happily married and even own a bus which they call "the love bus" – inspired by the amount of love that goes around in their relationship.