'My Three Sons' Tina Cole & Don Grady Were 'Madly in Love' & Dated for 8 Years Yet She Refused to Marry Him

• The stars of the series "My Three Sons," Tina Cole and Don Grady, played a couple on screen and were lovers off-screen, but they never married each other in real life despite both wanting to at some point.
• Don did not want Tina to play opposite him at first, but soon, they could not live without each other.
• Both actors had families with others, but they continued to love each other, with Don making a confession before his death.
• Tina, now 79, opened up about their relationship years after her beloved's demise.

Tina Cole, best known as Katie Miller Douglas in the 1960 sitcom "My Three Sons," shared a powerful bond with her on-screen co-star, Don Grady. Their fans adored the couple's chemistry in the TV show, but not everyone knew what went behind the scenes.

While the couple hit it off while working together on the show, it would not have happened if Grady has his way. When he first learned that Cole would be working opposite him in the sitcom, he thought she wasn't fit for the role.

"He wanted Ronne Troup, Peggy Lipton – you know, [a] tall, thin, long-haired kind of surfer girl," Cole recalled in an interview, pointing out that she was the exact opposite of what Grady wanted. Cole had no idea then that her co-star was against her casting, admitting she would have felt awkward if she knew.

The couple didn't bond until they started shooting for the show. Cole recalled how they struggled to perform during intimate scenes because they had zero chemistry. Their kissing scenes were so poor that the director, Frederick De Cordova, ultimately had to put a pause on shooting so the two lead stars could practice and perfect it.

Obeying the director's instructions, the on-screen couple practiced kissing for about 30 minutes until they were sure about their performance. The results on camera showed they had indeed practiced well.

It took two years before Cole and Grady "fell in love for real," according to the "Hawaiian Eye" actress. After learning about his feelings, the "Skin Deep" star confessed things "would have been awful" if the director had cast another actress for Katie Miller Douglas' role.

While their personal bond strengthened with time, their on-screen chemistry made history when they rejected twin beds while shooting for the series. Back then, it wasn't common for couples in movies and TV shows to share the same bed.

However, Grady refused to proceed when he saw separate beds inside the room where they were shooting. As a result, the crew had to fetch a bigger bed, making the show the first to shoot an intimate scene with couples sharing the same bed.

Don Grady and Tina Cole's Relationship

While still married to Volney Howard III, Cole felt she was falling in love with the then-young Grady. Her feelings for him strengthened when they spent time close to each other.

The couple would be together for hours at Grady's residence practicing their scripts, and they felt a connection that they had never felt before. At this time, Cole understood it would be better to end her marriage because Grady had made his way into her heart. She had fallen "madly in love" with him.

However, when the actor proposed to her for marriage, she turned him down. "He wanted to marry me, but I wasn't ready," the actress confessed in an interview.

Despite the rejection, Grady did not give up. He asked her to move in with him, but the actress refused again. This time, Grady decided to find another woman and soon tied the knot with Julie Boonisar.

Grady and Cole's feelings for each other didn't die even after Grady married. In 1977, they saw each other again at a reunion shoot, where they realized their love was "still there." Cole recalled how Grady confessed his feelings, telling her:

"I made a mistake. I will call you when I'm free."

Grady did call Cole after ending his marriage with Boonisar and Cole was happy. In fact, she was so happy she asked Grady to marry her. Recalling how it happened, Cole revealed they had gotten back together and Grady decided he wanted to move to New York to try out Broadway. He invited Cole to come with him and that's when Cole blurted, "I will as your wife."

But to her surprise, Grady turned her down, saying, "No, come as my friend." In hindsight, Cole believed Grady turned down her proposal because he wasn't comfortable with her family. Since she really loved him, she didn't take the rejection against him and continued to remain her lover. Years later, she described their relationship as "wonderful."

Don Grady and Tina Cole Lived Separate Lives

Once the couple agreed not to marry each other, they went their separate ways. Grady tied the knot with Ginny Lewsader, while Cole also married someone else. Despite having feelings for each other, Grady and Cole spent the rest of their lives with their families.

The American actor, composer, and musician enjoyed a successful career while living with his wife and children, Joey and Tessa. Besides acting in "My Three Sons," Grady also wrote two songs for the series.

As years passed, he composed music for several Hollywood shows and movies, including "Switch" and "Phil Donahue Show." Alongside sharing his extraordinary skills in playing various musical instruments, Grady encouraged his children's passion for music.

In an Instagram post, Tessa posted a photo of the then-young Grady playing guitar while sitting beside her. In her Father's Day post, the loving daughter wrote:

"Thanks for starting me off right."

Meanwhile, Cole spent her time with her kids, being a wonderful mother and providing them with the best of everything. She welcomed four children with her first husband and three with her second.

The iconic "My Three Sons" couple spent their lives away from each other, but something still kept them connected. Cole recalled her last meeting with Grady before he passed away due to cancer at 68, saying she wasn't sure if he knew about his illness at the time.

Cole last saw Grady at their co-star, Beverly Garland's funeral. Cole confessed seeing him there was "awkward," but the couple still hugged each other. Soon, she learned about his illness through a common connection and decided to send him a letter.

Even though he didn't tell Cole about his illness, she still wrote to him. She had no idea her past lover would write her a heartwarming letter where he wrote, "I will always love you."

Tina Cole's Life after Don Brady's Death

Besides finding love with Brady, Cole lived a meaningful life surrounded by friends and family. In an interview, she revealed that becoming an actress was not always what she wanted.

Her dream was to become a teacher before she stepped into showbiz. More specifically, the actress said teaching elementary school students was her passion, and her teacher was the one who inspired her. She admitted:

"I was always good with children."

Growing up in a family of stars, Cole followed in their footsteps and became an actress. However, that didn't mean her dreams of being around children would never be fulfilled.

It happened while Cole was living in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, and faced difficulty when her son had to travel to school. She felt it wasn't fair for her son and other children in the neighborhood to spend about 1.5 hours commuting to school.

Worried about the safety of the children living there, Cole joined hands with her neighbors to set up a school. It finally helped her fulfill her dream of being around children, and she even taught music to the students there.

After living a life full of different experiences, Cole wrote a book titled, "My Three Lives: A Memoir," published in November 2022. In it, she talked about three phases of her life.

She revealed that many people had asked her to write a book, and she spent about 1.5 years on it. The actress never expected she would write a book one day. "I've always teased that I can't even write a grocery list, and here I've got a book," she joked.

Writing a book proved to be a good decision because her readers loved it. However, that isn't Cole's only achievement. She also served as a director at Sacramento Children's Theatre.

Now, Cole enjoys spending time with her big family, who loves her. She is a grandmother to beautiful children who look up to her as an inspiration. The actress shares photos of her family on social media and even shared one to honor Grady. She wrote:

"He was a wonderful man, and I loved him dearly."

While Cole's fans look forward to seeing snippets of her life on social media, the actress said they could still see her in movies or shows one day. She hasn't given up on her passion and would love to act again, even if that means taking up the role of a grandmother.