# Celebrity Couples where the less prominent one made it big, independently after getting together. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 16, 2010, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-couples-where-the-less-prominent-one-made-it-big-independently-after-getting-together/557353 "2010-10-16T16:23:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-couples-where-the-less-prominent-one-made-it-big-independently-after-getting-together/557353/21 "2010-10-17T02:12:44Z")
Princess Diana. A 19-year old marries one of the world’s most famous – uhh – titles. A few years later they divorce and she goes on to become a larger than life (and death) celebrity. Marilyn Monroe was an up and coming starlet, but nowhere near as famous as Joe DiMaggio when they married. Judy Garland was an established star when she married Vincente Minelli, but he was a top Hollywood director, and she was nowhere near the icon she later became. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-couples-where-the-less-prominent-one-made-it-big-independently-after-getting-together/557353/22 "2010-10-17T05:30:44Z")
Charo was almost unknown when she married popular band leader Xavier Cugat, but is probably much better known than he is now. She’s not exactly “hot” now, but Kathy Lee Gifford probably eclipsed her jock/sportscaster hubby Frank, in terms of fame. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-couples-where-the-less-prominent-one-made-it-big-independently-after-getting-together/557353/23 "2010-10-17T05:59:17Z")
Hugh Jackman had only appeared in one little seen TV series with his future wife Deborra-Lee Furness when he married her. She had been on TV and in movies for 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-couples-where-the-less-prominent-one-made-it-big-independently-after-getting-together/557353/24 "2010-10-17T06:10:53Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > > [@Shoeless](#): > > > > I had never heard of Tom Arnold before he married Roseanne Barr. He certainly became more famous after he married her, and probably even more so after they split up, though it’s debatable whether his success ever eclipsed hers. > > I think it did. After Roseanne went off the air, she essentially retired (guest shots on **Third Rock** , voice acting for cartoons about farm animals, not much else) while Tom headlined around 80 incredibly crappy films, starred in two TV shows and guest starred in about 20 other series. Slight edge goes to Tom. Of course, her semi-retirement was by choice; his won’t be. I was going to say Tom Arnold as well. I don’t think you give his career enough credit. His movies weren’t all crappy. He actually had a star-making performance in ‘True Lies’, a big hit in which many critics said Arnold stole every scene he was in. He also co-starred in Undercover Blues and Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, and is currently on TV in one of the most critically acclaimed TV shows of the year - Sons of Anarchy. Tom Arnold’s biggest problem is that he apparently doesn’t know how to say ‘no’ to a bad script. With the right material he’s very good. Better than Roseanne ever was. And I remember when they got married, he was completely stereotyped as the untalented gold digging loser to her brilliant comedienne. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-couples-where-the-less-prominent-one-made-it-big-independently-after-getting-together/557353/25 "2010-10-17T09:21:44Z")
Lee Majors and Farrah Fawcett-Majors. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-couples-where-the-less-prominent-one-made-it-big-independently-after-getting-together/557353/26 "2010-10-17T09:23:33Z")
I’d say Ike and Tina Turner are the textbook case, here. Ike was a big-time musician when he discovered Tina; it didn’t take long for her to eclipse him, much to his chagrin. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-couples-where-the-less-prominent-one-made-it-big-independently-after-getting-together/557353/27 "2010-10-17T10:27:19Z")
**Tony Shaloub** was not very well known when he married **Brooke Adams**. (Not an unknown either, _Wings_ premiered in 1991.) Since then, he’s gone on to _Monk_ and _Men in Black_; haven’t heard much from her. ---
**Author:** ![AutumnLeaves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@AutumnLeaves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AutumnLeaves)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-couples-where-the-less-prominent-one-made-it-big-independently-after-getting-together/557353/28 "2010-10-17T11:25:56Z")
I read an article about Jon Hamm awhile ago and his girlfriend and realised that the vaguely familiar looking woman was Jennifer Westfeldt. About ten years ago, she was decently well known in Indie movie circles as an up and comer, co-writing the script for as well as starring in Kissing Jessica Stein. Won an Independent Spirit Award and all that. Jon Hamm was unknown until Mad Men, a few small parts here and there (including in Westfeldt’s movies), and then overnight success at nearly 40 years old . Now, he’s Don Freakin’ Draper and has hosted SNL, appeared on 30 Rock, and all that. She seems to pick up guest roles here and there. And adorably, they’re a gorgeous couple that seems really happy. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-couples-where-the-less-prominent-one-made-it-big-independently-after-getting-together/557353/29 "2010-10-17T17:04:36Z")
Bennifer? Possibly… Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck. It seemed like there was an inequality there when they were dating- J-Lo was sort of at the height of her popularity, and Affleck was pretty well known, but just kind of a sidekick to Matt Damon. I’d say the tables have kind of turned at this point with Affleck being more popular than the faded J-Lo pop star. I mean what’s she doing now?.. hosting the faded American Idol to up her recog factor? ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-couples-where-the-less-prominent-one-made-it-big-independently-after-getting-together/557353/30 "2010-10-17T17:33:47Z")
Courtney Love would have been moderately better known than Kurt Cobain at the time they started going out. Neither was a major star but she had had a couple small film roles, and her profile as the leader of Hole was a little bit higher than his as the leader of Nirvana (“Smells Like Teen Spirit” hadn’t broken yet, and though they were a reasonably popular band on the underground music scene, he wasn’t a _personality_ then). I guess they probably don’t fit the OP’s first requirement, but I thought it was worth mentioning, especially since so many people seem to assume that he was the big star and she was just riding his coattails. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-couples-where-the-less-prominent-one-made-it-big-independently-after-getting-together/557353/31 "2010-10-17T17:45:15Z")
> [@tim-n-va](#): > > Tom Cruise was a bigger star (at least in the US) than Nicole Kidman when the married. Her career really took off but his really didn’t falter (his image did take a hit after the Oprah couch jumping) so I’m not sure if that fits the OP premise. KNEW someone would pick her! Another reason it doesn’t fit: She was an ABSOLUTE NOBODY before Tom plucked her out of obscurity, picking her to play the doctor in “Days of Thunder”! 😉 :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-couples-where-the-less-prominent-one-made-it-big-independently-after-getting-together/557353/32 "2010-10-17T18:34:50Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Princess Diana. A 19-year old marries one of the world’s most famous – uhh – titles. A few years later they divorce and she goes on to become a larger than life (and death) celebrity. Eh, she still owed her noteriety almost completely to having married into (and divorced out of) the royal family. I don’t think you can say her fame came independent of her marriage. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-couples-where-the-less-prominent-one-made-it-big-independently-after-getting-together/557353/33 "2010-10-18T02:51:40Z")
George Burns finally eclipsed Gracie Allen after 40+ years of playing second fiddle to her, when he was cast in _the Sunshine Boys_. More people remember George Burns then her today, which certainly wasn’t true before From _the George Burns and Gracie Allen Radio Show_ (radio) > [@](#): > > George) I’m trying to do my income tax and Gracie keeps interrupting. It’d be a lot easier for me to do this if I didn’t have her > > Bill Goodwin) I’ll say, you wouldn’t have any income ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-couples-where-the-less-prominent-one-made-it-big-independently-after-getting-together/557353/34 "2010-10-18T22:37:31Z")
There was a blip on E! today (biggest breakups or whatever) that had something I thought was darkly funny about the Lachey-Simpson split. Lachey actually _did_ want Jessica to sign a prenup. It was her dad who put the quietus on it- Lachey was worth between $1 million & $2 million and he was determined his baby girl/client was going to get her share of it if they split. It was because of his looking out for her best interest that she ended up having to pay _him_ millions. (Evidently they pretty much spent all the money from _Newlyweds_- not that it was a vast fortune- before splitting up.) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-couples-where-the-less-prominent-one-made-it-big-independently-after-getting-together/557353/35 "2010-10-18T22:42:00Z")
[QUOTE=Dangerosa] The Audrey Hepburn/Mel Ferrer marriage is sometimes cited as another case of this. Although its arguable if Mel Ferrer was ever a bigger star than Hepburn anywhere other than in his own head. [/QUOTE] Total hijack, but their son Sean Ferrer-Hepburn ([(pic)](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3424/3216796314_e23014fe80.jpg)) was [in the news](http://tv.rightcelebrity.com/?p=5314)today. He auctioned some rare German stamps of his mother for $600,000+, all of which he donated to UNICEF and her other charities. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-couples-where-the-less-prominent-one-made-it-big-independently-after-getting-together/557353/36 "2010-10-19T00:17:41Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > They never married, but… Aaron Sorkin, hotshot writer/director, was for quite a while involved with actress/singer Kristin Chenoweth. His career has held steady, though a drug arrest briefly derailed it a few years back. She starred on Broadway in **Wicked** and has been in continual demand as a character actress in movies and television, although it would be hard to point to a film or television role that knocked it out of the park for her ( **The West Wing**? **Glee**? Not quite). Still, she’s a lot likelier to get recognized walking down the street than he is and is arguably the more famous of the two. But wouldn’t that be more of a function of her being in front of the camera, while he is behind the camera? I mean, really, I’ve probably seen everything Aaron Sorkin has ever done, and I wouldn’t recognize him if he pissed on my shoes in the mens room! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-couples-where-the-less-prominent-one-made-it-big-independently-after-getting-together/557353/37 "2010-10-19T03:28:23Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > George Burns finally eclipsed Gracie Allen after 40+ years of playing second fiddle to her, when he was cast in _the Sunshine Boys_. More people remember George Burns then her today, which certainly wasn’t true before No. Burns was successful enough in vaudeville prior to meeting Gracie (at least, he was making a living at it), as was she. Once they teamed, they became even more successful, but it was always an equal partnership (and George got top billing). Going further back. DeWolfe Hopper was a major vaudeville and Broadway star when he married his fifth wife, Elda Furry, who changed her name to Hedda Hopper. Though Hedda was only a minor success as an actress, she became one of Hollywood’s most visible (and vicious) gossip columnist, a public icon because of her penchant for outrageous hats. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-couples-where-the-less-prominent-one-made-it-big-independently-after-getting-together/557353/38 "2010-10-19T08:13:52Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > But wouldn’t that be more of a function of her being in front of the camera, while he is behind the camera? I mean, really, I’ve probably seen everything Aaron Sorkin has ever done, and I wouldn’t recognize him if he pissed on my shoes in the mens room! He had a brief-but-unmistakable cameo in the **West Wing** finale, so keep those shoes polished. Lots of behind-the-camera types have married front-of-camera stars (Roald Dahl, Arthur Miller, David E. Kelly, Gene Roddenberry, Dick Ebersol… It’s kind of a perk of the position) and it’s fair to ask who’s got more star wattage. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-couples-where-the-less-prominent-one-made-it-big-independently-after-getting-together/557353/39 "2010-10-19T10:04:20Z")
Al Jolson and Ruby Keeler. Although I wonder if his fame has reemerged because “The Jazz Singer” pioneered talkies and musicals as Keeler did have faded. There were times in the Angie Dickinson-Bert Bacharach marriage when she emerged as the more famous partner although “police Woman” seems to have faded as a cultural icon and Bacharach got to do an album with Elvis Costello. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-couples-where-the-less-prominent-one-made-it-big-independently-after-getting-together/557353/40 "2010-10-19T13:22:53Z")
Barbra Streisand and Eliot Gould. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-couples-where-the-less-prominent-one-made-it-big-independently-after-getting-together/557353.md?page=1)