George Carlin was married from 1961 to his wife’s death in 1997. He did get married a second time after her death and his second marriage ended with his death.
I’m going to break the rule (it’s not the first marriage for either of them) because I feel like saying:
When Ringo Starr married his bombshell sexpot Caveman costar, I thought “Oh well, Ringo has gone Hollywood. Another stereotypical short showbiz marriage.”
Shows how much I knew about people I didn’t know. I get a kick out of the fact that they’re happily married 34 years later. Because I like Ringo and wish him well.
Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara have been married since 1954; the only marriage for both. Stiller is better known these days fromm The King of Queens, but Meara has also been successful, as has their son Ben.
Bobby Vee and his wife Karen celebrated 50 years in December 2013. He was diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s in 2011 at only 68, and Karen is struggling with complications of a lung transplant.
Dion and his wife Susan celebrated 51 years in March 2014.
Frankie Avalon and his wife Kay celebrated 51 years in January 2014.
Bobby Rydell and his wife Camilla were married 45 years before she died of breast cancer in 2003. In 2013, he had a liver and kidney transplant.
ETA: Bobby Vinton and his wife Dolly celebrated 51 years in December 2013.
Somewhat related. When Russell Johnson died earlier this year, I saw that he had two marriages that each lasted for over thirty years. I doubt many people have celebrated 30th wedding anniversaries with two different spouses.
> How about celebrities who were both famous before they were married, and it was
> both of their first marriages? Seems like those never last.
There are examples of it, but there’s a reason that it’s hard to find them. You’re probably expecting to find an example where both the man and the woman were at the height of their popularity when they got married. That’s unlikely. At the height of the popularity of an actor (or actress), they are busy all the time. It’s necessary for them to do as many good roles as possible, since they are going to be paid the most at that point. That’s hard work.
What’s more likely is such a couple who marry just before they become famous or just after the height of their career when they have a little time to breathe. An example of the first is Paula Prentiss and Richard Benjamin, who have been married for over 52 years. They met in acting school. An example of the second case is Pam Dawber and Mark Harmon, who have been married for over 27 years. They were in their mid-30’s and had already starred in movies and TV shows when they got married.
If we’re counting the ones whose spouses weren’t celebrities, you need to count Meryl Streep and Jay Leno, who have been married respectively 35 and 34 years.
My contribution to the both famous before getting married are Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates. They’re at about 25 years. They also go into my “didn’t think they would last” file.
