In the glittering world of Hollywood, where relationships often come and go like the seasons, Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon have managed to keep the spark alive for over three decades. But don’t expect them to dish out any secret recipes for a long-lasting marriage—they’d rather leave that to the tabloids.
When asked about the key to their 36-year union, Kyra had a cheeky response during a March 2023 episode of E! News: “The secret is don’t take advice about how to keep a marriage going from a celebrity. That’s the secret.” It seems the couple is in perfect sync, as Kevin echoed a similar sentiment back in 2015 when he told Entertainment Tonight, “Whatever you do, don’t listen to celebrities on advice on how to stay married.”
It’s possible that their shared mantra is just a clever cover for the fact that they don’t have any groundbreaking tips to offer. Sure, they put in the effort, but in the end, theirs is a relationship that just…works. “I guess if I had to think too much about [our marriage], that would probably not be a good thing,” Kyra admitted to People. “We just got lucky. I honestly believe that’s the truth.”
It’s the kind of luck you can’t bottle up and sell, but if you dig a little deeper into their interviews over the years, you’ll find a few constants that keep the flame burning bright.
For Kyra and Kevin, the chemistry is undeniable—and they’re not shy about it. Their enduring spark in the bedroom is something they credit for helping them reach each anniversary, including their upcoming one on September 4. “Sex is really important. That desire is there,” Kyra, now 59, told Redbook back in 2012. “The essence of it hasn’t really changed. When he walks into a room, I’m still… I mean, my heart gets a little fluttery and I think, Oh! He’s so cute. He’s so hot. That’s literally the first thing I think.”
So, what’s the secret sauce? Chemistry? Check. A genuine affinity for one another? Double check. Shared priorities and a commitment to making it work? Absolutely. The rest, according to Kyra, comes down to luck and sticking to a few simple rules: “Keep the fights clean, and don’t have sex with somebody else,” she told Good Housekeeping in 2010. “Monogamy is a given, like ‘Put the toilet seat down.'”
Surprisingly, this rock-solid union wasn’t a sure thing from the start. When Kyra first met Kevin on the set of the 1988 PBS remake of the play Lemon Sky, she thought he was kind of a jerk.
But actually, their very first encounter was years earlier, when a 12-year-old Kyra shyly tried to compliment a 19-year-old Kevin after a stage performance. Kevin, who was grabbing a bite to eat at a deli, recalled the moment in a 2014 interview on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: “A little girl was in there who had just seen the matinee, and her brother said, ‘You liked that actor, go tell him you liked him,’ and it was Kyra.”
Fast forward to 1987, when they met again. This time, Kyra was a 22-year-old with credits on Another World and Miami Vice, and Kevin, then 29, was fresh off films like Diner, Animal House, and Footloose—and a long-term relationship with actress Tracy Pollan.
And the rest, as they say, is history—a Hollywood love story that continues to stand the test of time, with no secret formula required. Just a lot of love, a little luck, and a whole lot of chemistry.
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