WHAT MAKES A MARRIAGE LAST? The husband-and-wife team of Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue report
H
e wa s t he k ing of day time television, bringing new and frequently controversial topics into American living rooms with his daily talk program “The Phil Donahue Show.” She has a 60-year acting career that ranges from starring in “That Girl” in the 1960s to (most recently) Ocean’s 8. Their lives changed and became forever entangled when Marlo Thomas appeared on “The Phil Donahue Show” in 1977. Reportedly a matter of “love at first sight,” the couple got married in 1980. CHERYL JENNINGS: This month Marlo and Phil will be celebrating 40 years of marriage. First of all, you have survived writing a book together, your first project. What was that like for you? PHIL DONAHUE: Well, you said “survive.” We didn’t expect the virus to be accompanying our effort as authors. After all these years of marriage, I learned a lot about my wife during this period. JENNINGS: Anything you care to share? DONAHUE: I was impressed with how conscientious she was. I mean, she knew everything. Every interview that we were scheduled to have, she knew what time, she knew where it was coming from, and how much time we had and that I better show up. MARLO THOMAS: The great thing about us, the reason we got along so well is we have completely different personalities, Phil is Mr. Cool, Mr. Laid Back. He did 29 years of television, 6,000 hours. I mean, he’s the master he walks in and whatever he thinks, he says. I, on the other hand, I’m making
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THE COMMO N WE AL TH
MARRIED FOR 40 YEARS,
Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue reveal what they learned about long-lasting marriages from talking with 40 couples. From the May 13, 2020, online program “Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue: What Makes a Marriage Last.” MARLO THOMAS Actress; Co-Author, What Makes a Marriage Last: 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets to a Happy Life PHIL DONAHUE Former TV Host; Co-Author, What Makes a Marriage Last: 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets to a Happy Life In Conversation with Cheryl Jennings, Emmy Award-Winning Journalist notes, I’m figuring out questions. I’m doing all kinds of research to be sure that I get it right. He’s just cooler. It’s great, because when we went to interview Elton John and David Furnish in Toronto, the assistant gave us the message that we’d only have a half hour. I said, “Oh my God, a half hour.” All the interviews were like two hours. So I went into a complete panic mode and I started making rapid-fire questions, like 30 questions that could get one-minute answers. I was so panicked about it, because I wanted to have a rich interview. Phil, on the other hand, put his feet up and turned down the sports on television. I said to him, “Aren’t you going to help me with this?” He said, “Oh, don’t worry about that. They’re not going to stop us
