Jamie Lee Curtis reveals secret of long-lasting marriage to Christopher Guest despite being 'opposites'

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Jamie Lee Curtis, one of Hollywood’s favorite scream queens, has revealed the secret to her four-decade-long marriage with Christopher Guest - and it’s not the fairy tale one might expect.

In a candid conversation with Entertainment Tonight, Curtis, 65, laid it all out with her trademark honesty and humor, giving us a peek into the real work behind the romance.

Jamie Lee Curtis advice for marriage is to 'stay on the bus, the scenery will change'

“Well, you don’t leave,” Curtis said simply, summing up the key to a lasting marriage.

“I’m also sober for a long time. And we have a phrase in recovery: ‘If you stay on the bus, the scenery will change.’ And, you know, that’s marriage. You stay on the bus, the scenery changes."

"Like, all of a sudden, you literally wanna hate each other, and then the next day, it’s a pretty, sunny day. And the dog does something cute. And your child does something cute. And you look at each other, and you’re like, ‘Aw, gosh.’ And then you’re on another track," she added.

According to US Magazine, she went on to name the qualities that have contributed to her marital success: “Perseverance, patience, gentleness and a really good dose of hatred.”

It’s not the sugar-coated recipe you’d expect from a Hollywood couple, but Curtis insists it’s the truth.

“You’re going to hate each other,” she continued. “Not leaving. Not allowing that hatred to then cause you to make some choice that you’re gonna regret. I think that’s really the secret.”

Curtis and Guest’s love story began in 1984 when they married just four months after meeting.

They went on to adopt two daughters, Annie and Ruby, who were born in 1986 and 1996, respectively. Over the years, their differences have been a source of both challenge and charm.

“My husband and I are opposites. We have been for 33 years, and we always will be,” Curtis told Good Housekeeping in a 2018 profile.

“He’s an intellectual, and I was from the movie star/alcoholic/drug addict side, where ­education was not the most important thing. We don’t listen to the same radio station, we don’t read the same paper, we don’t go to bed at the same time.” Yet, somehow, they make it work.

Jamie Lee Curtis on balancing opposites in marriage

While their relationship thrives on contrasts, Curtis and Guest also find common ground in shared interests.

“We read the same history books,” she said. To celebrate their 30th anniversary, the couple read 'Undaunted Courage', the story of Lewis and Clark, and then retraced part of their journey down the Missouri River with friends in canoes.

“We’re a little nerdy,” Curtis admitted, proving that even opposites can paddle in the same direction.

Curtis has matched her commitment to her marriage with an equally steadfast dedication to her career.

Earlier this month, Curtis won her first Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her portrayal of Donna Berzatto on 'The Bear' during the 2024 Creative Arts Emmys.

It was a crowning achievement in a career that has seen her evolve from the teenage scream queen of Halloween to an actress lauded for her depth and versatility.

“It’s astonishing that I got this opportunity at this point in my life,” she said during her acceptance speech, visibly moved.

But in true Jamie Lee Curtis fashion, she lightened the mood backstage with a nod to her less glamorous gigs. “I’ve been an actor since I was 19,” she told Us Weekly and other reporters.

“I’m 65. I sold yogurt that makes you shit for seven years. I just never thought in my life that I would get to do work at this level of depth and complexity. It’s just been the thrill of my creative life these last couple of years.”

During a February 2015 Interview magazine conversation, the 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' star shared with Sigourney Weaver, “I married Chris five months after spotting his picture in Rolling Stone. I told my friend, the late, great Debra Hill, ‘Oh, I’m going to marry that guy.’ It was a picture of Chris with Michael McKean and Harry Shearer from Spinal Tap, but just as regular guys. Debra said, ‘Oh, I know him, and he’s with your agency. I tried to get him in a movie.’ So I called the agent, left my number, but Chris never called me. And then I ran into him at a restaurant.”