Famous couple Marlo Thomas, 84, and Phil Donahue, 86, disclosed the secret to their 40-year marriage in the book “What Makes a Marriage Last: 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets to a Happy Life,” which was released in 2020. The book was titled “What Makes a Happy Life?”

The couple spoke about their happy marriage and shared marital tips they had received from other couples who had been married for a very long time. The pair, who is without a doubt an authority on the subject, is highly satisfied with the results of their united effort, and there is excellent reason for this.

The actress and the talk show presenter interviewed other famous married couples over the course of nine months with the purpose of writing a book on what made those marriages successful.

They remarked, “We started to wonder whether there really is a recipe for a good marriage.” When we reached that point, we decided to work together on a project, which was the very first time in our marriage that we deviated from a norm that was considered unbreakable.

This book includes stories and advice from long-lasting celebrity couples such as Viola Davis and Julius Tennon, Chip and Joanna Gaines, and Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, among others.

According to Thomas and Donahue, “As different as the stories of these couples are, they all share a common plotline: that of two individuals coming together and standing up to the most difficult, energizing, motivating, irritating, thrilling, terrible, delightful, and heavenly work on earth – making a marriage last.”

Thomas and Donahue believe that open and honest communication is the most important factor in a healthy partnership. In addition to this, there was the fundamental belief that nothing could ever come between them.

According to Thomas, “Over the years you learn that nothing is that big of an issue, and this won’t tear us apart regardless of what,” so eventually you get accustomed to saying, “Okay, let’s just talk it out.”

According to Donahue, having a healthy sense of humor is one of the most important factors in a great marriage. What is the secret to successful communication? He chuckled and said, “Screaming is effective.” At least in that case, you’ll be able to determine whether or not the person you’re ranting at is really paying attention. After that, go to the next room and count to 10 in silence there.

The first time they spoke was in 1977, on the same episode of Donahue’s talk show as a guest appearance by Thomas. On the show, Thomas did in fact tell Donahue that she believed he was “gentle” and “generous,” and she added, “Whoever is the lady in your life is really blessed.”

Both of them felt that it was love at first sight, and two years later, in 1980, they tied the knot. After Thomas, who was 40 years old at the time, got married for the first time, the five children that Donahue had from his previous marriage became Thomas’ stepchildren.

Donahue found that the need of having a long-lasting marriage was a recurring theme in the interviews they did for the book. This was one of the common threads that ran across the interviews.

Thomas proceeded by stating that resilient people had stable relationships because of the way they dealt with possible relationship-ending events such as the deaths of loved ones, infidelity, and financial difficulties, among other things.

She made the observation that “what you do when confronted with the most serious challenges is what makes a marriage continue.” [Citation needed]

The two also emphasized how important it is to have the trust and support of your partner. Even while it seems to be simple, really carrying it out is not as easy as it looks.

And in a marriage, you need to have faith that your spouse will always have your best interests in mind. According to Thomas, since he will be everything to him and will serve as the cushion for the rest of my life, here is the safest place that he can be.

Although it might be challenging to assure the success of a marriage over the long term, Thomas and Donahue have undoubtedly achieved it. However, it is essential to bear in mind that long-lasting relationships need a significant amount of work and sacrifice.