Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell: How They’ve Made It Work for 40+ Years—‘It’s Not About Marriage’

Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell have been one of Hollywood’s most beloved couples for over 40 years, and though they’ve never been married, their relationship continues to inspire fans. The comedy goddess and the charismatic tough guy aren’t just adorable—they’ve also said some seriously sweet things about each other over the years. Given how rare it is for Hollywood relationships to last, their union is downright inspiring, and on top of that, the films they’ve been in together are truly delightful.

Here’s a look at some of the many reasons why Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell ’s relationship is so special.

Goldie and Kurt met early in their careers and reconnected years later

Hawn and Russell first met way back in 1968 on the set of the Disney musical The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band , in which Russell had a supporting role and Hawn had a bit part. It wasn’t exactly love at first sight—as Hawn recalled, “I didn't really notice him, except he was a handsome, young guy. He was 16 and I'm 21 so that would never—forget it.”

Years later, Hawn and Russell reconnected in 1983, while filming the first film they starred in together, the 1984 period piece Swing Shift . Hawn had been divorced twice and had two young children, while Russell was in the midst of a divorce himself. The two actors immediately felt sparks fly, and Hawn knew he was the one when she saw how good he was with her kids.

As Hawn described it, “What really caught me was that he came over to my place at the beach. I had my two little children there . . . Katie was about 4 . . . and Oliver was 6. He went over to the bedroom where they were sleeping and he looked for a long time at Katie sleeping and then he went over and he looked at Oliver . . . And I watched him and I thought, ' You're amazing .' He is a family man." Clearly they were meant to be—after all the difficulties in their previous relationships, they reconnected at just the right time, and in 1986 they had a son, Wyatt.

They’ve been together over 40 years — but felt no need to get married

Because Hawn and Russell had both gone through divorces before they met, they felt no need to rush into marriage, and that choice worked out for them, as more than 40 years later they’re still a happy couple, even without tying the knot.

Both stars have spoken candidly about not being married, with Hawn saying, “ It’s not about the marriage . It’s about the people and the relationship, and the will to stay together. And that’s a big one because if you want it, you can have it. You’ve got to give things up, but the joy and the excitement of being together and touching the toes of somebody at night is really a nice feeling.”

Russell observed that, “We constantly got asked, ‘When are you going to get married? Why aren’t you married?’ And we were like, ‘ Why does anybody care about that ?’ We’d asked our kids if they cared about it. They didn’t. We didn’t.”

Hawn and Russell are on the same page, and they’re living proof that when it comes to having a long-lasting and loving relationship, marriage isn’t actually a prerequisite.

Goldie and Kurt still adore each other just as much as they did decades ago

Over the years, Hawn and Russell have continued to work together, costarring in the 1987 comedy Overboard and the 2018 Netflix holiday movie The Christmas Chronicles and its 2020 sequel (they played Santa and Mrs. Claus, natch). The way that they’ve kept their personal and professional relationship going strong is refreshingly direct: They genuinely like being together, and they keep things down to earth.

Hawn has said, “ Kurt and I are very similar . He doesn’t consider himself a movie star. Nor do I. Neither one of us walks around thinking about that stuff.” As for the keys to making it last, she said, “ Love, gratitude, compassion , because sometimes every man or every woman will drive their partner crazy. Family. Fun. Laughs. Sex.” Can’t argue with that!

They’ve also never lost sight of why they’re together in the first place, with Russell saying, “If you’re lucky enough to have someone like Goldie Hawn come along and feel the way she feels, you’re just lucky . . . I’m still in love. That doesn’t mean we don’t have to pay attention and work at it.”

Their kids appreciate the strength of their bond

Hawn’s daughter, Kate Hudson , has seen the full arc of her mom and her partner’s relationship and said that she’s learned from it, revealing, “Their strongest value is their dedication to that unit. They’ve been through everything together, and it’s such an amazing thing to see, especially as they get older, how beautiful their relationship is. It’s so loving and caring. They’ve stuck with it. It’s like a very rare Hollywood story. They’re in it forever . It’s wild.”

Wyatt Russell , Hawn and Russell’s only child, praised his parents for keeping him grounded, saying, “When he would come home or my mom would come home, no one ever talked about acting or the day. They came home to their kids and we had hockey and baseball and watching Kings games and doing stuff with your family; they had an amazing ability to turn off the switch.”

At the end of the day, the strength of Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell’s relationship lies in its simplicity. As Hawn once said, “You’ve just got to want to be together . I don’t think there’s any way other than do it,” and it seems this philosophy will lead to many more years of love and happiness.

Read on for more about Goldie Hawn!

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The 10 Best Goldie Hawn Movies Ranked, Plus Where to Watch Them

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