Jamie Lee Curtis Explains the Secret to Her Long Marriage to Christopher Guest: ‘A Really Good Dose of Hatred’

Well, you don’t leave,” Curtis, 65, told Entertainment Tonight on Sunday, September 8, adding, “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 named the qualities that contribute to marital success, saying, “Perseverance, patience, gentleness and a really good dose of hatred.”

The “truth,” she added, is that “you’re going to hate each other. 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 married Guest, 76, in 1984, four months after they met. The couple went on to adopt daughters Annie and Ruby, who were born in 1986 and 1996, respectively.