What To Know
- Robert Wagner credits his 36-year marriage to Jill St. John to a mutual quality.
- They reconnected after Natalie Wood’s death and dated for eight years before marrying in 1990.
- Wagner and St. John have appeared in several projects together over the years, and Wagner marked their 36th anniversary with a heartfelt Instagram tribute.
Robert Wagner credited his 36-year marriage to Jill St. John to one “important” quality they shared.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly published on October 18, the Hart to Hart actor, 96, opened up about the secret to the success of his relationship with St. John, 86.
The pair started dating in 1982, after Wagner’s wife, Natalie Wood, died in a November 1981 drowning accident off the coast of Los Angeles. (She was just 43.) St. John sent flowers and a sympathy card to the bereaved husband at the time.
Although Wagner and St. John had known each other since the late ’50s — when they were contract players at 20th Century Fox — they reconnected at a dinner party two months after Wood’s death. Their romance quickly blossomed. However, they didn’t officially tie the knot until eight years later on May 26, 1990.
So, what’s their secret?
“Being interested in life and in your relationship,” Wagner revealed, is paramount to a happy couple. “I mean, I find Jill very interesting, a very interesting person. I think interest is important in a relationship.”
For their 36th wedding anniversary, Wagner posted an Instagram tribute featuring a photo of himself and St. John.
“36 years of love and laughter with my beautiful Jill. Happy Anniversary, my love,” he captioned the update, alongside pink heart emojis.
In May, Wagner and St. John will celebrate their 37th anniversary. They have appeared in many projects through the years, including: Banning (1967), How I Spent My Summer Vacation (1967), Around the World in 80 Days (1989), The Player (1992), Something to Believe In (1998), The Calling (2002), Northpole (2014), and Seinfeld.
Wagner has been married four times to three different women. His first marriage to Wood lasted from 1957 to 1962, during which they welcomed a daughter, Courtney Wagner. (He also legally adopted Wood’s daughter, Natasha Gregson Wagner, after her death.) From 1963 to 1971, Wagner was married to Marion Marshall, with whom he welcomed a daughter, Katie Wagner. He married Wood again in 1972, followed by St. John in 1990.