We got busted having sex on our first date by a security guard... it was a great night!
GOLDIE HAWN ON 34 YEARS OF UNMARRIED BLISS
Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell are a rare thing in Hollywood, a power couple whose superstar status has defied the ravages of time – just like their romance.
The pair have been together 34 years, even though they have never wed.
Or perhaps it is precisely because they never tied the knot. An alarming number of Hollywood marriages end in divorce, including both of Goldie’s previous ones.
The actress says: “I like the idea of being his girlfriend and vice versa. I think you don’t demand things.
“We have independence but two pillars hold up the house.”
The chemistry between the couple, who starred together in classic 1987 comedy Overboard and were both given stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this week, was never in doubt.
In fact, Goldie tells how their first date went with a bang – they were caught having sex by security guards at an empty house she was renovating. They had already broken into the place.
She says with a cheeky grin: “It was so much fun. It was a great night. A night to remember. A very beautiful night. That was the beginning.”
The pair first met when Goldie interviewed Kurt for a role in a film she was producing.
She says: “I thought he was really fun. I liked him because he didn’t have any airs about him. He’s awfully good looking but he was just a regular guy. When I went over to do something he said, ‘I didn’t realise you had such a nice figure.’”
Goldie looks radiant in a bright mauve dress as we chat at a beachfront hotel in Santa Monica, California. She says: “I found it in my closet.”
Now 71, she is as bubbly and vivacious as she was when she first found fame in the 1960s and could easily pass for a woman 20 years younger.
So how have Goldie and Kurt, 66, kept their relationship in equally good shape, while countless other celebrity couples split? She says: “You have to learn how to work your way through an argument and be skilful about it and resolve it.
“Things happen during a marriage or a union, things that are said that shouldn’t have been said, or things that are done that shouldn’t have been done, or you feel neglected.
“If two people really want to be together there’s something to cherish, so you keep it fresh by surprising each other. Go to a hotel room, go take a hike. Make something happen that’s unusual.”
Perhaps these are lessons learned from Goldie’s previous marriages. The first to director and dancer Gus Trikonis in 1969 ended seven years later with her having to pay him a £50,000 divorce settlement.
She then married Bill Hudson, of comedy singing trio The Hudson Brothers, and had two children, Kate and Oliver. They divorced in 1980, and Goldie had another actor son, Wyatt, with Russell.
Kate Hudson, 38, is, of course, a Hollywood star in her own right and mother of sons Ryder, 13, by former husband Chris Robinson and
You keep it fresh by surprising each other. Go to a hotel, go take a hike
five-year-old Bingham by Muse rocker Matt Bellamy.
Oliver, 40, who appeared in the US series Rules of Engagement, Scream Queens and Nashville, has three children.
Wyatt, 30, emulated his parents by finding love on set, meeting girlfriend Meredith Hagner, 29, while filming the movie Folk Hero & Funny Guy. Goldie says: “My kids just went out and did it and I’m really, really proud. Kurt and I look at each other and go, ‘Wow, this is amazing.’ The worst thing two stars could have are children who feel like failures and that was our worry.”
She ponders a moment, then adds: “You know, raising children ain’t easy. We
want to know how to parent but the bigger issue is how do you take care of yourself, because to have a mindful child you have to be a mindful person.”
She is careful not to interfere in how Kate and Oliver bring up their kids.
Goldie adds: “We all have different styles of parenting. As a mother you realise that you do not infiltrate that.
“Kate is a fantastic parent. She can be strict, and I’m less strict I’d say. I just want everybody to have a good time. But she’s doing an amazing job with her children.”
Goldie began performing young, starting ballet and tap aged three. She danced in The Nutcracker chorus at 10 and made her acting debut as the female lead in Romeo and Juliet at 16.
She first appeared on TV in the sitcom Good Morning, World in 1967 before jiggling and giggling her way to fame as a dumb blonde dancer on the landmark comedy show Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In.
The star won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her film debut, 1969’s Cactus Flower then landed a string of big roles in the 80s and 90s: Private Ben-jamin, the First Wives’ Club, Shampoo, and Death Becomes Her.
Goldie says: “I feel blessed.”
Not that being a comedienne in a male dominated industry was easy. She adds: “I had a few men expose themselves to me in lifts in the 60s. At that time women just went ugh, and walked on. It was humiliating but we had a different level of resilience about the guy opening up his trench coat.” Over the past 50 years Goldie and Kurt have seen their careers ebb and flow but both retain box office pulling power. And they are currently enjoying something of an autumnal renaissance...
Kurt, whose CV includes hits such as Big Trouble in Little China and Escape from New York, has starred in several recent blockbusters, including Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight and the last two Fast and Furious films. He also plays Chris Pratt’s dad in box office sensation Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2.
Goldie is now promoting Snatched, her first film since she took a 15-year break to focus on her charity Mind Up, which teaches social and emotional skills to children in nine countries.
The movie – roundly praised by US critics – pairs her with comic Amy Schumer, 35, as a mother and daughter who get embroiled in a crazy kidnapping adventure while on holiday to South Africa.
But Goldie found times have changed since her last big role. She reveals: “The studio didn’t want me in the beginning.” In fact, she only got the part because Schumer pushed for her.
But she hopes it could lead to more films, as a host of seasoned actresses are currently releasing new movies, including Raquel Welch, Ann-Margret and Shirley MacLaine.
Goldie says: “It’s great to be acting again. Performing has been what I’ve done all my life.”
Snatched is in cinemas from tomorrow.
Kate is a great parent. She is strict ..I just want everyone to have a good time