Celebrity relationships are a near-constant source of entertainment, excitement and drama. Keeping track of which Hollywood stars are hooking up and breaking up is enough to make even a TMZ photographer dizzy. But some celebrities took a smarter route and married non-celebs. And judging by the way many of these unions are going strong decades later, we’d say they may just be on the right track. Check out my list of popular celebrities who married ordinary people.
1. Matt Damon
While filming his 2003 Farrelly brothers comedy Stuck on You, Matt Damon’s friends took him to a Miami bar in order to unwind after a few particularly difficult days of shooting. There, the Bourne star met Luciana Barroso, a bartender that managed to capture his heart as she poured his drinks. Two years later, they tied the knot. Four daughters and an Oscar later, they’re still going strong. It’s incredibly romantic story, isn’t it?
2. Patrick Dempsey
When Grey’s Anatomy star Patrick “McDreamy” Dempsey made an appointment to have his hair cut at a salon where Jillian Fink worked, he wasn’t looking for love. In fact, though there was a mutual attraction between the star and the hairdresser, they were both in committed relationships at that time and chose not to act on that attraction.
Fast forward three years later to when both Dempsey and Fink found themselves single (yes, she was still his stylist) and a first date was had. Today, the couple are happily married, and he still makes appointments with her to have his hair cut!
3. Marcia Cross
Looks like Marcia Cross isn’t nearly as desperate a housewife as her television persona would have us think. In fact, back in 2004 it was Cross who made the first move on her now-husband, stockbroker Tom Mahoney. Mahoney caught the fiery red head’s eye when the two were in the same flower shop in Los Angeles. Marcia left her phone number with the store owner to pass along to Tom, and two years later the couple said “I do.”
4. Jeff Bridges
Oscar-award winning actor Jeff Bridges met Susan Geston in 1977 while he was filming the film Rancho Deluxe. It took him days to work up the nerve to ask the beautiful waitress out – and she promptly turned him down. Luckily, he was persistent enough in his courting, and she finally relented. Thirty-seven years later, Bridges and Geston are still madly in love.
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5. Reese Witherspoon
After divorcing actor and Cruel Intentions costar Ryan Philippe, Reese Witherspoon tested the waters with other big Hollywood names, including Jake Gyllenhaal, before she met talent agent Jim Toth at a party. According to Witherspoon, Toth came over to save her from a friend of his, who’d had too much to drink and was making a fool of himself. In the ultimate wing-man move, Jim smoothed things over, and then landed himself a date with the skeptical star. Today, they are happily married.
6. Meryl Streep
Hollywood legend Meryl Streep met her husband, sculptor Don Gummer, while she was crashing at his apartment. Streep was staying in the empty home of Gummer, a friend of her brother Harry, while he was out of town and she was in the area. Nearly 40 years later, the two are still married, and Streep thanked him for “everything I value most” during her best actress Academy Award acceptance speech for The Iron Lady.
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You see, celebrities are not as different and narcissistic as most of us think. They do meet ordinary people and love to hang out with them. Plus, they marry regular folks, which means there’s still a hope for us. It’s not all about money – it’s all about love. Fame doesn’t matter at all. Are you dreaming of marrying a celebrity? Or, do you think it’s impossible for an ordinary girl to date a famous guy? Share your thoughts, ladies.