Marlo Thomas celebrated 42 years of marriage and 85th birthday in 2022. After refusing to be an evil stepmother, “That Girl” actress and her husband raised five children.
Marlo Thomas turned 85 on November 21, 2022! The actress celebrates decades of marriage with her husband Phil Donahue.
In 1977, Marlo appeared on his chat program and met “That Girl” actress. Love at first sight, they married in 1980!
Marlo married the talk show presenter at 40, her first marriage. Phil has five children from a previous marriage, making his new wife a stepmother.
In December 1977, the actress recalled Phil’s modernity and single parenthood. Catholics, they discussed divorce, marriage, and children.
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The celebrity stated they connected “fantastically,” but their first date was awkward, with them staring at each other! Despite the date resetting their relationship, they “hang in there.”
Since Phil lived in Chicago, they called each other two or three times a day and saw one other on weekends. When her father, Danny Thomas, made a funny comment, the actress called the presenter.
Danny called them “two of the world’s most handsome men.” Marlo was opposed to the institution before marrying, but her spouse convinced her.
How Did Phil Donahue Influence Marlo Thomas’ Marriage Decision?
Marlo told “Sunday Morning” in May 2020 that her Phil interview years earlier was a sham. She said:
He asked, ‘How come you’ve never married?’ I said, “I don’t think it’s for me.”
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“It feels like it’s only a spot for one-and-a-half persons,” the actress said. Marlo was interviewed on “Sunday Morning” about her inspiration.
The actress cited her parents, who gave up singing to marry the “Danny Thomas Show” star. Marlo regularly visited Phil’s Winnetka, Illinois home, where he raised four sons, weeks after appearing on his show.
“Sunday Morning” considered the star’s brand was independence and singleness. Marlo said she would never marry, like her character in “That Girl,” and was focused on her job.
She said she tried to represent a young girl who wasn’t thinking about marriage but about who she could be in the world, a first for television. As a feminist leader, the actress’s position made logical.
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Marlo said she wasn’t sure about marriage in 2020. She said she believed in hers but wasn’t convinced marriage was “biased against the woman.”
She struggled to discuss marriage with Phil on his show. “It was really significant for me to see that marriage could be a wide enough place for my dream and his dream,” the actress remarked.
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She added, “I had to meet the proper kind of man, and the world had to change a lot, and I had to change.” After giving their marriage a chance, the actress married her hubby for 42 years in 2022 and mastered stepmotherhood!
Marlo and Phil: Parents?
Marlo said it was “terrible” being away from her husband, even though she never meant to marry. She argued that two entire persons may operate better than one and a half.
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In 1977, Phil’s kid resided with his ex in Illinois. The actress stated she liked her husband’s children and it was a “treat” to be around them. Marlo said her ambitions and society thwarted her motherhood dreams.
As she lived with the boys, Marlo Thomas became “more mothering.”
She felt she had a chance in 1997, but she and Phil never had any. The actress lamented that no one asked males if they wanted to be fathers of physicians, and she wanted it all.
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In 2012, Phil’s wife said no one wanted to be a stepmother on YouTube. Marlo stated some girls wanted to be brides, moms, actresses, wives, and ice skaters but never stepmothers.
Stepmothers were villains in children’s stories, thus no one wanted to be one. She had to learn how to be kind and learned early on that kids would dislike her motherly position.
Instead, she became friends with the four guys and gained their trust and acceptance. Living with the lads made the star “more mothering” and more caring.
Marlo advised on marriage longevity in 2021. Phil’s wife said marriage was the safest place she could be and that the talk show host was her life cushion.