Jeff Bridges and His Wife, Susan Geston, Give Blunt, 4-Word Response When Asked Secret to Their 48-Year Marriage

Jeff Bridges and his wife of 48 years, Susan Heston, gave Extra a frank answer when asked the secret to their enduring marriage. The couple spoke with the outlet on Monday while attending the 49th Chaplin Gala Awards, where the Crazy Heart star was honored.

When asked how the two have kept their romance alive for more than half of a century, Bridges responded bluntly: “Don’t get a divorce—that’s key.”

He went on to add that couples will flourish if they “meet all those ups and downs as kind of challenges and opportunities."

Gaston chimed in to offer her own bit of advice, telling prospective couples, "Keep it fun."

“Have as much fun as you can,” Bridges agreed, before telling Extra that his wife’s presence in his life “makes it all worthwhile.”

Bridges found it hard to parse being honored on Monday for the breadth of his entire career, possibly because it’s still going strong. He recently announced he’d be starring opposite Jared Leto in the third Tron installment, Tron: Ares.

“It’s hard to put into words,” Bridges said of receiving the Chaplin Award. “I don’t think of myself as making as many movies as I have, and so to be recognized for my work is, you know, it’s spectacular.”

When asked what his favorite performance might be, Bridges responded with a grin, “The Dude popped into my mind.” He played the iconic stoner in the Coen Brothers’ 1998 dark comedy, The Big Lebowski.

Bridges also spoke with Page Six on Monday night, giving the outlet an update on his health nearly three years after announcing his remission from lymphoma. Calling his battle with cancer “a learning experience,” Bridges reported, "My health is great.”

However, he prefers to look forward rather than backward. “I’m not thinking too much about the past,” Bridges said.