James Brolin says the secret to his nearly three-decade long marriage to wife Barbra Streisand is having a good time in the bedroom … while sleeping.
“It’s just great. The best investment we ever made is our mattress,” Brolin, 84, joked during an April 15 visit to TODAY. “Don’t misunderstand me. We’re both lazy. We love to sleep late. We (also) do a lot of our work — on the phone, on paper, reading — right next to each other.”
Brolin, who swung by Studio 1A to talk about his new Netflix series “Ransom Canyon,” said he wasn’t exactly sure how many years ago he and Streisand walked down the aisle.
“It’s 27 — I better know this. It’s 27, 28?” he said. (It’s 27 years.)
But Brolin knew exactly how long he and Streisand have been an item. “It will be 30 years on July 1,” said Brolin, adding, “We met on July 1. We married on July 1 two years later.”
As for how he and Streisand, 82, have learned to handle conflict together over the years? Brolin said it’s simple.
“You learn to take a walk,” said the actor. “Both of us. No, not just me. I think you’ve got to say, ‘OK, take a deep breath. Take a walk.'”
Brolin and Streisand were set up on a blind date in 1996 when each was in their 50s. The couple, who tied the knot in 1998, have inspired fans with their late-in-life love story.
During a 2021 appearance on “The Tonight Show,” Streisand recalled that first date with Brolin, which took place at a dinner party at her ex Jon Peters’ house.
“We were set up as a blind date, and I was so shy that I came into the house and I went downstairs to be with the children and play with them until I had to sit down at the table,” said Streisand.
“I expected a guy with a brown beard and brown, wavy hair, like a mountain man,” she added. “And I saw a guy that had all his hair cut off, no beard. And I walked by him. I put my hand through his hair and said, ‘Who f—– up your hair?’”
Apparently, Brolin was smitten from the start and told Streisand so. Streisand made up her mind about Brolin “a few days” later, she said.
In August 2021, Streisand told Variety what she believed was the “secret” to a happy marriage.
“The secret is to listen carefully,” said the “Prince of Tides” star. “I think to be a good actor, you have to listen. To be a good person, you have to listen. To be a good marriage partner, you have to listen. Hear the other person. Agree to disagree.”
The following year, Brolin shared his own tips for a happy marriage while speaking to People in September 2022.
“I think everybody needs to be a negotiator,” said the actor. “Everybody needs to have patience and know when to take a walk.”
