Not all celebrity marriages withstand the test of time. However, Pam Dawber and Mark Harmon are living proof that true love can still exist in Hollywood.
So, what exactly is their secret? Pam revealed personal details about how they’ve been able to keep a strong marital bond, even after many years in the limelight.
Pam and Mark were both famous actors when they tied the knot in 1987. In fact, Mark was even named PEOPLE magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” in 1986.
For Pam, she’s most remembered for her breakthrough role in Mork & Mindy, which co-starred Robin Williams. The show ran from 1978-1982. Her other big role was in the sitcom Sister Sam from 1986-1988.
Yet, even though her career was at its peak in Hollywood, she decided to leave it all for a very different life. Pam wanted to solely focus on being a wife and mother.
In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Tonight, she explained,
“I don’t think two people can work all the time in show business and stay married.”
It was after having their two sons that Pam transitioned to a more private lifestyle of caring for her family. The choice was hers too – and all that motherhood entails is what Pam wanted.
“I did everything you can do in this business and then I had children. I wanted to drive my kids to school. I wanted to be there for their birthdays and bring cupcakes and donuts and do the school festivals and all that – and I did.”
Mark continued to work in Hollywood while they raised their kids. Although he’s had a long list of roles over the years, he’s starred in NCIS since 2003.
For the most part, the couple’s stayed private over the years. Even with Mark continuing his career in the spotlight, their children and home life they’ve kept personal.
Pam shared with ET,
“Notice you don’t see us in the magazines. When you’re married, that’s real life. And to go and plaster your kids… I’m sorry. I’m not for that.”
Mark and Pam’s sons are now adults and the couple’s been married for more than three decades. When it comes to her boys having famous parents, Pam said:
“I’m just their mom. They don’t care about what I did. They care about what they are doing. They want their parents to care about what they are doing. Their father is already iconic enough for two boys. I am just the mom.”
Since leaving acting Pam’s occasionally resurfaced for different roles, including on The Crazy Ones, where she reunited with her former co-star, Robin Williams. She also made a special appearance on The Odd Couple, as a tribute to the late Garry Marshall.
Mark too has weighed in on his marriage to Pam, and why he thinks it’s stayed strong over the years. In an interview with PEOPLE, he explained how he believes it had to do with their “maturity.”
“We were both in our thirties when we got married, so hopefully the stupid stuff we did earlier. That’s probably the closest I have to what the key is.”
Because of an industry where divorce and break-ups are very common, a lot of people have been inspired by Pam and Mark’s ability to keep a decades-long, happy marriage. May they have many more years to come.
Watch the video below to see Pam’s exclusive interview with ET!
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