Hollywood icon, 82, reveals secret to three-decade marriage to wife, 58

Malcolm McDowell has shared the key to his 34-year marriage to Kelley Kuhr. 

McDowell and Kuhr tied the knot in 1991, when he was 48 and she just 24. More than three decades on, the couple have built a family together and continue to share a bond that, according to the actor, rests on something simple but vital.

‘You know what? Honestly, I am not an expert on relationships, I wish I was,’ he admitted in a new interview with People.

‘And I think just liking the partner you’re with is very important and just respecting them.’

That sense of admiration clearly runs deep.

McDowell spoke with pride about Kuhr’s career as a designer, particularly her latest project in Mexico, which he described as her ‘masterpiece.’

‘It’s an amazing thing that she’s done and I’m so proud of her,’ he said.

Despite their careers in different fields, the couple share plenty of common ground.

‘She doesn’t do what I do, but she’s just as successful in her own way and I’m in awe of what she does,’ McDowell continued.

‘We also, we’re collectors. We collect stuff, and we pretty much collect and like the same stuff, which is lucky.’

Together, they’re raising three sons – Beckett, 21, Finn, 18, and Seamus, 16.

McDowell also has two older children, Lilly, 44, and Charlie, 42, from his marriage to actress Mary Steenburgen, and is a grandfather to four girls.

The actor spoke warmly about his grandchildren, including the newest addition to the family: baby Tove, born in January to his son Charlie and Charlie’s wife, actress Lily Collins, via surrogate.

‘She’s absolutely gorgeous,’ McDowell said. ‘Absolutely beautiful.’

Reflecting on his role as a grandfather, he added: ‘I love being around them and just watching the antics that go on and the dynamic and the difference between them all. It’s staggering. They’re so different in personality and everything. It’s just beautiful to watch.’

McDowell has lived through decades of cinematic history – from A Clockwork Orange to his latest project Et Tu.

But for the veteran actor, one of his proudest achievements is clearly his successful marriage.

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