James Brolin is opening up about the secret that has helped his marriage to Barbra Streisand thrive for nearly three decades—and it’s a little unexpected.
During a recent appearance on the Today show, the 84-year-old Ransom Canyon and Westworld star credited one unusual investment for keeping their bond strong. “The best investment we’ve ever made is our mattress,” Brolin joked. “And don’t misunderstand me. We’re both lazy. We love to sleep late. We do a lot of our work on the phone, on paper, reading, right next to each other.”
Brolin, who married the EGOT-winning Streisand, 82, on July 1, 1998, after a blind date brought them together two years earlier, emphasized that simply spending relaxed time together has been crucial to their connection. But when tensions do arise, he shared a simple piece of advice: “You learn to take a walk. Both of us, not just me. I just think you gotta say, ‘OK, take a deep breath, take a walk.’”
Their love story is one marked by honesty and patience. Brolin revealed in a 2023 interview with CBS Mornings that he had been celibate for three years before meeting Streisand, determined not to rush into another failed relationship after two divorces. “I had been—literally it’s a wild word—but I had been celibate for three years, saying, ‘Who needs this?’” he said, adding that he and Streisand waited until their wedding night before consummating their relationship.
Despite a few bumps along the way—including having to propose “a minimum of three times” before Streisand agreed—Brolin called marrying the Funny Girl actress “the best thing [he’s] ever done.”
Streisand, for her part, has her own ideas about what makes their marriage work. In a 2021 interview with Variety, she said, “The secret is to listen carefully. 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.”
Their first meeting was memorable for both. Streisand recalled in W magazine that she was expecting “a bearded mountain-man type” and was surprised to find Brolin clean-shaven. “I asked him, ‘Who screwed up your hair?’” she said. “He later told me that’s when he fell in love with me. My fella likes to hear the truth, which is unusual.”
Now approaching their 30th wedding anniversary, Brolin and Streisand continue to model a partnership built on humor, honesty, patience—and yes, a very good mattress.