In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning in 2020, Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn went down memory lane on how they met on the set of the 1966 musical film “The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band.” When asked if there was a first impression, Hawn shared:
“I think for me, I mean, he was way too young to me. I was dating older guys in my twenties.”
(L) Actors Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell pose for a portrait while shooting the movie “Overboard”, in October 1987 in Fort Bragg, California. (R) Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell attend Goldie’s Love In For Kids at Ron Burkle’s Green Acres Estate on November 3, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California | Photo: Getty Images
HOW RUSSELL & HAWN MET
As for her longtime partner Russell, the actor said: “I was only like fifteen years old. I didn’t even have a car. I didn’t have a license.” While the pair could not date, they crossed paths again years later.
Hawn and Russell were reunited in the 1983 film, both were divorced, and neither was looking for love. Russell, 70, divulged his stance on romance back then:
“When I met Goldie, I was at a time in my life where I was going to put my worst foot forward when it came to any kind of relationship.”
Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn attend Annual Goldie’s Love In For Kids at Ron Burkle’s Green Acres Estate on May 6, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California | Photo: Getty Images
However, his significant other calmly disagreed with that statement: “I would say if you had done that with me, I wouldn’t be with you today.”
Still, Russell assured her that he did put his worst foot forward because when he met her, the star was hungover, and that is how he clarified his point, adding:
“Well, I didn’t try to put my best foot forward because it’s a hard thing to hold up. Once you’ve done that, now you’ve established something that you set a bar you can’t stay with.”
The couple laughed it off while the actress stated that he was confusing her with the concept but shared that when they met, Russell was fun.
When coming to their work on-screen, the couple was asked if whether they guide one another in terms of the roles they choose or if they discuss it at all. Hawn answered, saying they rarely do that, and praised Russell for his success with his movie roles.
On the other end, Hawn broke down barriers and succeeded in producing, directing, and acting when many women did not. When asked if she got many rejections along the way, she said no.
THEIR ATTRACTION ON FIRST MEETING
On their first encounter, Russell revealed that when he met Hawn for the first time, he told her that she had a good figure, and the 76-year-old blond was surprisingly flattered by the compliment. The duo has been together for nearly forty years since.
In December 2020, during an interview with People, the pair were asked what attracted them to each other when they met. “Really, handsome,” is how Hawn described her partner of three decades.
But she mentioned that it was not love at first sight for her and instead shared what she loved about him was the fact that he loved children, “and we’re aligned that way.” But then, as time progressed, Hawn got to know him better and then started falling for him.
As for Russell, he was impressed by the Academy Award winner. He shared that he was visually attracted to her while echoing that they did discover that they had a lot of things in common during that time. Hawn chimed in and said:
“And obviously, there is a chemical attraction, and I think it’s how it goes when people are lucky.”
THEIR RELATIONSHIP TIMELINE
While they both vowed never to date other actors, the two ended up together and went on their first date one night after work when filming “Swing Shift.”
The former child star took Hawn to The Playboy Club, where he shared they conversed for hours. Later, the lovebirds continued the fun at a house the “Snatched” star had purchased.
That evening, their time together was eventful enough because they had to break in, seeing Hawn did not have the key yet. The police came in but did not ruin their date because the couple spent the rest of their night at a hotel.
In 1986, Hawn and Russell welcomed their first child together, son Wyatt Russell. A year later, they co-starred in their iconic rom-com “Overboard.”
Hawn has previously revealed that she and her love do not watch their movies but made an exception with this one. She told TV host James Corden that watching the film together helped trigger a memory:
“You know how sometimes you forget why you fell in love? I remembered everything and why I fell in love. It was really something to be able to watch that.”
Despite their long-lasting romance, the pair never got married, and sometime in 1990, they revealed the reason why. Hawn cited their decision not to wed is particularly one of the reasons why their relationship continues to go strong:
“We have done just perfectly without marrying. I already feel devoted, and isn’t that what marriage is supposed to do? So long as my emotional state is in state of devotion, honesty, caring, and loving, then we’re fine.”
She shared the secret to their envious relationship in 2016 and said the most important thing is to know when to depend on someone else and when not to.
Hawn added another point is to keep the spark alive and focus on ensuring all aspects of a healthy relationship, adding that sexuality is one of them.
In an interview with Loose Women that same year, the producer shared she does not spend every other hour with Russell. “In a healthy, long-term relationship, I would say it’s great to be together about 68 percent of the time,” she explained.
In 2018, Russell himself reflected on their decades-long romance, saying he and Hawn are no different than any other couple because they also go through rough patches.
He said the most significant thing about who two people are in a relationship is what they have to deal with together. Noting that there will be ups and downs, he added. “I just think after 34 years; you’re going to have experienced every emotion that you can together.”
On what he loves about Hawn, Russell shared: “The way she is when she is happy is irresistible, and that is what I love most about her.”
As of what Hawn loves dearly about him, she said Russell is a unique and gifted individual who is intelligent, lively, and indeed a character.
In a Father’s Day tribute on Instagram in 2020, the TV star said nobody laughs and loves like the Massachusetts native. A year prior, she declared him the best dad ever.
Before dating Russell, Hawn was already a mom to two kids, Kate and Oliver Hudson, whom she shares with former husband, Bill Hudson. The exes were married from 1976 to 1982.
The mom of three was also married to Gus Trikonis from 1969 to 1976. Meanwhile, Russell also welcomed his first son named Boston Russell with his ex-wife, whom he was married to from 1979 to 1983.
A JOB WELL DONE
Having a blended family, Russell has undoubtedly stepped up raising his stepchildren and his stepdaughter Kate acknowledged him for that at the beginning of this year.
In an appearance on “Sunday Today with Willie Geist,” the actress expressed gratitude towards the “Django Unchained” star for “sharing what it is to have a dependable father figure in our life.”
The 42-year-old and her brother Oliver, 45, (an accomplished actor) both have an estranged relationship with their biological father.