John Lithgow and his wife, Mary Yeager, have been happily married for over 40 years, thanks in part to a simple rule she set early on—no practical gifts.
While promoting his film *Conclave* on *Live with Kelly and Mark*, Lithgow shared that Yeager once told him, “Nothing useful,” when it came to gifts. He called it “the most romantic rule ever.”
Her reasoning? In her previous marriage, she received only practical presents, like an electric can opener. She wanted gifts to feel special, not just functional.
Lithgow and Yeager met through a mutual friend while he was building his acting career and she was starting as a history professor at UCLA.
Despite their different careers, he took their first meeting as a sign. When he arrived at her home for their first date, he noticed she lived at the corner of Montana Street and Harvard Avenue—symbolizing both their backgrounds.
They married in 1981 and have been together ever since. Lithgow once joked that actors and professors don’t usually end up together, but their love has lasted.
Their thoughtful approach to gift-giving is just one way they’ve kept their marriage strong.
