Veteran British actor Malcolm McDowell has shared the secret behind his three-decade marriage, saying that respect and shared interests have been key to its longevity.
The 82-year-old star of A Clockwork Orange has been married to visual artist Kelley Kuhr, 58, since 1991. Speaking to People magazine, McDowell said he did not consider himself an expert on relationships, but felt “very lucky” to have found a partner with whom he shares both admiration and companionship.
“You know what? Honestly, I am not an expert on relationships. I wish I were,” McDowell reflected. “And I think just liking the partner you’re with is very important and just respecting.”
The couple, who live in Ojai, California, have three sons together: Beckett, 21, Finnian, 18, and Seamus, 16. Despite working in different fields, they spend time pursuing hobbies that bring them closer, particularly their shared love of collecting antiques.
“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 said. “We also, we’re collectors. We collect stuff, and we pretty much collect and like the same stuff, which is lucky. That, and it’s a lot of fun.”
Kuhr’s work extends beyond painting and design. McDowell described her current project — a house in Mexico — as her “masterpiece”. “It’s an amazing thing that she’s done, and I’m so proud of her,” he said.
Alongside celebrating his wife’s creativity, McDowell also expressed pride in his role as a father and grandfather. He has two older children, Lilly, 44, and Charlie, 42, from his previous marriage to actress Mary Steenburgen, as well as four granddaughters.
Earlier this year, Charlie and his wife, Emily in Paris star Lily Collins, welcomed a daughter named Tove via a surrogate. McDowell described his youngest grandchild as “absolutely beautiful”.
“I love being around them and just watching the antics that go on and the dynamic and the difference between them all,” he said of his grandchildren. “It’s staggering. They’re so different in personality and everything. It’s just beautiful to watch.”
For McDowell, family life and creative work continue to intertwine. While best known for his striking film roles, including the chilling Alex DeLarge in Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 classic A Clockwork Orange, the actor says that his most enduring role has been that of husband and father.
As he and Kuhr approach 35 years of marriage, McDowell emphasises that the foundation of their relationship lies in mutual admiration. “Honestly, I am not an expert,” he reiterated. “But liking and respecting your partner — that’s very important. The rest is a lot of fun.”
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