Marriage secrets of Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Nancy Pelosi

PG: Another achievement in common: You both married young and stayed married. Was that a lucky break, or are you good at compromise?

JLD: I married the right guy for me, and that was lucky. But my marriage and my family have been a priority. That may sound stupid. Many people would say exactly that. But I worked very, very hard to keep us intact. And it's been my pleasure, because it's the only way I could have survived in this business — with my family unit in place.

PG: Was it a challenge, on set, balancing work and family?

JLD: It goes beyond that. This is a town of smoke and mirrors, and it's easy to believe your own — I don't know what to call it — brand. But you have to get beyond that.

NP: I think Julia said it perfectly. A successful marriage is a decision. You decide it's going to work. You can't always be there, but you have to be there enough. And you have to make sure you are where you're needed most. Sometimes it's here, sometimes it's there; sometimes it's a tie and you have to prioritize. But it's always a decision. My husband and I met in college. We couldn't have thought of every possible thing back then. But here we are. We just had our 50th wedding anniversary. It's worked. [The New York Times]