American actress Rachel Ward rose to stardom after her role in “The Thorn Birds” in 1983.
She is now in her mid-60s, but fans don’t think she has changed much since she starred in the series.
The series brought Ward not only fame but love too. Ward and her husband met on the production’s set, and their romance quickly blossomed.
Yet the actress says it was not love at first sight.
Ward played the heroine in the series, and Bryan Brown played her husband. Their relationship turned romantic and culminated in the couple’s onscreen marriage translating into their real life, although their first attraction was “basic.”
Brown and Ward have been married for four decades and are still as in love as they were when they first met. They tied the knot a couple of months after filming for “The Thorn Birds” had ended.
While Ward says she is grateful that the show brought her many work opportunities and other things in her life that have been invaluable, the one thing she remains the most thankful for and proud of is her enduring marriage to Brown.
Once, when the couple was on set, Brown offered to read Ward’s palm. She agreed, and he told her she would have three children. Later, he quipped:
“Yes, I did say that. But I didn’t say they would be mine!”
Brown’s reasoning for wanting to marry Ward was somewhat unconventional. The pair had traveled to Ireland together so Brown could film “Give My Regards to Wall Street” when they argued.
Brown said the argument was big, and he figured if they were going to argue so severely, they might as well get married. They tied the knot in Ward’s childhood home before they moved to Sydney, Australia.
The couple celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on April 16, 2023, and have shared the secrets to their long and happy marriage. Ward has also shown off her ageless beauty at 65.