Back in 1978, a 12-year-old girl approached rising theatre actor Kevin Bacon on the streets of New York City. He doesn’t remember the moment – but that girl turned out to be Kyra Sedgwick, his future wife.
Fate brought them together again nearly a decade later, in 1987, when they were cast opposite each other in the film Lemon Sky. The chemistry was instant, and by the following year, they were married.
Now, 36 years later, Kevin and Kyra remain one of Hollywood’s most enduring and beloved couples, raising two children and continuing to work in the entertainment industry together.
THE SECRET TO THEIR SUCCESS
Kevin and Kyra are often held up as the gold standard for Hollywood marriages, which means they’re frequently asked for relationship advice. But do they ever get tired of the question?
“We do,” Kyra admitted in a 2020 interview with People. “I joke that the secret to a successful marriage is to not take marriage advice from celebrities. I guess if I had to think too much about [our marriage], that would probably not be a good thing. We just got lucky. I honestly believe that’s the truth.”
Kyra still shared one powerful piece of advice: “That thing people do – ‘If only I had this, if only I had that…’ There has to be some piece of wholeness within yourself before you can let somebody love you the way that you need to be loved.”
LIFE WITH THEIR KIDS
The couple married in September 1988 and welcomed their first child, son Travis, on June 23, 1989. Their daughter, Sosie Ruth, followed on March 15, 1992.
Travis has pursued a career in music and is now the frontman of the industrial metal band CONTRACULT Collective. Meanwhile, Sosie followed her parents into acting, landing a breakout role in 13 Reasons Why on Netflix and earning the title of Miss Golden Globe (now Golden Globe Ambassador) in 2014.
“As an actor, there is so much rejection,” Kyra told Good Housekeeping, reflecting on her initial concerns about Sosie entering the profession. “Kevin and I have had some painful experiences, and you don’t want your kid to go through that. But I want [Sosie] to follow her passion—and acting has become her passion.”
PARTNERS ON AND OFF SCREEN
Since their first collaboration on Lemon Sky, Kevin and Kyra have appeared in several projects together. In 1991, they co-starred in the romantic comedy Pyrates, followed by Murder in the First in 1995, where Kyra had a supporting role.
In 2004, Kevin joined Kyra in Cavedweller, and in 2006, he directed Loverboy, casting his wife and both of their children.
Their creative partnership continues today, as the entire family is teaming up for Family Movie, a comedy-horror film.
And for the first time in over two decades, Kevin and Kyra will share the screen in the upcoming film The Best You Can.
At the Tribeca Festival in June 2025, Kyra opened up about filming an emotional breakup scene for the movie.
“There was a moment in the breakup scene where I could not—I was very emotional,” she shared. “I knew [my character] would be emotional, but I had a little crossover of like, ‘Oh my God, what if this had happened [in real life]?’”
“Instead of what happened, which is that we’re still together,” she added. “But ‘what if this had happened?’ And I got very emotional about it.”
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