Robert Wagner, 96, says he still finds his wife, Jill St. John, “very interesting” after 36 years of marriage.
In an interview published October 18, the Hart to Hart star told Entertainment Weekly that staying engaged with life and with his relationship has helped sustain their partnership.
St. John, 86, is best known for playing Tiffany Case opposite Sean Connery in the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever.
They now live in Aspen, Colorado, having left Los Angeles in 2007.
Wagner Celebrated Their Anniversary With a Kiss and a Personal Message
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For their anniversary on May 26, Wagner posted a photograph of himself kissing St. John’s cheek. She wore a white shirt and black tie in the image.
His caption celebrated the love and laughter they have shared and addressed St. John as “my beautiful Jill.” PEOPLE documented the tribute the following day.
The year before, Wagner had chosen a montage of photographs from different periods of their relationship for his anniversary post. He described their partnership as a blessing.
They Dated for Eight Years Before Their Garden Wedding
Wagner and St. John first met in the late 1950s, when both were contract players at 20th Century Fox.
After Natalie Wood died in November 1981, St. John sent Wagner flowers and a sympathy note. She had known Wood since childhood. About two months later, she and Wagner saw each other at a dinner party, and he began calling her afterward.
Their romance began on Valentine’s Day in 1982. They married in a private garden ceremony at Wagner’s Pacific Palisades home in 1990, as the Los Angeles Times reported.
Wagner’s daughter Katie served as maid of honor, with Natasha and Courtney as bridesmaids. Both actors’ mothers attended. It was the fourth wedding for each, with Wagner having married Wood twice.
The Couple Played Santa and Mrs. Claus Together
Wagner and St. John’s shared screen credits include the 1967 film Banning and the television movie How I Spent My Summer Vacation, released the same year.
Their most recent collaboration was Northpole in 2014. Wagner played Santa Claus and St. John portrayed Mrs. Claus in the Hallmark movie, which follows a boy and an elf trying to restore the holiday happiness that powers their magical city.
That remains St. John’s latest acting credit. She has previously joked that, when asked about working with Wagner more often, she would prefer spending time with him at home.
Wagner remains open to another appearance as Number Two in the Austin Powers franchise. Asked about reprising the role during his EW interview, he responded enthusiastically and noted, “I have the patch.”
He said he had heard Mike Myers might revisit the franchise but had not discussed it with him personally. Wagner appeared in all three theatrical installments, most recently Austin Powers in Goldmember in 2002.
Their Family Tributes Include a Shared Message for Natasha
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Wagner is the father of Katie, whom he shares with former wife Marion Marshall, and Courtney, his daughter with Wood. He also helped raise Natasha Gregson Wagner, Wood’s daughter with Richard Gregson.
Natasha explained her choice of surname in a 1998 interview with the Daily Bruin. She said Gregson and Wagner had participated equally in raising her, so she wanted to carry both men’s names.
On September 29, Wagner posted a photograph with Natasha for her 56th birthday. His message expressed pride and affection on behalf of himself and St. John, praising the happiness Natasha brings to their lives, as Us Weekly reported.
Earlier in the year, Wagner also shared a birthday tribute to Natasha’s husband, actor Barry Watson. The accompanying photograph showed Wagner with his son-in-law and granddaughter Clover, while the message included birthday wishes from both Wagner and St. John.