Jay Leno Reveals The Secret To A Lasting Marriage

Jay Leno Reveals The Secret To A Lasting Marriage

Former late-night TV host Jay Leno might seem like an unlikely source of serious advice, but the comedian offered some deep words of wisdom when it comes to picking the person you're going to spend the rest of your life with.

"The trick is to marry, like, a normal person," Leno said on "The Today Show" Wednesday. "I always meet people who go, 'I met this girl, she's crazy, the sex is wonderful.' [And I say] 'I know, I know, but you know, when the sex is over, she's still crazy.' That's the problem."

Instead, Leno, who has been married for nearly 35 years, said we should be looking for something deeper.

"Here's the secret: You marry your conscience ... You marry the person you wish you could be. That's what I did."

Leno's wife, Mavis Leno, is a feminist and activist, who is on the board of the Feminist Majority Foundation, which is leading a campaign for women's rights in Afghanistan.

"I'm in show business, which is a selfish profession, so I married a woman that works very hard for women's rights and other issues like that and it balances out. You marry the person you wish you could be," Leno said.

The couple first met in 1976 at a comedy club and married in 1980. They'll celebrate their 35th anniversary in November.

As for Mavis Leno, her advice for a lasting marriage is strikingly similar. "The whole thing is simple," she said in a 2009 interview with the Los Angeles Times. "Pick the right person; be the right person."

Perfect.

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