Carrie Preston says the mantra that fits her 25-year marriage to Michael Emerson is “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” In a March 8, 2024 interview with PEOPLE, she explained that their acting schedules can keep them apart for extended stretches—and that they value their time together more because of it.
What is Carrie Preston’s marriage mantra?
Preston called “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” an old adage that is true for her and Emerson. She said time apart helps keep their relationship fresh. Her comments describe her own experience, not a rule or proven formula for other couples.
She also said that, because they may spend long stretches apart, they try not to take the time they do have together for granted. The separation, as Preston described it, comes from the demands of their work as actors rather than a deliberate relationship strategy.
How work schedules shape their time together
Preston said long hours on set can keep both working actors apart for extended periods. She told PEOPLE that she and Emerson appreciate the time they share, perhaps more than couples who are together all the time.
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The small gestures Preston remembers
Preston recalled Emerson leaving her favorite stargazer lilies after she had been working hard on a new “dream job.” She also remembered him making French toast with blueberries and warmed syrup on her day off. She described these as small gestures that make their time together meaningful.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the interview establishes
Esther Kang’s PEOPLE interview, published March 8, 2024, presented Preston and Emerson as married for 25 years and going on 26. It offers Preston’s personal account of their marriage; it does not provide an independent account of their private life or evidence that time apart causes a relationship to last. The article identifies Preston as the star of Elsbeth and Emerson as a Lost alum, but that is the interview’s context rather than a current programming guide.
Read Esther Kang’s interview with Carrie Preston in PEOPLE.
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