Suzanne Somers and husband Alan Hamel reflect on their decadeslong marriage in Hollywood: ‘He turns me on’
Suzanne Somers reflects on 'Three's Company' firing
Suzanne Somers and Alan Hamel have been married for over four decades, but they still feel like newlyweds.
Earlier this week, the “Three's Company” star took to Instagram to commemorate the former TV executive's 84th birthday.
“Over 50 years ago I wrapped my arms around you and knew I would never let you go,” the 73-year-old captioned the intimate snap. “Happy Birthday to my beautiful husband. I could not love you more.”
The couple tied the knot in 1977 and now currently work together on the actress’ lifestyle brand. They even star together on Somers’ weekly virtual cocktail party on Facebook Live to connect with fans across the country amid the coronavirus pandemic.
As for the secret behind the couple’s lasting marriage? Somers said the answer is simple.
“He turns me on,” she told Fox News. “Since the day we met, I’m overwhelmed with the feeling that I can’t get enough of him. I love his smarts, I love his sexiness, I love the ‘bad boy’ in him. I know he loves me deeply. He is loyal. I trust him. I love who he is as a husband and father. He is a success in every arena. He is my soulmate. We laugh together all throughout the day … and he’s a great dancer!”
For Hamel, it’s hard not to stay head over heels in love with Somers.
“Suzanne is perfection!” he gushed to Fox News. “I still remember that moment we met. [She] was very different from all the ladies I knew in my 20s. I had trouble speaking. I was stunned. We started living together.”
“[We] married and fought like wild dogs for years,” Hamel admitted. “But we both knew that this was the real deal and worth figuring out, which we did. Since that time, our relationship has really deepened and I don’t remember the last time we argued. We are together 24 hours a day and not one night apart in over 40 years. I crave another 40.”
Actress Suzanne Somers and Alan Hamel arrive for the Premiere Of Columbia Pictures' 'Passengers' held at Regency Village Theatre on December 14, 2016, in Westwood, Calif. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)
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Hamel was there to support Somers for some of the most difficult moments of her life.
When Somers starred as bodacious blonde Chrissy Snow on “Three’s Company,” she wanted to get paid for what she was worth.
The Hollywood Reporter revealed that when it came time for Season 5 negotiations, Somers was looking to earn $150,000 instead of $30,000, which was equal to what co-star John Ritter was receiving. Instead, ABC only offered a $5,000 hike.
Hamel attempted to negotiate with ABC, but Somers insisted the network was looking to make an example out of her. Not only did they do just that, but the star claimed no one came to her defense, including her co-stars, the National Organization for Women or Women in Film, which specifically aims to advocate equal pay and representation in the screen industry.
“I’m out there playing the dumbest woman in America on television, so it didn’t sync up that I’m the one out there going, ‘Hey, excuse me. Could we talk about parity here and fairness and all that?’” Somers told Fox News in 2017.
Suzanne Somers and husband Alan Hamel at Studio 54, circa 1978. (Photo by Tom Wargacki/WireImage/Getty)
"I can’t imagine any woman with a hit television series in the Top 10 with the kind of demographics that I have, that they wouldn’t see the value of that and give that woman commensurate pay," she said. "Maybe it still goes on, but I can’t imagine it. I think I was the sacrificial lamb.”
However, with Hamel’s encouragement, an unemployed Somers was able to secure a Las Vegas residency — a deal she said that was for more money than she ever asked for on "Three’s Company.” Not only did Somers' shows sell out for 15 years, but by 1987, she was crowned Female Entertainer of the Year in Sin City. She shared the throne with Frank Sinatra.
Somers' business/romance collaboration with Hamel has continued to thrive.
“I am madly in love,” she declared to Fox News. “I still am. It’s bizarre to me that after 40 years of marriage and 50 years together that I still feel that way. But he turns me on, and I think I turn him on, and it’s always been like that. You know the way it is when you first start dating someone and this might be the one? That feeling has never gone away.
"So is this luck? I don’t know. A good relationship is not about luck. It’s about really putting in the effort to make sure that you give each other a lot of attention and respect. … But if you throw in the other component of you turn one another on, that kind of makes it really great.”