Life is looking good for Jerry O’Connell these days. A one year anniversary to actress Rebecca Romijn, twins on the way, topped off by the premiere of his new Fox comedy Do Not Disturb on Sept. 10.
When Hollywood.com caught up with O’Connell the conversation turned to Romijn, their anniversary and how they plan to cope with a long distance relationship now that Romijn’s hit show Ugly Betty has moved to New York.
Hollywood.com: How did you two celebrate your anniversary?
Jerry O’Connell:
I did get a little bit of jewelry. Nothing crazy, moderately priced because I’m still paying off the wedding.
HW: You made it through the first year, what was it like?
JO:
It was a lot of fun. It is great. What can I say? I really love it, Rebecca is once again working in New York and I’m in L.A. I went to a party last night…without my wife and the whole time I was like, “Thank God I’m married and I get to go home.” It’s a really good feeling. And one year – like that’s incredible in Hollywood. We’re breaking all kinds of records. The fact that it wasn’t annulled, the fact that we are still doing it and nobody’s declaring fraud. We are breaking all kinds of records.
HW: What did you learn?
JO:
I get on my wife a little bit sometimes about spending money and I was a little negative in terms of – no more yelling. Not violence [laughs], you know what I’m saying, just being stern as a husband. Also, we are in a recession, like come on there was a writer’s strike let’s buckle up a little bit.
Check out photos from Jerry’s new show ‘Do Not Disturb’
HW: Did the strike impact you at all?
JO:
I found that there are more creative ways – to set rules like you can shop, but only if it is on ebay. [I’m] trying to keep her off certain roads in L.A. I.E. Robinson. No more shoes.
HW: What are your weaknesses? What does she challenge you on?
JO:
A big argument we had this year was about a mouse problem in our house. I put out glue traps and they were working and my wife was like, “We have to get a cat, we have to get a cat, we have to get a cat.” I was like, “We are not getting a cat, we are not getting a cat, I’m highly allergic. We are not getting a cat, I don’t want to get a cat, I don’t like cats.” I went away for a week and when I came back there was this little kitten that she had rescued from this site and the cat came in and I was like, “Get rid of this cat, blah, blah, blah. I don’t want it in the house.” I came back this weekend… man this cat – I love it.
HW: What about the allergies?
JO:
No man, I don’t have any allergies. I think if you get allergies they go away. His name is Smitty. He sleeps right on my throat and it just started purring. It is like a dog this cat, it follows me around it is always nudging me. It is my favorite. I would have never gotten this cat had my wife not surreptitiously got it. I’m like a cat person now.
HW: How do you and Rebecca keep in touch? Text messages?
JO:
My wife never texted, that was not her thing and my wife would always get mad if I was on the Blackberry. I was like, “Listen, this texting thing is here to stay. You’ve got to get on it. It is an avenue of communication that a lot of people are using. It is something you’ve got to get on.” My wife wouldn’t do it and I bought her an Iphone…this was last year when the new Iphone came out. I waited in line, I got it. We text like crazy now. So it is pretty good. We don’t spend too much time apart. I got here a couple of days ago and I’m going back tonight.
HW: Is that what keeps your marriage strong?
JO:
We don’t separate like that, we enjoy being with each other. We make an effort to.
HW: What’s your favorite way to spend a free day in New York when you go back to see her?
JO:
We are pretty old school. We like to walk around, get our edge back. Eat at a café on the south side. We go to this restaurant on Gonzo on 13th Street because that’s the neighborhood I grew up. It is a small pizza place, it is a small joint but it is really cool.