Talented, wealthy, and famous, these celebrities know that the best way to expand their assets is getting together with someone equally exciting!


Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver… powerful legacies unite

Pairing an Austrian bodybuilder with a member of the Kennedy Dynasty is an unbeatable amassing of power. Schwarzenegger and Shriver met at a pro-celebrity tennis tournament, and after dating for eight years, they wed in 1986. They have four children, Katherine Eunice, Christina Maria Aurelia, Patrick, and Christopher Sargent. Shriver, the Democrat and TV news journalist, and Schwarzenegger, the Republican and Terminator star, would soon take their roles in the spotlight to a whole new level. With the power of love, the politically active pair set aside their differences in political opinion and became California's "First Family" when Schwarzenegger was elected Governor in 2003. In Feb. 2004, Shriver stepped down from her full-time job with NBC News to support her husband in his new endeavor. And, though Schwarzenegger's new post is in Sacramento at the Capitol Building, he decided not to uproot his family and still lives in Los Angeles while making frequent trips up North. These two icons of success know how to make things work and give love the power it deserves.

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson… hard work leads to happiness

Though they originally met on the set of Hanks' TV sitcom Bosom Buddies in 1981, Tom and Rita faced love at second sight when they filmed the movie Volunteers together in 1985. They left their significant others and eventually married in 1988, having two children, Chester and Truman, in addition to Tom's two children, Colin and Elizabeth from his previous marriage. Together, on the path toward success, Tom worked his way toward collecting Oscars® he won back to back Best Actors for Philadelphia in 1993 and Forrest Gump in 1994 and directing movies, while the half-Greek Rita discovered Nia Vardalos and produced the hit movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding. They are not strangers to hard work, however, and as Tom once said, "It's just as hard staying happily married as it is doing movies." Evidence that hard word does pay off, the couple has now been married for 16 years and experiences only pure success in both films and love.

Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw… his leading lady

Another couple to meet on the set was actress Kate Capshaw and director Steven Spielberg. They were introduced in 1984 during auditions for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. He gave her a leading role then and asked her to lead another role in his life in 1991 as his wife and the mother of his son Max (from his previous marriage with Amy Irving). Together, the talented actress Capshaw and film genius Spielberg share seven children, two of whom are from their previous marriages: Max Spielberg, Jessica Capshaw and Theo, Sasha, Sawyer, Mikaela and Destry. In the Los Angeles Times, Capshaw related her story about the first time she met Spielberg: "I'd often thought how much I'd like to meet him because I admire him so much. But when I realized it was actually going to happen, I thought, 'What can I say to him that he hasn't heard before? Gee, I loved E.T.?' That would be ridiculous. So when we finally met, I said nothing. When the meeting was over, he got up and said, 'Thanks for not saying anything about E.T.'" The couple has spent over 10 years together in a powerful unification of love and talent.

Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston… the power of attraction

Though maybe not apparent from their backgrounds, this son of a trucking manager from Oklahoma and this daughter of a daytime soap star were meant to be. Both voted by People Magazine as "Most Beautiful" and both sharing a gift for acting, these pretty faces were hooked up by their agents in typical Hollywood fashion. Introduced on a dinner date in 1998, the couple kept their mutual attraction private until they were publicly ready to announce their love. And then, the cameras were all over it! Aniston, widely popular for her endearing portrayal of Rachel Green on Friends and Pitt, acclaimed for his acting in multiple films, including Thelma and Louise, Fight Club, and Ocean's 11, together have become one of the wealthiest in addition to best-looking Hollywood couples. Pitt has received US $20 million for his work in his latest film, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Aniston earned US $1 million per episode for her last season on Friends. The couple balances their hefty work schedules with a healthy and happy relationship- having been married since July 2000, they are still one of Hollywood's most captivating duos.

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones… age is not an obstacle

This Hollywood supercouple shares marital bliss, two children, multi-million dollar mansions in Wales, Bermuda and Los Angeles and the same birthday, September 25. They do not, however, share the same age. The 25 years between them has not proved to be an obstacle though. In fact, Zeta-Jones keeps Douglas young with her determination to simply keep having children, even after they've recently had son, Dylan Michael, and daughter, Carys Zeta. Because Douglas was enamored with the on screen Zeta-Jones in The Mask of Zorro, he arranged to meet her at the Deauville Film Festival in France in August 1998. They began dating in March 1999 and got engaged in Aspen, Colo. on New Year's Eve 1999, when Douglas made it his New Year's resolution to marry this world-class beauty. Together, they starred in Traffic and still receive leading roles in multiple films. Douglas has an estimated worth of over US $200 million and has received an Academy Awards for producing One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and for his acting in Wall Street. Zeta-Jones, meanwhile, received an Oscar® for Best Supporting Actress in Chicago and constantly stars in charming roles of romantic comedies such as Love, Actually. Though they have a home near where the Welsh Zeta-Jones grew up, their work usually keeps them in the United States, which Zeta-Jones claims feels like home to her now.

Madonna and Guy Ritchie … finally settling down

It has taken a long time for former wild child and "Material Girl" Madonna to slow down and embrace the domestic life. She was once quoted to have said: "I think that everyone should get married at least once so you can see what a silly, outdated institution it is." Her first marriage to Sean Penn reflected her boisterous persona. The 1984 wedding was full of media attention, and the relationship was tumultuous and short-lived. Ever the shocker, however, amidst her numerous successes in both music and the movies, Madonna eventually made her way into motherhood by having daughter, Lourdes, with her trainer, Carlos Leon in 1996, and four years later, giving birth to son, Rocco, from her relationship with English director, Guy Ritchie. Soon after, in December 2000, Madonna again gave in to the "silly, outdated institution" of marriage when she wed Guy Ritchie in a very private and exclusive wedding ceremony at the secluded ancient Skibo Castle in Scotland. Madonna, with her long-lasting influence over pop culture and Ritchie, the popular director from Snatch together form a fusion of artistic ability only found in show business. Now, it seems Madonna greatly values the domestic life she once snubbed. In a happy marriage with two cherished children, the former "Material Girl" is now a best-selling children's author (The English Roses published in 2003) and has begun a merchandising line of apparel, dolls, and home décor to tie into the book. This couple follows a fast road to future success.

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett… seeing eye to eye

This dynamic duo originally met on the set of Smith's hit sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, when Pinkett auditioned to play Smith's girlfriend. Ironically, producers turned her away because her petite 5' foot frame was decidedly too short for the 6'2" Will Smith. Regardless of height, however, the two actors did not exactly see eye to eye. Pinkett told reporters she thought he was a "big goof." They remained friends, however, and five years later, in 1995, when Pinkett felt that he had "matured," they began a romantic relationship. In 1997, Smith proposed, and in addition to Smith's son Trey from an earlier marriage, Smith and Pinkett had their first son, Jaden, in 1998, followed by daughter, Willow, in 2000. Both Smith and Pinkett have strong family ties, as well as a stronghold in Hollywood, with Pinkett in the Matrix series and Smith as the Men in Black star. While producers may have believed they didn't match onscreen, the couple has experienced family and celebrity bliss for over seven years.