Peter Gallagher and His Wife Celebrate 40-Year Anniversary: 'We Are Two Very Lucky, Grateful People'

Peter Gallagher and his wife share daughter Kathryn, 29, and son James, 26

Peter Gallagher is celebrating 40 years of marriage to his wife Paula Harwood.

The O.C. alum, 67, shared then-and-now photos of himself with Harwood Sunday on Instagram, writing, "Here we are at the church, on the same day with the same sunshine and blue skies that we were married in exactly 40 years ago. I'm so glad we did. ❤️"

Gallagher's celebrity friends send their well wishes in the comment section. His former O.C. costar Melinda Clarke wrote, "Happy Anniversary!!!! ❤️" while Eric McCormack shared, "Huge congrats, ya both! ❤️🥂" Andie MacDowell added, "Love this so much."

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Paula — who shares daughter Kathryn, 29, and son James, 26, with Gallagher — reflected on tying the knot 40 years ago in a social media post.

"40 years ago today, May 7, 1983 , these two babies got married in the church we are standing in front of right now," she shared alongside the same photos. "We are two very lucky, grateful people. ❤️"

Related:Peter Gallagher Almost Quit Acting Several Times: 'I Have Fought for Every Role I've Gotten'

The actor opened up about the secret to the pair's long-lasting marriage while appearing on The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2020.

"We just drive each other nuts, and don't get divorced," he joked. "I mean, the joke I always say is we're both very stubborn, and the only way out of this is on the horizontal."

Gallagher shared that he "got lucky" in marrying Paula, adding, "I adore my wife."

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He also recalled the couple's first meeting back in college.

"I met her [the] first week of freshman year in college, you know?" he recalled. "And we didn't go out right away ... I was too nervous and geeky, no one would have gone out with me."

He shared they first saw each other in a stairwell, adding, "She was coming down the stairs to go out with some guy, and I was going up the stairs to see a girl, and we passed, not a word was spoken."

"I remember to this day, she had platform shoes on, bell bottoms, tight, and a glitter belt," he explained. "It was the disco era! And she is an amazing dancer, and she would look so cool and I was like oomp a doomp a doomp a doomp ... I don't remember anything, but I remember that."

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