Odette and Dave Annable have been married for 15 years, but the couple isn’t afraid to admit that sustaining a long-term relationship takes work.
“Communication is everything,” Odette, 41, reveals exclusively of their secret to success in the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now. “We’re still figuring it out, but honestly, now we have a toolbox that we can pull from through years and years of therapy. It’s hard work every single day, but it’s so worth it.”
Dave, 46, agrees, adding, “You both have to mirror each other’s effort into working on it. You can’t have one person want to work and the other not”
The actors — who share daughters Charlie, 10, and Andi, 3 — first met on the set of Brothers & Sisters before tying the knot in 2010. All these years later, though, Odette says they’re still figuring out new ways to work through challenges together.
“We looked at each other, and we’re like, ‘Wait, we’re being individuals right now. We need to be a team and ask each other, what do you need?’ And we were like, ‘OK let’s do that for a month!’” she said of a recent marital “breakthrough,” to which Dave replied with his signature humor, “You gave that a great 24 hours.”
The pair celebrated Odette’s birthday on May 10 and Mother’s Day before jetting off to Beaches Turks & Caicos with the kids for the May 16 opening of Treasure Beach Village.
“I’d been gone working for a month and she was watching the kids, so I got her a night alone at her favorite hotel in Austin,” Dave recalled to Us of his birthday surprise for his wife. “But — which I love about her — she vetoed it to spend time with a bunch of our friends and families on Mother’s Day.”
While they had to be apart for her special day, the couple had no shortage of family time during their Caribbean vacay.
“It’s been incredible. I mean, what’s not to love?” Odette told Us of their time at Beaches Turks & Caicos. “It’s a kid heaven, first of all, but for grown-ups, too. We went out a little too late last night with friends we haven’t seen in a long time.”
She continued: “There’s a pub here, there’s a hundred pools, there’s the beautiful ocean, which was the thing that we were most excited about because it’s just the white sand and the clear, warm water.”
When they’re not jetsetting, the couple resides in Austin, Texas — and they give fans a glimpse of their family life away from Hollywood via social media.
When Us pitched an Austin-based reality show to Dave and Odette, they acknowledged “there might be one in the works,” though they think their domestic life could make for some great television.
“For sure. There’s a little bit of drama,” Odette concurred, cheekily adding, “I mean, you don’t want to see what goes on in our house. It’s definitely not boring. A reality show would work.”
Dave agrees. “Must-watch TV,” he quipped.
