This is us Sterling K. Brown and Ryan Michelle Bathé.
Not that they need an introduction. But the This Is Us star and the All About Us actress are allowing fans to get to know them on a deeper level through their podcast We Don’t Always Agree.
This includes the lessons they’ve learned throughout their 18-year marriage—and couples will surely relate to what Brown considers one of the hardest.
"This is the kind of thing that you learn over and over again," the American Fiction actor told E! News in an exclusive joint interview, “and you know it, but you still have to make peace with it: Why doesn’t she see things the way that I see them? And I know she's her own person who's had her own background and own experience that has led her to a very specific perspective on life, as am I."
Still, knowing the answer and applying it are two different things.
"I think we're actually way better 18 years in than we were two years in in terms of the kind of friction that it would cause when we saw things differently," he continued. "I think learning to appreciate your partner's perspective instead of being befuddled and confused by it is something that I am constantly growing into, and I think that'll be for the course of our relationship."
So, pick your battles because not every one is worth the fight. As Bathé put it, "You can be right, or you can be in a relationship. I think that applies to any relationship, too."
But this doesn’t mean partners have to see eye-to-eye on everything.
“I think people would like to believe that in a couple everyone agrees all the time and you're just so much in sync,” Bathé added. “While that is true, I think what can also be healthy in a couple is people who have different approaches. Because those different approaches can, when we have healthy disagreements, blend into a really good hybrid approach.”
She explained that instead of focusing on why your partner doesn’t see the situation the way you do, couples can understand “how different people learn and how we can approach this and get the best of both worlds.”
"But if you think that every argument spells doom and you're not supposed to argue or you're not even supposed to disagree deeply,” Bathé shared, “then you never get to the other side of the argument, which is a dual approach or just even a deeper appreciation for another way of seeing things that can only enrich your life and then enrich your lives as a couple."
Bathé and Brown’s life together started in the fall of 1994, when they met at Stanford University and became friends. After a decade-long on-again, off-again romance, they cemented their relationship in 2004 and tied the knot two years later. The pair then welcomed son Andrew in 2011 followed by his younger brother Amaré in 2015.
As Brown and Bathé continue to grow as a couple, they’re taking their fans along for the ride—sharing how they can disagree and still love each other on their podcast (with new episodes dropping Wednesdays).
“Anybody's relationship from the outside can appear to be ‘perfect,’ ‘goals,’ et cetera, et cetera,” the Emmy winner noted. “I think Ryan and I were interested in, ‘Listen, there is effort that is extended on a daily basis to ensure that we keep choosing each other. Sometimes it can look messy, sometimes it can be a bit more fluid. There’s ebbs and flows, crests and troughs to the whole thing.’”
And Brown hopes this gives listeners a “full picture” of who he and Bathé are as a couple.
“If people wanted to give us goals for anything,” he continued, “then hopefully they get the chance to peek behind the veil a little bit and be like, 'Oh, OK. It is goals, but it is also work.'"
However, you don't have to put in the work to see more sweet photos of Brown and Bathé—just keep scrolling.
They Make Each Other Laugh
Sterling K. Brown and Ryan Michelle Bathé know how to have a good time.
"She is one of the funniest people that I know," the This Is Us star told E! in October 2024. "Not that I'm an easy laugh, but I enjoy laughter. I think it's good for the heart. I think it's good for longevity."
They're Confident in Who They Are
Brown and Bathé don't pay too much attention to any critics.
"I've reached this interesting place in my life where I don't need everybody to like everything that I say, but I do feel the need to tell the truth," he told E!. "There's something about me that if I find myself trying to sugarcoat, placate whatever, ease into it, then I call BS on myself because I missed an opportunity to tell the truth. And I think, in a very biblical way, it will make you free. And I think as long as I'm able to stay in that lane, I'm able to deal with myself as an individual when I look in the mirror and whatever folks have to say about it is, 'Well, I'm saying the truth.' And I say the truth with kindness."
They Love Family
In addition to their long list of acting credits, Bathé and Brown have taken on the roles of mom and dad to sons Andrew and Amaré.
"Becoming a parent, in the best of ways, for me, it just reorients your priorities," the actress told E! in the 2024 interview. "For me, the parent that I want to become runs parallel with the person that I would like to become. And not to say that you have to be a parent to become the best version of yourself, but it definitely accelerates the process."
And Brown always wanted to be a father. As Bathé put it, "It just locked in a very crucial part of his personality that he was waiting to experience."
They Aren't Afraid to Show PDA
The pair proudly show how much they mean to each other with hugs and kisses on the red carpet.
They're Always There for Each Other
In 2016, the American Fiction actor recalled on Live With Kelly and Ryan that the All About Us star started crowning while the two of them were at home five years ago. Brown had to help deliver the baby himself and the couple welcomed son Andrew in 2011. Their second son, Amaré, entered the world four years later.
They Always Have the Look of Love
In all of their pictures together, it's clear they're so in love with each other.
They Always Slay the Red Carpet Together
While some couples shy away from posing on the red carpet together, this duo always gives us the stunning pics we want!
They're Each Other's Biggest Cheerleaders
Brown and Bathé post super sweet messages to each other on social media. While watching his wife get ready for the 2017 Emmys, the American Fiction star posted a video of her with the caption, "Don't hurt 'em, Bird! #emmys2017 How can it get any better than this?"
And at the 2016 award show, Bathé wrote a message to her husband on Instagram saying, "At the big dance with my love. You deserve all of this Sterling Brown!"
"That's My Wife!"
During the red carpet at the 2017 Golden Globes, E! News' Giuliana Rancic asked Bathé if Brown prepared a speech in case he won that evening. The actress replied, "Girl, you know I would tell you the tea. My husband is prepared for every eventuality."
After hearing her response, Brown replied, "That's my wife!"
They're Honest About Their Relationship
When it comes to their relationship, this couple isn't afraid to talk about the ups and downs. During the red carpet at the 2017 Emmys, the couple spoke to E! News about why they don't rehearse together.
"Sterling and I have been in the game for a long time," Bathé said. "We go back to college. We've learned that there are certain minefields and pitfalls in our relationship, like a slalom, we just move right past them. Rehearsing together is one of those things.