Sterling K. Brown reveals the key to his nearly 20-year marriage to Ryan Michelle Bathé

Sterling K. Brown is opening up about what has sustained his marriage to Ryan Michelle Bathé as the couple approaches a major milestone. 

The actor, 49, recently shared a grounded perspective on long-term commitment ahead of their 20th wedding anniversary.

Speaking during a live taping of That Was Us, the rewatch podcast for This Is Us, on January 17, Brown discussed the ups and downs of fictional marriages on the show with former costars Mandy Moore and Chris Sullivan.

“I celebrate 20 years of marriage in March,” Brown said, referring to Bathé, whom he called “the love of my life.” 

He explained that the foundation of their relationship isn’t perfection, but persistence. He said the reason their marriage has endured is that they continue choosing each other, even when things aren’t easy.

The actor also insisted that compatibility doesn’t mean constant harmony. He rather described marriage as an ongoing decision to show up, adapt, and commit, particularly during imperfect moments. That mindset, he suggested, has helped them grow together rather than apart.

Brown and Bathé first met as students at Stanford University in the 1990s. They dated on and off throughout college before parting ways after graduating in 1998. Years later, they reconnected and ultimately eloped in 2006 with a larger wedding ceremony the next year.

The couple went on to welcome two sons, Andrew in 2011 and Amaré in 2015.