‘Hart to Hart’ Stars Relied On Each Other in Real Life After Suffering Tragedy
Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers played married couple Jonathan and Jennifer Hart in Hart to Hart, which aired from 1979 until 1984. The pair became close in real life and even closer after suffering tragedies around the same time. In November of 1981, both Powers and Wagner lost their real-life spouses. Powers’ partner William Holden died on November 12, 1981, after a fall. He was 63. Meanwhile, just a few weeks later, Wagner lost his wife Natalie Wood when she drowned on November 29th at the age of 43.
Powers has now shared that they relied on each other a lot in those ensuing months and even years. “We did — we leaned on each other for support,” she shared. “And we also understood that we had committed to do a television series. It had to go on. The show had to go on, and no one would’ve understood that more than the partners we both lost.”
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“It was a very difficult time,” Powers continued. “We were held up by a lot of wonderful people and friends, some mutual friends and some on each side of the coin. And RJ [Wagner] had daughters. He also had children to keep supporting… emotionally. So it was a complicated and difficult time.”
While the series ended in ’84, they continued to portray the couple in eight Hart to Hart TV movies. Since they worked together for so many years and got even closer dealing with their broken hearts, they remain great friends today. So, what else are the stars up to?
Stefanie Powers (81)
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After Hart to Hart, Powers focused on stage work and appeared in shows such as Annie Get Your Gun and Oliver. While she continues to act and was most recently seen in 2021’s On the Verge television show, she also spends a lot of time doing wildlife conservation. Holden was very passionate about it and after he died, she created the William Holden Wildlife Foundation and now splits her time between California and Kenya with the foundation.
Robert Wagner (94)
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Wagner went on to appear in several films and television shows, including the Austin Powers films, Two and a Half Men and NCIS. There has been much controversy surrounding Wood’s tragic death, and many have suggested Wagner was involved somehow, but he has always denied it. He is currently married to Jill St. John.
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