When Carla Collins set her sights on the City of Angels, little did she know she’d soon land in the lap of her own kindred spirit. Now happily hitched to the son of Hollywood royalty, Toronto’s kookiest comedienne and her husband, actor Tyrone Power Jr., discuss their big-screen-worthy romance and why luscious lingerie keeps their marriage magical.
How they met
We met through a friend who is a casting director in Hollywood. He dragged me [Tyrone] kicking and screaming to Carla’s one-woman comedy show (read: painfully unfunny, endless discussion of female maladies). To my shock and awe, she was not only funny and gorgeous but deadly intelligent and emotionally honest.
The first date
Ty asked me out shortly after we met. Our first date was in December of 2006. Ty bought me to a wonderful restaurant in Malibu called Tra Di Noi. It wasn’t exactly a barnburner as far as first dates go. Ty was nice enough, but he was a bit of a chat monster and I didn’t want to get involved with anyone as I was only a year out of marriage. At the end of the date, he asked if he could get my e-mail, and I just looked at him impatiently and said, “Why?” My brother still teases me about how cold I was. I was worried Ty was a player because he was a gorgeous actor. Somehow a second date happened later that week (what can I tell you? Ty was persistent and I love sushi). The second date was pure magic and the rest is history.
The courtship
We had one of those whirlwind courtships right out of the movies. It was very romantic and pretty intense. A memorable moment was when I brought Ty home with me to Toronto to meet my family and friends. I was hosting the SnowBall for Casey House and decided to bring my L.A. boyfriend to Toronto in mid-February! When my dog Buster, who was staying with my mom at the time, jumped up on his chest and licked his face (an honour Buster reserved for a select few), that pretty much sealed the deal for me. Other highlights include a fabulous but crazy sojourn to Mexico, a date that involved my first foray into a gentlemen’s club and a Police reunion concert.
The wedding
The wedding involved racing across Las Vegas to the Clark County Clerk’s office, then over to the “Little White Wedding Chapel.” There was a pink Cadillac in the driveway and an optional Elvis impersonator (we passed on that). The ceremony was short, but despite the circuslike atmosphere, when the point came for us to look into each other’s eyes, we got very emotional and teary eyed.
Shared goals
To be happy, to enjoy quality time with family and friends and to become so successful that we will eventually spend our days bathing in money.
Secret of success as a couple
I can’t give it all away, but our magic formula involves a lot of laughter, being extremely supportive of each other, staying romantic, the occasional threat or hostage-taking incident and edible underwear.
Advice on relationships
[Ty:] My advice to guys is keep listening even when your eyes glaze over, put the cap on the toothpaste and don’t forget to put the toilet seat down. Occasional moves like opening the door or a foot massage help. Other than that, it’s all a guessing game. Most relationships make capping that Gulf of Mexico oil spill look like a child’s game.
Plans for July 1st & July 4th?
On Canada Day, Ty and I are heading to Laguna Beach to attend the nuptials of our two wonderful Canadian friends Mark Breslin and Karina Lemke. On July 4th, both my brother and mom will be in Malibu with us, so we’ll head over to our friend’s place for a fabulous pool party.
