“Shrinking”'s Michael Urie Reveals Secret to Romance with Ryan Spahn and Why It's 'Healthy' to Spend Time Apart (Exclusive)

Stacy LambeWed, February 18, 2026 at 5:37 PM UTC

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From left: Ryan Spahn and Michael Urie on Sept. 13, 2025

JC Olivera/Variety/Getty

Michael Urie is opening up about his longtime romance with fellow actor Ryan Spahn

The Shrinking star is sharing the secret to maintaining a healthy relationship

He also explains why it's healthy for the couple, who live together and sometimes share the stage with each other, to spend some time apart

Shrinking star Michael Urie and fellow actor Ryan Spahn have one of those relationships that many would be jealous of. After first meeting at a karaoke bar in 2008, the two have been dating for nearly 18 years and now live together in New York City, where they also sometimes collaborate with each other in the theater world.

Given that they have been together for nearly two decades, Urie, 45, reveals what has helped them maintain their longtime romance — and explains why it's healthy for them to spend some time apart. "I think the secret is communication," Urie tells PEOPLE while promoting season 3 of the Apple TV comedy. "We talk about whatever bugs us and we are very honest about things that we need from each other."

From left: Michael Urie and Ryan Spahn on vacation

michaelurielikesit/Instagram

Over the past year, they've been able to share in these "amazing things," from going to the Primetime Emmy Awards in September after Urie was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Brian on Shrinking and shared the stage in the Off-Broadway production of Richard II, which ran from October to December at the Astor Place Theatre in N.Y.C.

"I think because we're both actors — sometimes he's away working, sometimes I'm away working — absence makes the heart grow fonder," Urie says. "I do think that it is healthy to be apart, to feel what a king-sized bed looks like when you're alone or know what it feels like to really spread out, so that when the other person's there again, you're glad they're there."

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Earlier this month, Urie told PEOPLE about the couple's daily routine, from swapping scores on the New York Times Games app first thing in the morning to cuddling with their pets, a dog named Kinley and a cat named Dawson, who both died over the past year. "We're still getting used to it," he said of adjusting to changes in their routine without their pets.

Michael Urie (far back right) with the cast of 'Shrinking' on season 3

Apple TV

"We had a tough year," the former Ugly Betty star says now. "We lost our dog and our cat. And Ryan's grandma died."

Despite the unexpected hurdles they faced, the two have stayed strong, with Urie taking to Instagram on their anniversary in October to write, "17 yrs NBD," before later reflecting on a "divine" time he and Spahn got to spend together on a "magical" getaway vacation in January.

New episodes of Shrinking season 3 debut on Apple TV weekly on Wednesdays until April 8, 2026.

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”