In the latest 2014 issue of Rolling Out Magazine, actor Michael Ealy opened up a bit about his life in Hollywood, love and his unexpected wedding announcement to long time girlfriend Khatira Rafiqzada… that shook women everywhere around the world.
Here are few excerpts from Ealy’s interview below:
RO: I think it caught a lot of people off guard when you got married. Why was it the time right to take such an important step?
Ealy: Well, you know me, and you know that I am an extremely private person. But what I can say is that I’m not a young cat anymore. I’ve gone through my share of relationships, which ironically enough, I think have contributed to the work that I’ve done in some of these relationship films. I can relate to Danny in this new film, because I was him. So when I watched the film I was so happy that I had matured beyond that point in my life. Don’t get me wrong; marriage opens up an entirely different can of worms as it pertains to your evolution as a man. I’ve found that for me, the timing of it was right … that’s all that I can really say. And that’s a personal decision that was not made in haste, because we were together for four years. But when you find someone — and that’s something that is very hard to do … but when you find someone that you actually want to spend the rest of your life with, you have to go for it. I was just very lucky that the stars lined up for me.
RO: Now that you have made your decision, and you’re happily married, what is a piece of advice that you can give to other men who may be contemplating that next big step?
Ealy: While, I don’t consider myself a person that should write a book, or give advice on relationships, what I will share is my personal perspective. What helped me along the way was I had two personal friends of mine whose fiancés died. And I went through a personal struggle where my father got really sick, and I spent a week with him … and it just dawned on me that we don’t have as much time as we think. And when you’re done playing games, and you find someone who has qualities that are much more practical as opposed to romanticized ideals, then you’ve got to hold on to them. People think that you’re supposed to marry your type … well, I didn’t marry my type. It’s much more practical, and based in a day-to-day existence. So when you have that, and you’re happy, and you love her, don’t waste time. Because time — and I’ve learned that at this point in my life — time is my most precious commodity. Nothing is more precious than time. Because when it runs out … that’s it.
YOU CAN READ THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW HERE>>>
In October 2012, Ealy married his girlfriend of four years, Khatira Rafiqzada, in a ceremony in Los Angeles.
Khatira is an aspiring actress who played a small part as Miss Garrett in the 2010 thriller movie called “Chain Letter.”
Here’s a video below of Khatira hosting the red carpet at the Black Movie Awards in LA.
Photo Credit: Michael Ealy
