Liz Gillies Shares the 'Key' to Her and Michael Corcoran's Marriage: 'I Wouldn't Trade It for Anything' (Exclusive)

Life is good for Elizabeth "Liz" Gillies and her husband, Michael Corcoran.

As the actress and singer, 31, dives deeper into solo musicianship with new releases and live performances, she has a supportive partner in Corcoran, 51, a "supremely talented musician" whom she's worked with in the past — though not exactly as much as she once expected.

"When we first started dating, I was like, 'Oh, we're going to be like James Taylor and Carly Simon,'" Gillies, who married Corcoran in August 2020. "And it's like, no, that's not what's going to happen actually. We do write music together, and we have written a lot together, but we pick our moments."

Corcoran worked on the music for Nickelodeon's Victorious, which starred Gillies, and they've since collaborated on tracks for her character, Fallon Carrington, on The CW's Dynasty. But they've figured out a healthy balance of how their careers should overlap.

"We are both very creative," says Gillies. "Working together, you want to make sure that you're getting along, and it's all peaceful and happy and fun. Sometimes it can get stressful because we're both very strong-willed, and we have very intense opinions."

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Whenever a musical collaboration feels right, however, she always feels "very lucky" to work with Corcoran.

"That's what made me fall in love with him, which was how I'm a sucker for a super talented musician," adds Gillies. "He had a savant level talent, and that was it for me."

Four years since they tied the knot, what's the secret to their marriage? "We're best friends," she says. "I mean, it sounds very eye-roll-y, and if anyone said it to me about them, I'd be like, 'Oh, shut up. You're boring.' But unfortunately, I think that's the key."

These days, Gillies sees her life with Corcoran and their four shared dogs as "really beautiful" and "peaceful."

"We laugh at all the same things, we love the same shows, we're madly in love with our dogs," she explains. "I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Gillies will perform a limited run of shows at Café Carlyle in New York City from Nov. 6 to Nov. 9, and she recently released a new single, "What You've Done," with Ferry Townes.