Chris Hemsworth reveals secret to happy marriage

Chris Hemsworth recently revealed that the secret to his long marriage is Elsa Pataky’s “honesty”—even in trying circumstances. In an interview with PEOPLE, the couple reflected on their life together and discussed how they have managed to maintain their romance over the years.

“There’s an honesty, a ‘north star’ of truth, that you’re going to get with Elsa,” Hemsworth stated. “I can show something to a bunch of other people and they might say, ‘Oh, great work,’ but Elsa will tell me if it sucks.”

Pataky added that she isn’t afraid to be blunt: “I’ll tell him, ‘That’s actually not funny. It doesn’t work.’”

According to Hemsworth, this “honest and critical evaluation” is crucial. He clarified that his wife understands him completely and that they are both acutely aware of each other’s strengths and weaknesses. After meeting in 2010, the couple married in a small ceremony over Christmas weekend in Australia later that year. They share three children: daughter India Rose, 13, and twin boys Sasha and Tristan, 11.

The Thor actor claimed that Pataky’s candor is especially vital to his multi-decade career. “Elsa’s honesty is my barometer for whether something works. I apply that to the films I do, the commercials, whatever,” he explained.

He continued by saying that while others might tell him what he wants to hear, he is always certain he will get the “absolute truth” from Pataky. “And it’s dressed up in gentleness from time to time so that it doesn’t shatter my soul, which I appreciate,” he added with a laugh.