Denzel Washington’s marriage to Pauletta Washington, 73, shows that relationships can last under pressure as long as both parties are committed to the required work, according to Hollywood marriage experts.

The Washingtons have remained married for some 40 years.

“We work at it,” Pauletta Washington told PEOPLE at their son’s directorial debut at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival on Sept. 10.

“There are a lot of prayers for strength for staying in a forgiveness mode on both parts, mine and his. But it’s the basic love that we have for each other.”

Their identities are very intertwined at a public level. For example, the couple walked the film festival’s red carpet this week to support the premiere of “The Piano Lesson,” directed by their youngest son, Malcolm Washington.

“Effort is absolutely needed constantly no matter whether somebody has been married for one year, five years, 25 years, or 50 years,” strategic relationship consultant Stephanie Mintz told The Epoch Times.

“The effort is needed to keep the communication strong, the connection, passion, intimacy, and absolutely making sure to keep the fun!”

Denzel Washington, 69, has enjoyed a four-decade stage and screen acting career that includes an Academy Award in 2002 for Best Actor. In 2020, The New York Times named him the greatest actor of the 21st century.

“It is imperative that couples work as a team, are 100 percent honest with each other, and that there is a lot of communication about how to handle things but also how each person is feeling and what they’re wanting and needing,” Mintz said.

The persistent presence of his wife may have significantly contributed to Denzel Washington’s longevity in the Hollywood spotlight, according to celebrity love coach and relationship expert Nicole Moore, because projecting a successful marriage helps Hollywood actors rise by giving them a status symbol boost.

“Since the public can carry a feeling of adoration and wanting to be with certain actors, they expect it is easy for them to find love and if they haven’t or if they appear to struggle in love, this can cause the audience to lose trust,” Moore told The Epoch Times.

“Audiences also tend to believe actors in successful marriages are more trustable and likable, which could lead to them being cast for more roles.”

Pauletta Washington acknowledged to PEOPLE that she has a strong connection with her husband.

The couple married in June 1983 and have four children: John David, 40, Katia, 37, and twins Malcolm and Olivia, 33.

“The origins of the strong connection are two people who have chosen to pursue it,” divorce and family law attorney Diana Arnone told The Epoch Times.

“Once they stop pursuing it, the marriage dies. Mrs. Washington shows up to a lot of movie premiers with her husband and continues to give him the credibility of being an upstanding father and husband.”

“The Piano Lesson” is an adaptation of the Broadway play of the same name, written by the late August Wilson, who died in 2005 at the age of 60.

The film is also a family affair.

John David Washington has a lead role in “The Piano Lesson” and Katia Washington is a producer along with her father. It also stars non-family members Samuel Jackson, Matrell Smith, and Erykah Badu and is about what the Charles family decides to do with an heirloom, the family piano.

“To make it work in a marriage with a movie star, it requires one to have a lot of patience, a lot of trust in their spouse, and a lot of understanding about the rigors of a Hollywood career,” Moore added.

John David Washington, Katia Washington, Pauletta Washington, Malcolm Washington, and Denzel Washington attend Netflix's special presentation of "The Piano Lesson" during the Toronto International Film Festival at Princess of Wales Theatre on Sept. 10, 2024. (Mat Hayward/Getty Images for Netflix)

At the Toronto premiere, Malcolm Washington said his parents love each other, but he declined to speculate any further.

“I don’t know what the secret is,” he told PEOPLE. “I’m trying to find out.”

The secret sauce to their marriage likely includes turning a blind eye to the tabloid media’s constant speculations and investigating into their personal lives, according to Mintz.

“A happy marriage and relationship creates a happy and more productive work environment,” Mintz added. “The only people that might not be thrilled are crisis management companies.”

The Washington family did not respond to requests for comment.