Nov 20, 2008, 9:25 GMT
Cate Blanchett says "spooning" is the secret to a happy marriage.
Australian actor Cate Blanchett - Cate Blanchett says "spooning" is the secret to a happy marriage. EPA/TRACEY NEARMY
The Oscar-winning actress - who has three sons with husband Andrew Upton - insists the sleeping practice, which sees a man hugging his partner while lying behind her, is the key to maintaining harmony in a relationship.
She said: "Someone once said to me, and I think it's quite true, that if your bodies actually fit together when you're sleeping in bed - I'm not going to get into too much detail - you're in good stead.
"When you can spoon with someone, then you're OK. Because you might not vote the same way, you might not have the same politics, but sometimes that works for people."
Cate - who has been married to playwright Andrew since 1997 - also revealed the rest of her secrets to a successful long-term partnership.
The 39-year-old actress added to US TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey: "If you're going to stay together, you've got to laugh a little bit. So spooning, humour and self-respect.
"My husband is a very strong individual. He's not threatened by me. He's happy for my success, and I'm happy for his."
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