Oct 16, 2009, 12:01 GMT
Emma Thompson thinks heartbreak feels like having fingernails pulled out.
British actress and cast member Emma Thompson She said: "I've had my heart broken so many times and it is the most painful thing in the world, apart from, perhaps, the Gestapo pulling out your fingernails one by one, but you do get over it." EPA/DANIEL DEME
The 'Boat That Rocked' actress - who married Greg Wise in 2003 following her divorce from Kenneth Branagh in 1995 - has had her fair share of unsuccessful relationships and believes heartache can be the most "painful thing in the world".
She said: "I've had my heart broken so many times and it is the most painful thing in the world, apart from, perhaps, the Gestapo pulling out your fingernails one by one, but you do get over it."
However, the 50-year-old beauty has put her unlucky-in-love past behind her.
Emma and actor Greg - who raise 10-year-old daughter Gaia and adopted son Tindyebwa - follow a set of marital rules to keep their relationship alive.
She added to Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper: "Be alert, be appreciative and work hard. There is no secret, but never allow yourself to just trundle along - that is when problems start. "Remember to go out for dinner if you haven't seen each other all week and make regular dates."
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