Will Ferrell believes laughter is key to a happy marriage.

The 57-year-old actor has been married to actress Viveca Paulin since 2000, and Will has revealed that they have a "shared sense of humor".

The Hollywood star told PEOPLE: "I think we were drawn to each other initially through our shared sense of humor, and that has remained the foundation of our relationship. I think, ultimately, that's our bond, making each other laugh."

Will's wife has helped him to cope with the pressures of fame and success.

The movie star said: "Through all of life's ups and downs and raising a family - and with everything everyone has to deal with, especially with how hectic lives can be these days - it's always great to have this partner in crime that you can kind of step away from the fray and just share a thought and share a moment with, where you're both kind of still on the same page, and you get to kind of connect that way."

Will proposed to Viveca on a beach - but he previously admitted that it didn't go entirely to plan.

The actor explained that the proposal actually turned out to be comical, even though he didn't intend it to be.

Speaking to PEOPLE, Will recalled: "She wanted none of it. She was like, 'The beach is creepy at night.' I was like, 'Shut up, this is supposed to be really romantic'. I was trying to think of what I was going to say and it just turned into, 'So I, uh, really like you and, uh, anyway...'... So it was kind of funny, but not on purpose."