Peter Sarsgaard reveals the secret to his 14-year marriage to Maggie Gyllenhaal

Originally appeared on E! Online

Peter Sarsgaard and Maggie Gyllenhaal are, in fact, the real thing.

And after more than 14 years of marriage, the "Memory" actor chalks up his long-lasting relationship with the actress to one basic rule.

"Tell the truth," Peter told E! News' Francesca Amiker in an exclusive interview. "Isn't that all there is? It's pretty simple. It's not that complicated. Isn't that the secret to any friendship or relationship?"

For Sarsgaard — who shares kids Ramona, 17, and Gloria, 11, with Gyllenhaal — honesty is, indeed, always the best policy.

"Otherwise, even if it's a nice lie, even if it's a lie to prop someone up or help them avoid what they're trying to avoid, you're not living in reality," he continued. "And that's the only place to live in."

And these days, they're living in — and relishing — the holidays and their annual traditions.

"There's a church that we go to that has a midnight mass that I don't go to any other time throughout the year," the 52-year-old Sarsgaard, a close friend of Maggie's brother Jake Gyllenhaal, explained. "The midnight mass there is extraordinary, and Maggie and I are sometimes able to sing."

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As for the ultimate present he thinks you can give to someone? Much like his character opposite Jessica Chastain in "Memory," it involves allowing another person to simply be themselves.

"Being a mirror, just reflecting what you see accurately," he noted. "That's the greatest gift you can give anyone. A partner, a friend, anything."

"Memory" hits theaters Dec. 22 in New York and Los Angeles, followed by a nationwide release Jan. 5.