Laughter plays an important role in Will Ferrell and Viveca Paulin’s decades-long marriage.
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the actor, 57, opens up about the secret to his 24-year marriage to Paulin.
“I think we were drawn to each other initially through our shared sense of humor, and that has remained the foundation of our relationship,” Ferrell, who has partnered with PayPal, says. “I think, ultimately, that’s our bond, making each other laugh.”
Though he details that his wife, 55, can sometimes be “a tough one to crack,” the You’re Cordially Invited star continues, “Every now and then I’ll get her to laugh, and she’ll be like, ‘Okay, okay. You still got it.’ ”
“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,” Ferrell adds.
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Ferrell and Paulin first met in an acting class in 1991, but their romance was initially brief.
“It was kind of too much too fast at too young … like the intensity level was like, ‘Oh woah,’ ” Ferrell explained while appearing on the MeSsy podcast in July.
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“Then we were just friends for five years and then we circled back to each other,” added the Anchorman star.
Ferrell and Paulin tied the knot in 2000 and eventually welcomed three children: Magnus, Mattias and Axel.
When the holiday season comes around and Ferrell has to get a gift for his wife, he tells PEOPLE there’s one item he never has to worry about purchasing.
“She doesn’t really like jewelry. She’s afraid she’ll lose it, so I get a break,” he says. “She totally lets me off the hook.”
Still, Ferrell considers himself to be an excellent shopper, adding, “I actually really love gift-giving, especially if I can zero in on that very specific, special gift.”
Through his partnership with PayPal — in which he stars in a commercial where he sings a reimagined version of Fleetwood Mac’s “Everywhere” — Ferrell helps himself, and others, save money.
“PayPal is one of the most secure financial services you can use. … It’s so versatile and there are tons of options, especially during the holidays, with cashback and things like that,” he says, adding: “My mother of all people has said she has gotten more feedback on my PayPal commercials than almost anything I’ve ever done, so if that doesn’t say something, if that doesn’t speak to the reach of what we’re doing, I don’t know what does.”
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