Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky credit honesty for keeping their marriage alive

Speaking about the secret behind their 16-year romance, Crime 101 star Chris told People: "There's an honesty, the north star of truth, that you're going to get with Elsa.

"I can show something to a bunch of other people, and they might be like, 'Oh, great work,' but Elsa will tell me if it sucks."

Actress Elsa added: "I'll tell him, 'That's actually not funny. It doesn't work.'"

Chris says that "critical sort of assessment" means the blonde beauty "knows who I am, and we know what each other can do".

And the Thor star uses Elsa's critical eye in his acting career.

Chris explained: "Elsa's honesty is my barometer for whether something works. I take that with the films I do, the commercials, whatever.

"It's like everyone else can tell me one thing, but I know that I'm going to get the absolute truth from her.

"And it's sometimes dressed up in gentleness from time to time, so that it doesn't shatter my soul, which I appreciate."

The couple have a daughter named India, 13, and 11-year-old twin sons called Sasha and Tristan, and their children "don't care" about Chris' global stardom.

Asked if his children are scoring him "cool points" for being a big film star, Chris told People in February: "They don't care. They don't care at all.

"I reckon when they first realised I was Thor, they thought it was really cool. And then they realised they couldn't fly, and they thought it was less cool.

"Now they're just like, 'Ah, Dad, whatever.' Teenagers."

Following their children's births - in 2012 and 2014, respectively - Chris taught them the value of hard work.

In July 2017, the Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga cast member explained to People: "As a kid, we had very little money, and my parents saved up all year to just pay for a two-week camping vacation.

"Financially, we're in a different position, but I want to make sure they know these things don't come easy. You have to work for it, and you can't take it for granted.

"Success is more about the values we have and the type of people we are rather than the material objects that we might obtain."