Goldie Hawn Says 'Good Sex' Is Secret to Her 40-Year Relationship with Kurt Russell: It 'Creates More Belonging'

Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell began dating in 1983; the couple share four children together

Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell are sharing one of their keys to more than 40 years of romance.

While the longtime A-list couple spoke with E! News at MindUP’s The Goldie Hawn Foundation charity event on Friday, Sept. 27, Hawn, 78, said, "You have to have good sex," when asked about building a successful long-term relationship.

“Because sex is something that connects you and creates more belonging. People who have healthy sexual relationships usually last a lot longer," Hawn explained. "But it's not just because of the act, it's because of the warmth and the intimacy that it creates.”

Hawn and Russell, 73, have been in a relationship since 1983. The couple share children Oliver Hudson and Kate Hudson from Hawn's previous relationship with Bill Hudson, and Wyatt Russell, their youngest son. Russell also shares his oldest son Boston Russell with ex-wife Season Hubley.

“You have to be nice to each other upon occasion," Hawn also joked.

Related: Kate Hudson's 'Innate Charisma' in Campy Shell Role Brings Her a Goldie Hawn Death Becomes Her Moment (Exclusive)

As Hawn expanded on how couples can keep their romance alive for the long run, the actress said said romantic partners must "know you're not the same person."

“You don't think the same way oftentimes. And you have to accept that, but you have to measure are we having fun, or is this something we want to do?" she said. "Do we have laughs together? Do we share certain things? You don't have to share everything. We have a lot of expectation, I think, around relationships, but you have to like the person. That's very important.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

When Russell himself weighed in on the topic, he told E! News that he believes most long-term couples "share one thing in common."

Related: Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn's Sweetest Photos with Their Grandchildren

"And that is that after that many years together, you will have experienced just about everything there is to experience together and understand all the ups and downs and what it means," he said. “I just love the fact that we met and we still doing it. We still like being together.”

At the Sept. 27 charity event, the longtime couple also spoke with Entertainment Tonight about Hawn's desire to make a movie she, Russell and the rest of their famous family can all act in together

"We have talked about it because there's so many in the family that are in this business." Russell said. "No, we don't have anything solid. It's just an idea that would be fun to do if it was right."  

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.