Hollywood actor Jeff Bridges tells all about his long and loving marriage – it’s a true romance!

We are bombarded with stories about the latest Hollywood couple’s relationship to hit the rocks so it’s always so refreshing to hear about a couple who have stood the test of time.

Actor Jeff Bridges, 68, is a rarity in Hollywood. He has been married one time, for 40 years, and says his marriage just keeps getting better.

The seasoned star met his wife, Susan Geston, in 1975, and has three grown daughters and one grandchild. He talks about the benefits of staying with the same partner through thick and thin.\

The two hit it off after a night of dancing, and it wasn’t long before the waitress packed up her bags to follow Bridges back to California. The two dated for a while, and while Geston wanted to get married, Bridges had his reservations about making such a commitment.

In 1977, Geston told Bridges that if he wasn’t going to marry her, she would go her own way. Bridges knew he would forever regret letting his love walk away

“I said, ‘Oh God, I can’t let this woman go,’” Jeff told OWN. “I had this vision of an old guy thinking there was this girl from Montana, man, why didn’t I marry her.”

Fast forward 40 years and Bridges and Geston are still very much in love; Bridges still looks at his wife with the same adoration he felt when he first saw her waiting on tables.

The two have learned plenty about communication and staying together through tough times.

“What you don’t know until you get married is that you think all the other doors close — which is true,” Bridges explained.

“But this doorway you open [with marriage] is a hallway lined with all these other brilliant doors — kids, deeper intimacy, adventures, and everything else.”

This newfound perspective helped Jeff and Susan deal with disagreements – of which there were many in the early years of their marriage.

Of course, no relationship is without conflict. But Bridges and his wife never ran when they hit a bump in the road; they have learned how to face those bumps together, which means communicating frequently, openly, and honestly.

“If you change your partners every time it gets tough or you get a little dissatisfied, then you don’t get the richness that’s available in a long-term relationship,” Bridges expressed.

After 40 years, Bridges feels his marriage just keeps getting better. “What they don’t tell you about marriage is that it just keeps getting better on all levels…” he said.