Rita Wilson says the “deep secret” to her nearly four-decade marriage to Tom Hanks might be simpler than people expect: sharing a bathroom.

In a recent interview with People, Wilson opened up about the daily routine she believes has helped keep their relationship strong after 38 years of marriage.

“I will tell you – this is a deep secret. Shared bathroom,” Wilson joked.

The actress explained that the shared space has become more than just part of their routine. It’s also where they reconnect after busy days.

“It’s very good. That’s where you download everything. That’s where you download the day, laugh about what you’re doing,” she said. “In the mornings you’re thinking about what are you doing today, where are you going to be, ‘Great I’ll meet you there.’”

While Wilson admitted the answer was partly humorous, she also said there is real truth behind it.

“That’s the humorous answer, but it’s actually very true, and then also I think it’s shared values,” she explained.

Wilson said communication and commitment have been key parts of their marriage since they first met on the set of the TV sitcom “Bosom Buddies” in 1981. The couple married in April 1988 and have remained one of Hollywood’s longest-lasting marriages.

“You have to be able to communicate to each other the things that are changing in your life also, and also the things that are still staying the same,” Wilson shared. “You’re always working together for the greater good.”

The actress also reflected on how marriage changes over time and how couples must learn to grow together through different seasons of life.

“You’re not the same person that you were when you got married,” she said. “Who you were physically, who you are emotionally, spiritually is very different than who you are 10 years later, 20 years later, 30 years later.”

Wilson added that lasting marriages depend on supporting one another through those changes.

“It’s really the ability to grow and change and evolve together and support each other in all those things that you do over time. I love that.”

She also emphasized the importance of commitment in marriage.

“For me, it’s really about commitment,” Wilson said. “There’s really something so beautiful about that.”

The couple share two sons together, Chet and Truman Hanks, while Wilson is also stepmother to Colin and E.A. Hanks from Hanks’ previous marriage.

During the interview, Wilson also reflected on her 2015 breast cancer diagnosis and the emotional impact of undergoing a mastectomy. She said becoming a mother gave her “an extraordinary awe for what your body can do,” making the experience even more difficult.

“These parts of your body that had been there for you in such a beautiful way are gone,” she said.

Still, Wilson kept her trademark sense of humor, joking about her reconstructive surgery afterward.

“I like to say that I’ve finally gone Hollywood now, and I have some implants. It’s pretty good,” she laughed.

The couple has often joked publicly about the “secret” to their successful marriage. In 2023, Hanks teased that they had “bottled it.”

“We’re not gonna tell anyone,” he joked. “And we’ll sell it to you individually, for $17 billion.”