How Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker Keep It 'Fresh' After 19 Years of Marriage: It's 'Fun to Be Together'

"If this is your person, you can't give up on them," said the 'Station 19' star, who has been married to the 'And Just Like That...' actress since 2005

Boris Kodjoe is sharing his and Nicole Ari Parker's secret to having one of the strongest marriages in Hollywood.

The Station 19 star, 51, appeared on Thursday's episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show and opened up about how he and Parker, 53, have maintained such a successful, loving relationship in their 19 years of marriage.

While the actor said there was "no trick" to the longevity of their marriage, he shared that it was all about their ability to be supportive of one another, even through challenges and disagreements.

"There's no trick. You just can't give up," Kodjoe told the actress/talk show host, 42, when asked how he and the And Just Like That... star, whom he shares two children with, keep it "fresh."

He shared, "Everybody goes through their stuff, individually and as a couple. You got to give each other space to make mistakes, you got to give each other space to apologize, to forgive. You got to give each other space to grow, to mature, to, like I said, mess up."

Related: Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker's Relationship: All About the Actors' Marriage and Family

The actor then continued to emphasize how important it is to stand by your partner. "If this is your person, you can't give up on them," the Last Man on Earth star shared. "You got to crawl through the mud together. You got to fight those fights together. You got to celebrate, you got to learn each other's ways how to be loved, because everybody is different."

"It's like in business: You cannot succeed without failing," Kodjoe added. "You have to make mistakes along the way, it's too bad to bail out before they can reap the benefits of having made mistakes and having been through all of that stuff."

The TV star explained that he and Parker have certainly been able to reap those benefits, which he all sees as "part of the process." He revealed, "You cannot find true happiness without messing up and going through those periods in life, whether it is as an individual or as a couple, and I think that we got that. We give each other space to go through that process individually and together."

Kodjoe concluded by saying how it's "fun to be together after all this time" and joking about especially great it is now that "the kids are gone," referring to their daughter Sophie, 19, and Nicolas, 18, being out of the house.

Related: Adorable Photos of Nicole Ari Parker & Boris Kodjoe

The couple first met on the set of the Showtime series Soul Food, which ran from 2000 to 2004, but it wasn't until the second season that Kodjoe made a move. After several years of dating, the two performers tied the knot in 2005 at a 900-year-old church in Kodjoe's hometown of Gundelfingen, Germany.

The Code Black star reflected on saying, "I do," to the Empire star in a 2023 interview with PEOPLE. "It was magical that day," he said.

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In 2005, Kodjoe and Parker welcomed their first child together, daughter Sophie, and the following year, they expanded their family to four with the birth of their son Nicolas.

Related: Nicole Ari Parker and Boris Kodjoe Relaunch Gymwrap Athleisure Line with QVC: 'It Was the Next Logical Step'

Throughout their relationship, the actors have spoken candidly about the love that they share and how they keep romance a part of their relationship after nearly two decades of marriage.

When the Real Husbands of Hollywood star appeared in in the 2022 PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive issue, he shared how he plans dates with his wife.

"I gave my wife a sound bath for her last birthday. I had a lounge singer in our front yard serenade her and a chef cook her a meal on the terrace," Kodjoe shared. "That was during COVID, so we couldn't go anywhere, so I had everybody come to the house. And I had a masseuse in the house and a manicure, pedicurist. And a henna artist."

He added, "I had them all come to the house and then just gave her a beautiful romantic birthday."

Parker has also spoken candidly about what she appreciates about her husband. “He's exactly who his persona is, kind, loves being a husband and father,” the actress told PEOPLE in a 2019 interview. "An incredible human being who thinks of others. He's just authentically good.”

Over the years, the pair has worked together on a handful of projects, such as the 2022 Lifetime movie Safe Room. They also launched a charity organization, Kodjoe Family Foundation, to raise awareness for spina bifida, a congenital spine disorder that their daughter was diagnosed with.

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