By Karu F. Daniels, BlackVoices.com



You can always count on Will Smith to get great media coverage on the heels of one of his new movies opening.

Next month, the box-office kingpin, will offer audiences the drama 'Seven Pounds.'

To wrap around all the marketing blitz that surely will come with a surefire box-office tally, the former 'Fresh Prince of Bel Air' is making the rounds.

The usual requisites are a seat on Oprah Winfrey's couch, a laughter-filled romp on late night television and him gracing the covers of glossy black lifestyle and male oriented periodicals.

But for the December edition of 'Essence' magazine it's double the pleasure when Hollywood's number one star and his beloved wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, grace the cover and interview each other and tell the world how they make it all work.

Just today, the couple landed at #2 on 'Forbes' magazine's richest couples list -- grossing $85 million last year. (Jay-Z and Beyonce Knowles were #1.)

Below are some highlights of the chat, which was conducted by the magazine's West Cost editor Regina R. Robertson:

"Well, the truth about life is that we're all alone," Smith replied when his wife of nearly eleven years asked him what he loves about being married. "But when somebody loves you, right, that experience is shared. Love is the only real connective tissue that allows you to not live and die by yourself. It gives you purpose beyond you. You don't necessarily have to get married to have that, but I've always wanted to be married. I knew you were that person for me because you're loyal, to a fault. You'll destroy yourself to be loyal to somebody else."

"Trying to be with somebody who you know doesn't deserve it is too hard," Pinkett Smith said when recollecting about the early stages of their relationship. "I knew you deserved it, but it had more to do with your relationship with your God and yourself than with me. I thought, Okay, this dude just wants to be a good dude. When we got together, both of us were going through rough times. I loved the relationship you had with your grandmother GiGi and the commitment you had to Trey. I remember watching how you dealt with Sheree [Will's ex], which was admirable, and I thought, If this is how he treats somebody who he ain't really feeling, imagine how he'll treat somebody he loves. I know that was hard for you. I could see that you were struggling. Most people would have been trying to figure out, How can I pay this person back? But you were always thinking, What is the right thing to do? It took me a long time to get on that page. I felt like you were strong where I was weak, and then in some instances, I could offer you strength. We were like puzzle pieces."

"Sex is a very, very important factor for me, especially when you're talking about being with somebody for the rest of your life," she added. "It worked out nicely."

Ever the outspoken one, she furthered the conversation with her thoughts on how relationships falter: "I think people get into the concept of being constant in their relationships. That's a huge mistake because things are going to change. It doesn't matter if you're going forward or backward, you're going to be moving."

"I wish there was a formula that said, 'If you follow this right here, you will have a successful marriage,' but it's so different for everybody," she also said. "In order to have a good relationship, I think you've got to give yourself. There's so much beauty in having that vulnerability and openness, but it's also a double-edged sword because nobody can hurt you more than the person who's closest to you. Your partner knows all your buttons, and there are times when it feels like things are unforgivable."

"When you're married, you can no longer hide from yourself, which can be excruciatingly painful,' Mr. Smith chimed in. "The secret is removing divorce as an option. Anybody who gives themselves that option will get a divorce."

The lengthy marriage has had a profound effect on how he views his career choices too.

"I've lived a totally unbalanced life, and this has been the first time that I'm actually shutting movies out for five or six months so I can really focus and spend some extended time with family and friends," he revealed. "I'm just starting to believe in the idea of balance, but you've always been the one to keep the ship from falling over. I found balance when I met you."

The December issue of 'Essence' is on stands now.