Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are still one of Hollywood’s most popular couples after nine years of marriage. Whether they’re teasing each other on social media or lighting up the red carpet at each other’s premieres, the duo never misses an opportunity to demonstrate their undying love.

The 45-year-old Red Notice star recently spoke out about his marriage to the 34-year-old actress, telling Entertainment Tonight that he and the former Gossip Girl star are a wonderful match because they’re also close friends.

“We don’t take each other too seriously, but we’re also friends. Falling in love is great, but do you like each other? That’s kinda the question you gotta ask yourself, you know, going into it,” he said.

“We’ve always liked each other. We grow together. We learn from each other. So yeah, I’m lucky to have a buddy in that,” he continued.

The same goes with Lively. In 2014, the Gossip Girl star told Marie Claire, “We’ve never gone a week without seeing each other. The best part is when we turn off our phones and just talk and hang out. He’s my best, best friend. What do you do with your best friend? You do nothing.”

James, 6, Inez, 5, and Betty, 2, are the actors’ three daughters. Reynolds told PEOPLE (The TV Show!) at the Red Notice premiere in New York City on Wednesday that he was looking forward to spending more time with his wife and kids during a planned hiatus from acting.

“We all want to be together during this time. Our kids are still quite young and I don’t want to miss it,” he said.

Reynolds admitted on Today that living with three small children can be “absolute mayhem,” but he couldn’t picture life without his wife and daughters. He told Access Hollywood this week, “I wouldn’t have it any other way. We love having our girls.”

Reynolds wrote in celebration of Lively in a touching Mother’s Day post earlier this year: “It can’t be said enough … you’re the heart and soul of every moment this family shares. I’m grateful for the light and for the kindness you smuggle into each and every second of our lives. I see you in the eyes of our children … Every laugh. Every blink and every thoughtful moment of vulnerability.”

The Deadpool actor recently spoke up on his experiences as a girl dad, revealing that he was glad he and Lively’s youngest kid was a girl because he was unfamiliar with raising boys.

On Monday, he told Access, “I would not have it any other way. When we had our youngest, I was quietly terrified it was gonna be a boy because I didn’t know, we didn’t know. I didn’t know anything but girls. I grew up with boys and I was constantly being thrown through walls when there was a perfectly good door 5 feet away.”