Angelina Jolie has hit out at rumours that she and Brad Pitt are a couple at war - describing him as her ideal man and perfect leader of their "tribe" of children.
And she believes he has saved her from life as a single mum.
Tomb Raider star Angelina, 32, says the love Brad has for adopted six-year-old son Maddox - often pictured sitting on his shoulders - leaves her with a lump in her throat.
"When I see the connection between Brad and Mad I'm close to tears, and, believe me, I don't often cry," she says.
And she was quick to quash rumours of a split with 43-year-old Brad, saying he was her ideal lover.
"He is certainly the best father one could wish for," she says.
"The place he takes in the family really moves me as I was prepared, even resigned, to being a single mum. I didn't expect him to invest so much time in the role of head of the family. He is one of those fathers who knows how to manage the bottles of milk, the little potties and all the rest. He is the ideal lover."
As well as Maddox, Angelina and Brad have adopted Pax, three, Zahara, two and have their own one-year-old daughter Shiloh. Yet both want to extend what Angelina calls her "tribe".
"Brad knows I want more children and it is his own desire to be at the head of a big family. He loves spending time with Mad, Pax, Zahara and Shiloh. I can always count on him to look after the children.
"I'd never live with a man who considers the education of his children as a burden. It is not an issue. One of us spontaneously offers aid to the other."
Hollywood's hottest couple have been dogged by rumours they are on the point of splitting for the last nine months, since her mum Marcheline Bartrand died from ovarian cancer.
Her attempts to cope with her grief were said to have triggered a series of rows, with Angelina allegedly throwing a glass of red wine over Brad during a bust-up in France last month.
But Angelina, who has previously been married to British actor Jonny Lee Miller and Hollywood star Billy Bob Thornton, is simply ignoring all the gossip.
"These rumours don't affect you if you don't pay attention to them," she says. "Brad is the first man to understand me and give the impression we are a team. Honesty and trust are fundamental. He shares my point of view.
"The most important thing is being able to grow old together."
Angelina, who met Brad on the set of Mr and Mrs Jones in 2005 when he was still married to Friends actress Jennifer Aniston, said there were problems when they first met.
"I recognise there were times when he wanted me to open up, but it is sometimes difficult to open yourself up to the person who shares your nights," she says.
Three weeks ago the Sunday Mirror highlighted fears about Angelina's health after her weight fell below seven stone on the film Wanted - a far cry from her voluptuous figure in the Lara Croft films which made her a worldwide sex-symbol. Angelina admitted she had lost a lot of weight but added that Brad was helping her deal with it.
"Yes of course (I have lost weight). Some days are exhausting, only I'm not able to collapse. I believe in pushing myself to the limits.
"Happily, I get enough sleep and Brad is always a great help in organising our day. Making sure that our children lead a normal life is always our principal aim. Even the drive to school can be complicated.
"We have staff, but we prefer to take on these types of jobs rather then leaving them to nannies."
The couple spend as much time as they can in their £5million Malibu mansion but, with four children, it's hard finding time for each other.
"Obviously your intimacy is not the same," Angelina says. "You are always engrossed and often you collapse with exhaustion in the evening. But for the good working of your team you adapt. Our luck is that we learnt how to be a parent at the same time. I was able to relax for hours and watch Brad occupied with the children.
"Our tribe likes the idea of being in perpetual movement. Mad and Pax adore discovering new places. Sometimes Mad is impatient to know where we are going to be in a week's time. It is something which makes me roar with laughter."
Angelina says it is largely thanks to Brad that she is able to continue with her charity work, carrying on Princess Diana's campaign to get landmines banned, as well as acting as an ambassador for children's pressure group Unicef.
She says: "Thanks to my man, my children and my work for the UN I have reached a feeling of great fulfilment. It is as if I was born to lead this existence."
Angelina was speaking to Gala Magazine in France, where she and Brad have been attending the Deauville Film Festival.
