Denzel Washington's wife turned down his marriage proposal twice before finally accepting.

The '2 GUNS' star's spouse Pauletta has revealed the third time was definitely the charm for the couple - who celebrate 30 years of wedded bliss this year - after she declined to marry him on two occasions, but the persistent actor eventually won her over with a third attempt.

Denzel, 58, was joined by his 62-year-old wife on the red carpet for the world premiere of his new action movie in New York City where she let slip about his trio of proposals - but it seems the actor remembers things differently.

He said: ''[It was] twice! ... It was three times?''

Pauletta jokingly responded: ''It was three times. I know with age sometimes things [go], the mind.''

The Oscar-winning actor had apparently buried his failed proposal attempts in the back of his mind and was taken aback by the red carpet revelation to 'Access Hollywood'.

He quizzed Pauletta: ''Why was it twice? Why would I have to ask again?''

''You heard it here first. She turned me down, she said no. And since it was three times, that means she turned me down twice!''

The 'Flight' star's supportive wife interjected: ''That's true. I turned you down twice and the third time we did it.''

Despite the initial setbacks, the couple - who have four children, John David, 29, Katia, 25, and 22-year-old twins Olivia and Malcolm - are still very much in love and even renewed their vows during a trip to South Africa in 1995, with Archbishop Desmond Tutu officiating the ceremony.

The couple were joined on the red carpet by Denzel's co-star Mark Walhberg and his wife Rhea Durham.