AceShowbiz - Adam Brody opens up on his marriage life, saying he has learned to "swallow [his] ego." Married to actress Leighton Meester since 2014, the 43-year-old actor feels that "compromise" has been one of the keys to his relationship.

"If I've learnt anything, you have to really swallow your ego and pride. You have to listen and accept the other's perspective - and probably compromise," he shared.

Despite this, Adam accepts that it's perfectly possible to feel content with life without being married. The actor - who is perhaps best known for playing Seth Cohen in "The O.C." - told The Independent, "You don't have to settle down. You don't have to have kids. In fact, don't if you don't want to, for God's sake."

Adam thinks he's particularly good in the "romance and romantic-comedy space" - but the actor is glad that he hasn't been pigeonholed during his career. He said, "I've always had enough confidence about it, where I'm like, either I won't be because I'm good enough not to be - or if I am, then it's my own fault. I like what I do. I enjoy and am decent in the romance and romantic-comedy space. I also don't think I carry a machine gun as well as some other guys."

Adam starred in "The O.C." between 2003 and 2007. And the actor never considered walking away from the show, saying he didn't want to "totally screw over the fans." He added, "Leaving didn't seem like an option or the honourable thing to do. I didn't want it to go on forever, but I had a contract and I was going to honour it. I had some basic standards of professionalism."