Years of separation strengthened Ben Stiller's marriage.

In 2017, Ben Stiller and his wife made the decision to separate for a brief period.

In a recent interview with The New York Times, the 59-year-old actor disclosed the cause of the brief separation he experienced with his wife, Christine Taylor, which began in 2017.

He revealed that when they separated, it was to gain clarity on their relationship and how his life felt without it, as well as to assess the love they had for their family unit, to an outlet.

Although they were separated for "three or four years," the two of them remained "connected" throughout the entire time.

In 1999, Taylor auditioned for a show that Stiller was directing and made their red carpet debut at the MTV Movie Awards. They got married in May 2000 and welcomed their first child, Ella, in April 2002. They later welcomed their son, Quinlin, in July 2005.

The couple, after 17 years of marriage, announced through a joint statement to People that they had decided to separate. Their top priority, they stated, was to continue raising their children as devoted parents and the closest of friends.

"When we separated, it was just having space to see what our relationship was, what my life felt like when we weren’t in that relationship, how much I loved our family unit." — Ben Stiller

Stiller told The New York Times that although they decided to separate, he never stopped wanting to be together.

"Christine's whereabouts are unknown, and one must ask her, but COVID brought us all under the same roof. We lived in the same house for almost a year before we were reunited. Despite the challenges, I am grateful for the experience and believe that not many people reunite after separation."

"He said, "Coming back, there's nothing like it. It makes you value what you have even more because we know we couldn't have it.""

During their separation, Stiller and Taylor were frequently seen together, most notably when she accompanied him as his date to the 2019 Emmy Awards, where he was nominated for his performance in "Escape at Dannemora."

In a 2022 interview with Esquire, the actor revealed that they had reconciled with their partner by acknowledging and appreciating their differences, stating that this approach helps to "really appreciate someone more because you're not trying to get them to change for you."

"By acknowledging that, you conserve a significant amount of energy," he stated. "This technique works for me, but doesn't work for me," he said. "If you have that level of trust with your partner, you understand that my saying 'I don't enjoy doing that task' is not me saying 'I don't like you.'"

Taylor has spoken about their time apart, stating on "The Drew Barrymore Show" in March 2023 that they and Stiller realized they had "both started to grow in different directions" and "needed some time to figure that out." The pandemic provided them with the opportunity to have conversations they otherwise would not have been able to, with "no other distractions."

""The comfort of this relationship and the commitment we have built together provide a freedom," she concluded."