Los Angeles, July 27 (IANS): Actor Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones are "closer than ever" after their brief separation from May to November 2013.

The 70-year-old actor has revealed the couple's brief separation following 13 years of marriage has strengthened their marriage.

"We're closer than ever. I think that when both parties want to work something out, they can. It was mutual love that brought us back to each other -- we've been back together for two years and it's all worked out just fine," Douglas told dailymail.co.uk.

The "Ant-Man" star also said their children -- Dylan, 14, and Carys, 12 -- understood what was going on during their time apart, but are now thrilled their parents have reconciled.

He said: "The kids are doing great, too. They had a clear understanding of what was going on -- I don't think there were a lot of secrets kept -- and they're fine now. To sum up, no news is good news, and that's what we have."