Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor reconcile after separating nearly five years ago

Filmmaker and comedian Ben Stiller says he and his wife, actor Christine Taylor, who separated in 2017 after 17 years of marriage, have reconciled.

Stiller, 56, an executive producer and primary director of the AppleTV+ series "Severance," told Esquire magazine in a story posted Tuesday that at the start of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, the two, who were living apart, began cohabitation so that Stiller could see their children — Ella, now 19, and Quinlin, now 16 — during lockdown. "Then, over the course of time, it evolved," Stiller said. "We were separated and got back together and we're happy about that."

The star and director of such hits as "Zoolander" (2001) and "Tropic Thunder" (2008) added, "It's been really wonderful for all of us. Unexpected, and one of the things that came out of the pandemic."

Stiller said he realized that married couples need "a respect for the ways that we're similar and the ways we're different. And I think accepting that, you can really appreciate someone more because you're not trying to get them to change for you. Once you accept that, you save a lot of energy. 'This is something that works for me; this is something that doesn't work for me.' If you have that trust level with your partner, you know that me saying 'I don't like doing that thing' is not me saying 'I don't like you.' "

The Emmy Award winner gave an analogy: "A few years ago, I realized I don't like horseback riding. If there's an opportunity to go horseback riding, I'm probably not going to do it. Now, I like horses! I think they're beautiful. I like petting them. I like watching people ride horses, I like watching my kids ride horses. I just don't really love riding horses. And once you know that, it just saves a lot of energy."

In a tweet, Stiller thanked the article's writer for "being so easy to talk to (& making me sound more coherent than transcribed I'm sure)."

Stiller, son of the legendary comedy couple Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, met Taylor, 50, when he directed her in the unaired 30-minute comedy pilot "Heat Vision and Jack," made for Fox in 1999 and a subsequent cult hit online. Taylor's credits include playing Marcia Brady in "The Brady Bunch Movie" (1995) and its 1996 sequel, and recurring roles on series including "Arrested Development" and "Search Party."

The two announced their engagement in November 1999 and married on Kauai, Hawaii, on May 13, 2000. But on May 26, 2017, they announced in a joint statement, "With tremendous love and respect for each other, and the 18 years we spent together as a couple, we have made the decision to separate. Our priority will continue to be raising our children as devoted parents and the closest of friends. We kindly ask that the media respect our privacy at this time."