Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones don't just make up one of Hollywood's longest lasting couples, but also one of its most beloved. The actors have been together for nearly three decades, first getting to know each other in 1998 at the Deauville American Film Festival, courtesy of mutual friend Danny DeVito. They embarked on a relationship soon after that turned into an engagement on New Year's Eve 1999. Less than a year later, on November 18, 2000, they tied the knot in New York City.
The couple have since become proud parents to son Dylan Douglas, 25, and daughter Carys Douglas, 22, both of whom are kickstarting their own journeys as professionals in the spotlight. While their various career moves continue, between Michael's semi-retirement and Catherine's appearance in the new season of Wednesday, their relationship has remained as loving as ever.
In honor of 25 years of their marriage this November, we're taking a look at their body language and dynamic over the years, courtesy of celebrity body language expert and psychic Inbaal Honigman exclusively with HELLO!, who attributes their amorous relationship to "consistency." And yes, if you're reading it right, they're clearly still just as much in love now as when it first all began decades ago.
"One of the most interesting things about Michael and Catherine is their enduring consistency, their body language doesn't change," she noted. "Observed over the span of 25 years, this is notable and fascinating, as it means that their love, their dynamic and the way they view each other has not changed much throughout their long journey together, and while raising two kids together."
© Getty ImagesMichael and Catherine at the Deauville American Film Festival 1998
She paints a picture of a picture-perfect Hollywood couple in their media appearances, dating back to the genesis of their relationship. "At the start of their fairytale romance, a dashing Michael stands side by side with a glamorous Catherine. Him, smoldering at the camera, and her – smiling seductively. His chin is square, confident and dominant, while her smile is broad, inviting."
© Getty ImagesMichael and Catherine in 1999
And it's their stance in particular that stays the same throughout. "Their regular pose of standing side by side, as if they're ready to brave the world together, remains throughout the relationship to this day. It says that they're a team," the expert observed, before adding that while their level of comfort grew to be deeper, their stance stayed the same.
© Getty ImagesMichael and Catherine in 2024
"Michael's squared chin is soon replaced with a smile to match Catherine's. He's not looking to dominate the relationship anymore, but to be an equal," she continued. As they march through the journey of life together, with engagement, wedding pics, pregnancies and awards, their side-by-side stance holds strong."
© Getty ImagesMichael in 2024 at the Cannes Film Festival
She does, however, note one moment where things shift – in the early 2010s, starting in 2010, when Michael publicly revealed his cancer diagnosis. "There's one notable change during Michael's battle with throat cancer, where he poses with his body fully facing his supportive wife."
© Getty ImagesMichael and Catherine in 2012, two years after sharing his cancer diagnosis
"This is a moment of vulnerability for the actor, and it leaves Catherine to face the world on both their behalves, as her body still faces the camera," she continued, further using to emphasize another cornerstone of their relationship – physical contact. "Hand holding, hand on waist, hand kissing, Michael can't get enough of his beautiful wife, and she's happy and smiling throughout it."
