Hugh Jackman reveals secret to happy marriage

London: Hugh Jackman has opened up about his 16-year-old marriage to actress-and-director Deborra-Lee Furness, saying that he never spends more than two weeks apart from his wife.

The 44-year-old actor said that before his wedding, Furness told him that it was vital that they saw each other regularly, so they wouldn`t drift apart and live separate lives.

"Well Deb, when I met her had done 20 movies. She said, 'Hugh, we`re never going to be away from each other for more than two weeks.` I said, 'Great, why?` She said, 'I`ve just been on too many movies, and I see people drift apart`," the Daily Mail quoted him as saying in an interview with The Grill Team on Australian radio station Triple M 104.9 FM.

"People think you`re going to fall in love with your leading lady and have an affair, it`s not always that. "It`s just you get used to living apart and you get used to living a life on your own ... then when you hit a rocky patch you`re not together, you`re already living your own life, you`re on location, an all of a sudden that person over there looks fantastic," he said. Hugh Jackman - who has 2 children Oscar, 12, and Ava, seven, with Lee Furness - moved back to his native Sydney six months ago to work on 'The Wolverine` and he is having a really "happy time" being among friends and family back in Australia.

"We`ve got the kids settled into school here which is tough, somehow we came back and settled straight in, the movie was ready to go, it`s been the best movie experience so somehow that takes the pressure off," he said. "I spent a lot of time with my dad who is not well, when you`re with one of your parents who you know is not going to get better you make the most of every moment. "So having that, and the kids settled and Deb was really happy to be here, she always loves it here ... I`m never happier than when I`m here, I swim in the ocean every morning, and my best friends are here, and even though I have a blessed life and a lucky life I come back here and I love it," he added.