Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor have announced they will separate after 17 years of marriage.

The Hollywood couple, who have shared the big screen throughout their marriage, announced the split on Friday.

In a joint statement to US showbiz programme Entertainment Tonight, they said: “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.

Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor (Ian West/PA)
Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor (Ian West/PA)

“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.”

Stiller, 51, and Taylor, 45, married in Hawaii in 2000 and have two children.

They have appeared together in movies such as Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story and the two Zoolander films.