Michael Douglas & Kathleen Turner Had ‘Real’ Chemistry Then His Ex Came to One Shoot & Stepped In

• Iconic Hollywood actors and co-stars Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner once had "real" chemistry until his ex-wife came to a shoot and stepped in.
• Turner previously admitted that she "fell" for her co-star but "stepped aside" when Douglas' then estranged wife visited their set.
• Years later, Douglas admitted that he regretted not divorcing his ex-wife sooner.

Michael Douglas, 79, and Kathleen Turner, 69, are two powerhouse icons in Hollywood. Both have built illustrious careers that have garnered them incredible success as formidable actors in the entertainment industry.

Douglas and Turner have starred opposite each other in more than one film and have produced fantastic productions due to their undeniable on-screen chemistry. A news source highlighted them as a reigning screen team in Tinseltown and mentioned the fact that they have been frequently compared to the late classic acting duo Audrey Hepburn and Spencer Tracy.

Despite their differing personalities—Douglas is typically known for his quiet intensity and affable ways, while Turner is more feisty and headstrong— together, the two have set the silver screen ablaze. Their most notable productions include, "Romancing the Stone," and "The War of the Roses."

Even though the two turned on the charm and romantic sparks on camera with other co-stars, the public would always revert to the incomparable effect they had as on-screen lovers on their audiences. Turner herself previously stated that her fans would sometimes only be interested in when she planned on doing another film with Douglas.

Co-star and one of the directors of "War of the Roses," Danny DeVito, even attested to the apparent spark and attraction between the two. Of Turner and Douglas as actors and their relationship, DeVito shared:

"I could easily see them as the next Tracy and Hepburn. Or as other great couples...Even the next Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers..."

Douglas also implied that there was something more than just shared great productions between the two when he made a statement about being smart enough not to mix business with pleasure. He also mentioned how he would look forward to going to work every morning during his time with Turner.

Funny enough, initially, Douglas wasn't all too sure about Turner coming aboard on films alongside him. According to a media source, Turner had only done two films before the two started working together.

To Douglas' pleasant surprise, Turner more than proved she was the right pick for "Romancing the Stone." However, what left both further surprised was their incredible rapport while filming and doing promotional shoots. Of the photos and one scene in particular, Douglas revealed:

"We just said, 'My, my, my, what do we have here.' There really was chemistry at work. The scene where we're dancing in the square (in a Latino village) and we look at each other...My heart just stops every time I see it."

Needless to say, the movie garnered fantastic success and made millions, despite both performers hating having to do love scenes. From there, Douglas and Turner starred in their second movie, "The Jewel of the Nile," and then "War of the Roses," and with each film, their relationship grew stronger.

Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner's 'Real' Chemistry Was Blossoming Until His Ex-wife Stepped In

Although Douglas and Turner were proving to be a perfect match for each other, both on and off the screen based on their ability to get along so well, they were married to other people. By the time "Romancing the Stone" came out, Douglas was still married to Diandra Luker, his wife of 12 years, though they were separated at the time. Meanwhile, Turner was married to her then husband of five years, Jay Weis.

Even though a romantic relationship did not come to fruition for Turner and Douglas, the two remained good friends.

Interestingly, despite the fact that Turner and Douglas had to do intimate scenes with each other, with both knowing the underlying chemistry between them, they reported that this did not faze their spouses. Turner previously mentioned that Weiss was even less bothered by the on-screen intimacy due to Douglas being the leading man.

Rewinding back to when "Romancing the Stone" was still being filmed, Turner had not yet found her husband, so she was single. However, Douglas had already been married and separated from Luker. It was during this time that Douglas and Turner could have turned their on-screen relationship into a real one. In fact, Turner revealed:

"We had potent chemistry in part because it was real...We were a million miles from nowhere in the middle of the jungles of Mexico on this incredibly hard, rigorous film shoot, and we were flirting intensely. I really fell for him..."

In another interview, Turner went further to say that she thinks the two might have even been falling in love with one another. However, a visit from Douglas' then-wife, Luker, quickly thwarted any hopes Turner may have had for a romantic relationship with her co-star.

Luker had flown down to Tuner and Douglas' set in Mexico, and she and her then-husband began trying to reconcile things. According to Turner:

"...they began patching things up, so I stepped aside immediately and that was the end of it. Nothing really ever happened between us, but the attraction was quite real."

Though he never outwardly confirmed in finality that he had romantic feelings for Turner besides his tongue-in-cheek remarks about their undeniable chemistry, Douglas did admit regret about not ending his marriage sooner. Years ago, the "Fatal Attraction" star confessed:

"I have nothing against her and, in fact, I'm very fond of my first wife. But we should have ended that marriage eight or 10 years earlier...That's the only clear regret that I have."

Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner Reunited as an On-Screen Divorced Couple and Still Share a Close Bond as Friends

A few years ago, the iconic actor and Turner reignited their on-screen chemistry when they reunited as a divorced couple in a Netflix series. Of their time together on the series "The Kominsky Method" and their friendship, Turner said:

"He's such a good friend. It made it very easy to play ex-husband and wife...Not that I ever married the man—never would have, never could have!"

In turn, Douglas also considers Turner a valued friend. In 2021, they both sat down for an interview to discuss their collaboration on "The Kominsky Method" and also brought up their enduring friendship.

During their conversation, the fact that the two have stayed in touch with each other years after their last project together (before "The Kominsky Method" reunion) was highlighted. Even as they both went on to raise families with different partners, they remained close friends.

Naturally, when they reunited two years ago for their series, both expressed stepping back into their work relationship with ease. Of his maintained friendship with Turner, Douglas stated:

"You protect and cherish when you've got a good relationship."

Douglas also further emphasized the delight of working with Turner again after he last worked with her over 30 years ago. Even though a romantic relationship did not come to fruition for Turner and Douglas, the two remained good friends. They managed to find love with other people and go on to build beautiful families.