In the new issue of Closer Weekly, Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy open up about their working relationship. William, 68, and Felicity, 55, have been married since 1997 and dated for 15 years before that; they met when he was her acting teacher.

“We’ve been working together since I was 21 or 22,” Felicity exclusively tells Closer Weekly. “We have a great working relationship.”

felicity huffman and william h. macy getty images

Felicity and William at the premiere of Krystal.

William can’t hide his true feelings when he’s directing Felicity in a scene. “If he reaches up and touches his forehead with his palm, I know I was bad,” the actress told Closer with a laugh at the premiere of Krystal, which her husband directed. “I’m like, ‘Oh, no, there goes the palm again!'”

To hear William tell it, though, he rarely finds fault with Felicity’s work. “She’s a great actor,” he shares of his former co-star on TV’s Sports Night as well as his movies Rudderless and Krystal. “On this film, I could exhale a bit because she had a big part, and I knew she was going to do a great job. I feel like I have an ally on set — it’s a piece of cake.”

For more on Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy, pick up the latest issue of Closer Weekly, on newsstands now — and be sure to sign up for our newsletter for more exclusive news!