Jennifer Connelly thinks her working with husband Paul Bettany on 'Shelter' must have been "miserable" for their children.

Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany

Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany

The 44-year-old actress - who has 18-year-old son Kai from a past relationship, and Stellan, 12, and Agnes, four, with her husband - admits filming was quite intense as it took place in such a short space of time, so their preparations also spilled over into their homelife.

She said: "Because it was low-budget with only a few days to shoot, we really couldn't leave it all behind at the end of the day.

"We had to prep each night for the next morning. Although it was probably somewhat miserable for the kids, it actually helped that the film was being made on such a short schedule. If it had been longer, it would have been more miserable."

Jennifer and Paul met on the set of 'A Beautiful Mind' in 2001 and also starred opposite one another in 2009's 'Creation', but 'Shelter' marks the 44-year-old actor's first venture behind the camera.

And though the brunette beauty thought it would be "strange" taking direction from her spouse, she had a wonderful experience because she felt so "free".

She told Net-a-Porter's The Edit: "I thought it would be stranger than it was.

"In a way, it felt very familiar. We met at work. We've been on the same set; we've been on each other's sets.

"And it was really great to have that much trust, to have that degree of intimacy with your director, especially when the subject matter is so intense. It's an amazing feeling of freedom and safety."