Hollywood Couples Who Starred Together in Films: Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie to Ben Affleck-Jennifer Lopez

Several Hollywood stars have proved that great off-screen chemistry translates to unforgettable on-screen chemistry. Here're 10 tinsel town couples who have shared screen space.

Published on May 21, 2025  |  09:57 PM IST |  45K
Stills from Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Gigli (Via YouTube/20th Century Studios and Sony Pictures Releasing)
Stills from Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Gigli (Via YouTube/20th Century Studios and Sony Pictures Releasing)

Hollywood actors have not just delivered magical and unforgettable performances as couples on screen, sometimes they live it too. In several films, fiction gently blended into reality and vice versa as directors brought Tinseltown couples together on a film's cast. With their on-screen chemistry, they gave a glimpse of their off-screen chemistry, casting a love spell on all of us.

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When two actors aren't just co-stars but also cosmic connections, the screen becomes a mirror of their hearts, and their love story gets etched into our memories forever. While some of these actors met on the set and fell in love, others were already blossoming as couples. Whatever the case may be, they radiated a rare magic that couldn't be directed, scripted, or rehearsed.

Let's revisit the moments when Hollywood couples starred together in films and blurred the lines between real and reel. 

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie – Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Relationship Timeline: 2004 to 2016, married in 2014 and divorced after two years

Movie Title: Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Director: Doug Liman

Release Year: 2005

Roles Played: Pitt played John Smith and Jolie played Jane Smith

Where to Watch: Jio Hotstar

Mr. & Mrs. Smith revolved around a married couple who discover they are both secret assassins and are hired to kill each other. The film's unique plot and the duo's palpable on-screen chemistry resonated with the audiences, and the film turned out to be a blockbuster. It perfectly blended romance and action genres while delving into the complexities of marriage and love. 

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Many believe that Pitt and Jolie's romance blossomed on the sets of this film, and fans gave them the name: Brangelina. However, they did not make their relationship official until 2005. After living together for over 12 years, they filed for divorce in 2016, citing irreconcilable differences. They share six biological and adopted children.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez – Gigli

Relationship Timeline: 2002 to 2004 and 2021 to 2024, married in 2022 and divorced after two years in 2024

Movie Title: Gigli

Director: Martin Brest

Release Year: 2003

Roles Played: Affleck played Larry Gigli and Lopez played Ricki/Rochelle

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video

The film revolved around a low-ranking Los Angeles mobster who is assigned to kidnap the mentally challenged younger brother of a powerful federal prosecutor. When he is unable to do the job himself, Ricki comes into the picture to help him with the kidnapping. Gigli starts getting attracted to Ricki but things but he has to focus on the job at hand. 

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Gigli turned out to be a dud at the box office and got bad reviews from critics, but the film marked the beginning of Lopez and Affleck's romance. They started filming for the project in 2002, and they instantly fell in love. After filing for divorce from her then-partner Cris Judd, Lopez got engaged to Affleck the same year. Their fans fondly called them Bennifer. 

Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor – Zoolander

Relationship Timeline: 1999 to now, married in 2000 and had a brief separation between 2017 and 2022

Movie Title: Zoolander

Director: Ben Stiller

Release Year: 2001

Roles Played: Stiller played Derek Zoolander and Taylor played Matilda Jeffries

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV

Stiller and Taylor have great comedic timing and they showcased the same in the 2001 film Zoolander, which Stiller also directed. In the film, Stiller plays a dimwitted male model who wants to have a fourth consecutive win as Male Model of the Year in the bag. But, fate wasn't on his side as his rival, Hansel (played by Owen Wilson), unexpectedly takes the crown, leaving Derek crushed. Matilda Jeffries, played by Taylor, feels responsible for Derek's downfall as she wrote a scathing news article about him. 

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The comedy film ends with their characters getting married and having a child. Coming to their real-life love story, the couple has been together since 1999, however, they parted ways for five years from 2017 to 2022. 

Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward – The Long, Hot Summer

Relationship Timeline: 1958 until Paul's death in 2008

Movie Title: The Long, Hot Summer

Director: Martin Ritt

Release Year: 1958

Roles Played: Newman played Ben Quick and Woodward played Clara Varner

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV

Directed by Martin Ritt, The Long, Hot Summer revolved around handsome vagabond Ben Quick (Newman), who is back in the Mississippi town. Life isn't easy for him because rumors of his dad's pyromaniac tendencies haunt him as soon as he sets foot there. Things change when he wins over civic leader Will Varner (Orson Welles), and he decides Ben might be just the man for his daughter, Clara (Joanne Woodward).

Newman and Woodward first met while working together on Broadway. After tying the knot in 1958, they starred together in over a dozen films.

Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy – Woman of the Year

Relationship Timeline: 1958 until Paul's death in 2008

Movie Title: Woman of the Year

Director: George Stevens

Release Year: 1942

Roles Played: Hepburn played Tess Harding and Tracy played Sam Craig

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Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video

The rom-com film from the golden era of Hollywood revolved around two journalists who work for the same New York City newspaper. Despite an initial and mutual dislike, the two eventually fall in love and get married. When Tess wins the Woman of the Year award, traditional gender roles are flipped, and their relationship suffers as a result.

Did you know Hepburn and Tracy had a 26-year-long secret love affair that was a well-known open secret in Hollywood? They shared screen space in nine films and maintained a romantic relationship even though Tracy was married and Catholic. Their affair ended with Tracy's death in 1967.

Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick – Pyrates

Relationship Timeline: 1958 until Paul's death in 2008

Movie Title: Pyrates

Director: Noah Stern

Release Year: 1991

Roles Played: Bacon played Ari, Sedgwick played Sam

Where to Watch: Netflix

Bacon and Sedgwick’s first project together as a married couple was Pyrates, a comedy about a couple with a strange problem. In the film, the two have a great chemistry, but things change when they experience pyrokinesis, a psychic ability allowing a person to create and control fire with the mind. Despite the great chemistry, their love affair is far from perfect, and their friend Liam and Pia help them. 

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Sedgwick and Bacon tied the knot on September 4, 1988, about 18 months after meeting on the set of PBS's adaptation of Lanford Wilson's Lemon Sky. They have two children, Travis Sedgwick Bacon and actress Sosie Bacon.

Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell – Overboard

Relationship Timeline: 1983 to now

Movie Title: Overboard

Director: Garry Marshall

Release Year: 1987

Roles Played: Hawn as Joanna Stayton/Annie Proffitt and Russell as Dean Proffitt

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video

Although Hawn and Russell have never married, they’ve been together since 1983. In that time, they’ve had a son, become grandparents to seven, and starred in several films together. One of their most famous movies is the 1987 romantic comedy Overboard, where they play a funny enemies-to-lovers pair. Hawn’s character loses her memory, and Russell’s character tricks her into thinking she’s his wife.

In recent years, they teamed up again as Santa and Mrs. Claus in the Netflix holiday movie The Christmas Chronicles (2018) and its sequel in 2020.

Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone – Bridesmaids

Relationship Timeline: 2008 to now

Movie Title: Bridesmaids

Director: Paul Feig 

Release Year: 2011

Roles Played: McCarthy played Megan Price and Falcone played Air Marshal Jon

Where to Watch: Jio Hotstar

McCarthy and Falcone met in the 1990s and got married in 2005. Since then, they’ve had children, launched their own production company, and worked on many films together.

Their first on-screen appearance as a couple was in Bridesmaids, where McCarthy’s performance earned her an Oscar nomination. Falcone has since appeared in several of her other movies, including Identity Thief, The Heat, and Spy. In 2014, Falcone directed Tammy, with McCarthy in the lead role, and also made a small appearance himself.

ALSO READ: Why Is Sarah Jessica Parker Targeting Reading 170 Books? Inside Her Journey to Becoming Booker Prize Judge

FAQs

Which Hollywood couples have starred together in the most films?
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward have starred in the most Hollywood films together as a couple.

Are there any couples who regretted starring together?
Yes, Affleck and Lopez have expressed regret or discomfort about starring in Gigli. The film was a flop and didn't resonate with audiences.

Which movie had the best on-screen chemistry between a real-life couple?
One of the most praised on-screen chemistries between a real-life couple is undeniably between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

Who is the longest lasting relationship in Hollywood?
The longest-lasting relationship in Hollywood is between Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, whose marriage spanned 50 years, from 1958 until Newman's death in 2008.

About The Author

Kirtika Katira might be an entertainment journalist by profession, but she is a storyteller at heart...

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