Top 10 Obvious On Set Romances but We Didn't Know At the Time

#10: Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart

“To Have and Have Not” (1944)


Model Lauren Bacall was 19 when she made her screen debut opposite 44-year-old Humphrey Bogart. Howard Hawks’s loose adaptation of Hemingway's “To Have and Have Not” follows an American love story against the backdrop of French resistance to Nazi occupation. The parallels with “Casablanca” were undeniable. But so too was the lead actors’ chemistry, despite their age difference. Turns out, it was the beginning of a beautiful relationship. This was confirmed during the production of “The Big Sleep”, when Bogart divorced Mayo Methot and quickly married his co-star. It was his fourth marriage, and his longest. They had almost 12 years together before Bogart’s death from cancer in 1957. Bacall followed 57 years later, but the romance is still considered one of Hollywood’s greats.

#9: Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford

“Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” (1977)


Han Solo and Princess Leia exchanged few words in “Star Wars”, later subtitled “A New Hope”. The two sequels would see the development of one of sci-fi's most iconic love stories. However, the public wouldn't learn of its foundation until 2016. That's when Carrie Fisher’s memoir “The Princess Diarist” revealed that she and Harrison Ford had a three-month-long affair behind the scenes of “A New Hope”. The actress’s published journal suggested that she had serious feelings, but her co-star was 14 years older and married. The notoriously private Ford has been reluctant to elaborate on the brief fling. But before the release of the book and her death a month later, Fisher told The Guardian that it had a lasting impact.

#8: Tom Holland and Zendaya

“Spider-Man Home Trilogy” (2017-21)


The “Spider-Man” movies have had a history of bringing couples together. Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire dated for over a year, while Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone made it past four. Still, Tom Holland and Zendaya stunned fans when they casually confirmed long-standing rumors in 2021. Their relationship began in “Spider-Man: Homecoming”, alongside Peter Parker and MJ’s. It would remain under wraps over the course of the MCU’s so-called “Home Trilogy” and its heart-wrenching romantic arc. Years later, Holland and Zendaya remain a power couple beloved by social and tabloid media. They still try to keep their personal lives as private as possible, but it looks like a Spidey romance has finally stuck.

#7: Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens

“High School Musical” (2006)


Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens got their big acting breaks as an on-screen couple in “High School Musical”. They got their big tabloid breaks as an off-screen couple. The actors were still teenagers when they began dating behind the scenes of the Disney Channel hit. The romance between jock Troy Bolton and bookworm Gabriella Montez was such a sensation that the media blew up when Efron and Hudgens went public over the following year. “Zanessa” became a hot topic, especially over “High School Musical”’s sequel and the theatrical third installment. Then came the big breakup in 2010. Efron and Hudgens have since led huge careers respectively. But it's still hard to believe that the phenomenon of Zanessa could initially be contained.

#6: Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart

“The Twilight Saga” (2008-12)


By the 2010s, moody teenager Bella Swan and vampire Edward Cullen were one of the most talked-about couples around. Despite mixed reviews for the “Twilight” film franchise, the leads’ chemistry helped make it a hit. Only before the release of the third installment in 2010 was it confirmed that the spark was authentic. Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson had been dating off and on since 2009, surrounded by romantic rumors and sightings. The relationship continued to have its ups and downs before finally dissolving on bitter terms in 2013. It was a real blow to fans’ nostalgia. Thankfully, Pattinson and Stewart have built even sturdier fan bases since their high-profile breakout, and are still good friends.

#5: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson

“Volunteers” (1985)


Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson met on the sitcom “Bosom Buddies” in 1981. It seemed that only their on-screen pairing got more serious with the film “Volunteers”. The zany Peace Corps comedy wasn’t much of a hit, but was highlighted by a cutely mismatched romance between the lead characters. It was actually an ideal match between the actors, despite Hanks being married to Samantha Lewes. By 1986, it came out that he had been separated from his wife for some time, and dating Wilson since “Volunteers”. The couple married in 1988, and have since been the gold standard for a solid celebrity marriage. Now there's no watching the movie that started it all without looking for clues.

#4: Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell

“Swing Shift” (1984)


In 1983, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell were seen presumably rehearsing a dance scene for “Swing Shift” in public. Practice seemed to make perfect, as critics praised the chemistry between factory co-workers during World War II. It was a rewarding final product after scandalous conflicts between Hawn and the filmmakers. This behind-the-scenes gossip was soon overshadowed by revelations that Hawn and Russell were actually courting during production. The couple really made waves with the classic rom-com “Overboard” in 1987. Still, “Swing Shift” has earned a cult status partly for marking the foundation of one of the most enduring couples in Hollywood. Decades after that first dance date, Hawn and Russell are still going strong.

#3: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt

“Mr. & Mrs. Smith” (2005)


One of the defining tabloid topics of the 2000s took everyone by surprise. It's not like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt completely got along as a couple of elite assassins in “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”. Their volatile chemistry nonetheless inspired a cult classic, while setting the tone for what was to come. Starting a month after the film’s release, it was gradually confirmed that Jolie and Pitt were an item. “Brangelina” became an enormous deal in pop culture. But five years after they formally wed in 2014, they got an acrimonious divorce. Now the tabloids are talking about how much the former dream couple hate each other. After the surprises of “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and its public aftermath, we should be ready for anything.

#2: Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman

“Days of Thunder” (1990)


Australian actress Nicole Kidman was off to the races after her Hollywood debut, professionally and publicly. She and Tom Cruise made a comely couple in the motorsports melodrama “Days of Thunder”, released three months after Cruise divorced Mimi Rogers. Five months after that, Cruise and Kidman got married! How better to announce that they got together during the production of their first of three films? Cruise and Kidman were one of the most iconic couples in showbiz until their equally sudden split in 2001. There have since been claims that the Church of Scientology played a role in their most prominent member’s whirlwind courtship and divorce. Certainly, this high-profile love story was somehow steeped in mystery from the beginning.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith, “Two Much” (1995)

The Zany Comedy Featured the Chemistry of a Superstar Couple in the Making

Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (2008)

Years After Their First Collab, a Rocky On-Screen Marriage Set Up an Iconic Off-Screen One

Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth, “The Last Song” (2010)

A Notorious On-Off Relationship Began Behind a Hit Teen Romance

Jenna Dewan and Channing Tatum, “Step Up” (2006)

From the Steamy Dance Romance Came a Wholesome Hollywood Marriage

Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, “No Man of Her Own” (1932)

The Tragically Brief Romance, Said to Be Gable's Greatest, Began in Private

#1: Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy

“Woman of the Year” (1942)


The public may never fully understand the legendary couple Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. But George Stevens’s “Woman of the Year” was the last time we weren’t sure of their relationship, at least before the film’s release. The clear chemistry developed behind-the-scenes would carry into eight more collaborations over 25 years. And yet, the couple and puritanical studios downplayed their domestic partnership. As a devout Catholic, Tracy never divorced his ex Louise Treadwell. Only after their passing did Hepburn speak openly about this “open secret”. There’s still mystery surrounding the relationship, with some speculations about Hepburn and Tracy’s sexual orientations. But there was never any doubt that they cared for each other, no matter how poorly they kept that under wraps.


Which on-screen couples do you think didn’t have to act much for chemistry? Join the gossip in the comments.