20 Actors Who Were Friends in Real Life but Had to Play Enemies

When watching 2 enemy characters on screen, we sometimes forget they are real people. And sometimes it just so happens that actors who knew each other prior to filming have to play and behave as rivals. Some friendships blossom after filming as well.

Here at Bright Side, we enjoy hearing some good stories from behind the scenes, and these celebrity friendships might just surprise you.

1. Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston

Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston played brothers Loki and Thor, who don’t have the best relationship. However, it turns out that the actors are actually pretty close.

Though they portray enemy brothers, it turns out the friends have a lot of fun acting together. In an interview, Hemsworth mentioned, “You either have chemistry with someone or you don’t, and thankfully, it was there. To play brothers was easy and fun.”

2. Tom Felton and Rupert Grint

Draco Malfoy, played by Tom Felton, and Ron Weasley, played by Rupert Grint, are perhaps the most well-known pair when it comes to enemies played by people who are actually friends. Felton and Grint have been very close for almost a decade, and it’s very interesting to witness. Their friendship is still as strong as ever, and they prank each other as if they were still little kids.

3. Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale

Though they played rival characters in the High School Musical Disney series, Ashley Tisdale and Vanessa Hudgens continued the story off-screen. The 2 formed a flourishing friendship, and it seems like they’re closer than ever.

“What I love about her is that she’s so talented, and I think what we share is that we’re really grounded people, and I think that that’s important,” Tisdale pointed out. Hudgens replied with the same amount of emotion, mentioning Tisdale, her fiancé, and baby, “I’m just so excited to get back to L.A. to sing to her baby and her stomach. I am just over the moon for her and Chris. I cannot believe it still, but I’m very emotional and very excited about it.”

4. KJ Apa and Charles Melton

Though they portray characters that don’t really get along, KJ Apa and Charles Melton are the epitome of best friend goals. The 2 have such great chemistry that they decided to move in together. At a red carpet event, Apa actually added, “We’re living together right now,” followed by Melton saying, “We’re roommates. It’s great.”

5. Jennifer Garner and Judy Greer

The 2 actresses played frenemies in the movie 13 Going on 30, however, they’re very close in real life. To remind us of their sweet friendship, Garner posted a picture alongside an emotional caption: “I am grateful for a walk with a girlfriend, always (especially this one).”

Regarding their first meeting, Greer stated that meeting Garner was a treat. “Who can ever say enough about her? She’s literally like what everyone says, like the greatest of all time,” she added.

They were even playful on set, as Greer recalled, “I remember being mean to her in scenes and then after a cut just being like, ’Ugh, I’m so sorry.’ And then sometimes I remember we would be in the middle of a scene, and they would cut, and she would just be like, ’You’re so mean!’”

6. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino

The 2 have been friends for 50 years, which is definitely not something you see every day. Though they are friends, they played enemies in the movie, Body Heat. Regarding their strong friendship, Al Pacino pointed out, “We got together early on, and we shared something, which was a big thing at the time.”

7. Lili Reinhart and Madelaine Petsch

Though their characters don’t exactly get along, Reinhart and Petsch are close, even close enough to call each other “best friends.” The 2 are even roommates, as Reinhart stated, “She’s my best friend. I live with her. We can talk about my relationships or personal lives or whatever, and I feel like she’s always got my back.”

The actress even helped Petsch with a wardrobe malfunction, once again, showing how sweet their friendship is.

8. Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart

The X-Men actors have actually known each other since the 1970s. So strong was their friendship, that in 2013, Ian McKellen officiated Patrick Stewart’s wedding.

The 2 British actors are compared quite frequently, to which McKellen responded, “We are the same actor, really. We’ve had the same career. So we’re peers. We’re equals. We’re not rivals.”

9. Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron and Kristen Stewart both starred in the movie, Snow White And The Huntsman, portraying rival characters. The story of their friendship is quite humorous, since the 2 met on a flight.

“It happened within the first 5 minutes of meeting her. We were on a plane going to San Diego for ComicCon and I just fell in love with her.” Their conversation seemed never-ending, and the 2 got along great.

10. Glenn Close and Michael Douglas

Glenn Close and Michael Douglas’s characters in the well-known movie, Fatal Attraction, were not exactly friends. However, the actors themselves are.

During an award ceremony in 2019, the 2 were finally reunited, giving insight into what it was like working together. Regarding this, Douglas said, “Glenn and I did a little movie, which stood a lot of people on their heads, called Fatal Attraction. It was a brave film, it’s part of the memory of those films that keeps us all together and our friendships.”

Do you know of any other celebrity pairs that played enemies but are actually close? We’d be curious to find out more in the comments!