15 Celeb Couples Who Met on Set and Let the Spark Between Them Burn in Real Life

Hollywood relationships are considered to be both glamorous and epic, but stereotypically short-lived. In reality, celebrity marriages can have just as many divorces as successful pairings. And no matter how long love lasts, it always leaves a permanent trace.

We at Bright Side have watched many romances bloom onscreen and we now want to check-in with some of these famous couples who made us believe in love.

1. Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan

Relationship status: Married since 1988 with 4 children

Michael and Tracy first met on the set of his TV show Family Ties in 1985. The young actors played boyfriend and girlfriend but didn’t instantly give in to their attraction. A few years later, Fox and Pollan reunited for the movie Bright Lights, Big City and haven’t been apart ever since.

2. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner

Relationship status: Divorced after 13 years of marriage with 3 children

It all started with friendship for this former celebrity couple. Ben and Jennifer first met on the set of Pearl Harbor in 2001 and 2 years later collaborated on Daredevil, in which their characters were very much into each other. One year later, Garner finalized a divorce with her first husband and by 2005 Affleck had become her husband. Unfortunately, they called it quits in 2018, but retained joint custody of their kids and remain friendly.

3. Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons

Relationship status: Engaged since 2017 with one child

Plemons practically healed Dunst’s broken heart after she divorced her first husband in 2016. At the time, Jesse and Kirsten were co-starring on the show Fargo, but it didn’t take them long to get close in real life. The couple got engaged in 2017 and welcomed their son in 2018. Hopefully we’ll hear their wedding bells soon!

4. Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas

Relationship status: Married since 2014 with 2 children

You can call Ginnifer and Josh’s love story ’love at first sight.’ They met on the set of Once Upon a Time in 2011 and started dating that very same year. Luckily for the showrunners, Goodwin and Dallas were an item on the show, which allowed for working her first pregnancy into the storyline.

5. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman

Relationship status: Divorced after 11 years of marriage with 2 children

Nicole and Tom were the “it” couple of the ’90s. The 2 actors came together while filming Days of Thunder in 1989 and got married the following year. They later adopted 2 kids: a daughter born in 1992 and a son born in 1995. Cruise and Kidman collaborated for 2 more movies together: Far and Away and Eyes Wide Shut. Sadly, in 2001, the couple announced their divorce. Today, Nicole is happily married to Keith Urban, while Tom is currently single after going through his second divorce with actress Katie Holmes.

6. Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer

Relationship status: Married since 2010 with 2 children

Yet another couple that fell in love instantly after meeting to work on a show are Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer. The lovely couple started dating after filming the very first episode of True Blood in 2007 and got married 3 years later. Anna and Stephen are still thriving and raising 2 children from Moyer’s first marriage.

7. Jennifer Connelly & Paul Bettany

Relationship status: Married since 2003 with 3 children

Bettany and Connelly first met on the set of A Beautiful Mind in 2001 and instantly followed their hearts. They married just 2 years later and had 2 kids together, Bettany also became a step-father to Jennifer’s first son from her first marriage. The famous spouses later worked together on several movies and Paul actually directed his wife in Shelter in 2014.

8. Jenna Dewan and Channing Tatum

Relationship status: Divorced after 10 years of marriage with one child

Channing fell in love with the beautiful Jenna while filming their famous dance movie Step Up in 2006. They said “yes” to each other after 3 years of dating and welcomed a daughter in 2013. The couple later separated in 2018 and divorced in 2019. Now, Dewan is engaged to actor Steve Kazee, with whom she had her second child in 2020. As for Tatum, he’s currently in a relationship with singer Jessie J.

9. Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied

Relationship status: Married since 2012 with 2 children

Portman fell for the elegant ballet dancer while filming Black Swan in 2009. As a result, the movie didn’t just get her an Academy Award for Best Actress, but also a partner for life. Benjamin and Natalie are still happily married and raising 2 kids together.

10. John Travolta and Kelly Preston

Relationship status: Were married for 19 years with 3 children

John met Kelly in 1987 on the set of The Experts. The beautiful couple dated for 4 years before finally making their relationship official. Over the course of their marriage, they had 3 kids and lots of love for each other. Travolta and Preston remained married until her untimely death in 2020.

11. Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield

Relationship status: Dated for 5 years

Fans of The Amazing Spider-Man were delighted to hear that its main stars were an item in real life. The charismatic Stone and Garfield started their romance in 2010 after working on the famous comic book movie together. Even though their flame burned bright, it wasn’t meant to last. Emma and Andrew broke up in 2015. Today, Stone is married to comedian Dave McCarry, while Garfield is seemingly single, but doesn’t disclose details about his private life.

12. Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth

Relationship status: Divorced after a year of marriage

Miley and Liam have had a whirlwind romance — let’s break it down: the couple got together while working on The Last Song in 2009, but remained on-again-off-again. In 2012, they reunited and got engaged, but called it quits a year later. Finally, the 2 of them married in December 2018, but sadly, separated in August of that next year. Their divorce was finalized in January 2019. Currently, both Hemsworth and Cyrus are single.

13. Jared Padalecki and Genevieve Padalecki

Relationship status: Married since 2010 with 3 children

Jared met Genevieve when she joined the fourth season of his TV show Supernatural in 2009. He was instantly enchanted and proposed one year later. Since then, it’s been a fairytale for the couple: they’ve welcomed 3 kiddos together and now reside, as a family, in Texas.

14. Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe

Relationship status: Divorced after 8 years of marriage with 2 children

Just like Reese’s character in Cruel Intentions, the actress herself couldn’t resist Ryan’s charm. The couple married in 1999, the same year the movie came out and their daughter was born. Witherspoon and Phillipe also welcomed a son in 2003, but this wasn’t enough for them to stay together. They separated in 2006 and were officially divorced by 2007. Since then, Reese married talent agent Jim Toth, with whom she had her third child, while Ryan hasn’t remarried, but also welcomed another child with one of his former girlfriends.

15. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson

Relationship status: Married since 1988 with 4 children

One of the strongest Hollywood units, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, met while filming the show Bosom Buddies in the early ’80s, but really noticed each other in 1985 when working on the film Volunteers. 3 years later, the couple was married. Rita and Tom have 2 children together, but also co-parent Hanks’ son and daughter from his first marriage.

Have you seen any of these couples get together in a movie or a TV show? Do you think Hollywood relationships are meant to last in general?