We've all heard about how cast members from successful television shows don't necessarily like each other, but we're here to prove the opposite. Whether they're playing on-screen lovers, exes, buddies or enemies, these pairs of actors have made long lasting friendships with their co-stars. Some of them you may already know (we're looking at you, Jen and Courteney), but others may come as a complete shock to you.
1. KJ Apa and Cole Sprouse
Apa and Sprouse play best friends in the teen hit Riverdale, and they're also BFFs in real life - Dylan Sprouse, Cole’s twin, said the two quarantined together this summer amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Is there a better way to spend quarantine than hanging out with your best friend?
2. Lili Reinhart and Camila Mendes
Wait, we’re not done yet with Riverdale: Reinhart and Mendes also play best friends in the series, although with a pinch of drama
In real life, however, there’s nothing but love between them. More good news: The cast of The CW's series just got back together for shooting after being shut down due to a COVID-19 testing shortage in Vancouver.
3. Ashley Benson and Shay Mitchell
The cast of Pretty Little Liars seem to adore each other as much as we adore them, but the most notable friendship is between co-stars Ashley Benson and Shay Mitchell
When they're not making silly faces between shots, these two like to go on vacations together - and document everything for Instagram, of course.
4. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler
Can you think of a more adorable duo? They two met at an improvisation class in 1993, and since then collaborated on Saturday Night Live and starred together in films like Mean Girls (which Fey also wrote) and Baby Mama.
Being friends for decades and supporting each in both their career and personal lives, and although they live on different sides of the United Stats (Tina's a New Yorker while Amy stays in L.A.) - they’re pretty much the epitome of all our BFFs goals.
5. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck
Bromance between the two started back in their Boston days, when they lived a few houses away from each other.
The two collaborated to write and act in the 1997 Oscar-winning Good Will Hunting, and their bond has just gotten stronger with time. Even today when they're both established actors and family men, they still keep in touch and you can find tons of photos of their families hanging out together.
6. B.J. Novak and Mindy Kaling
Novak and Kaling met on the set of The Office (both also served as writers on the show) and dated on-and-off for several years. Novak said: "No one, including us, ever really knew, 'Is this dating? Is this not dating?' We were never really dating, we were never really not dating. All you'd know for sure was that you'd always find one of us next to the other, even if we weren't getting along”.
Well, they’re getting along well enough to be friends to this day, even after everything they’ve been through. In fact, When Kaling gave birth to her daughter, Katherine, many have speculated that Novak was the father.
7. Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams
Sisters in Game of Thrones, BFFs in real life. Their selfies on Instagram always make it seem like they’re having the best time together, and that's probably true, as Turner chose Williams to be her bridesmaid when she married her spouse Joe Jonas
Williams also shared they keep in touch with the rest of the cast: “We have a group chat where we all speak, which is really nice”.
8. Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale
Hudgens also shared the honor of being a bridesmaid in her best friend's wedding, when Tisdale married composer Christopher French in 2014.
The two actresses rose to fame when they starred on the TV movie High School Musical - and became BFFs. They even appeared together on the reality show Inner Circle to boast about their friendship.
9. Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox
Fun fact: The two were auditioned to each other’s roles in Friends! In the end, of course, Cox became Monica, Aniston became Rachel - and the two actresses bonded BTS and are best friends ever since.
Cox said: "We just have fun, we laugh, we're inseparable”. While we're still waiting for the promised Friends reuinion TV special, it's nice to know that two of the show's leading actresses actually keep in touch regularly.
10. Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles
The two have headlined Supernatural together for 15 years now - so it's not surprising that they get along really well in real life, as well.
As shooting for the series finale began, Ackles said: “The last 15 years was not just going to work, it was an educational experience. I learned a lot about everything I do. Jared and I didn’t go to school for this; we learned on the job. And so, the more on-the-job we have been, the more we have learned. I certainly never anticipated being this educated in what we do, and I think that that will only help us in what we do moving forward”.
11. Michelle Williams and Busy Philipps
The two met on the set of the iconic Dawson's Creek,and are inseparable ever since - especially when it comes to walking pretty much every red carpet you can think of.
Williams called Philipps the first "real friend" she had, telling Entertainment Weekly: "When I met her, she was the coolest girl I had ever seen. She had a nose ring. She wore her hair in braids. She wore overalls. And she had this attitude like, 'I know who I am and don't cross my line.” Badass!
12. Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey
Kisney told Insider about her The Office co-star: "We both say we didn't expect to make such a close friendship later in life, but we're so close and she's one of my life anchors.”
Fischer even made a speech at Kinsey’s wedding, which the bride adored - she wrote in her Instagram that her BFF’s toast “was hilarious and so sweet”. Aww!
13. Chris Pratt and Aubrey Plaza
In Parks and Recreation they played a beautiful couple; in real life they are beautiful BFFs. The writers of the show didn’t plan to make their two characters come together as a couple, but the chemistry between the actors was so strong that it seemed like the natural thing to do.
And while Chris Pratt is known today mostly for his work on the big screen as the MCU's Starlord, you can still see him commenting on Aubrey's Instagram pics every now and then. Now that's true love.
14. Dylan O'Brien and Tyler Posey
Talking about being adorable: the two babes have grown together since season 1 of Teen Wolf to be matured actors - and poster boys of bromance.
The two have recently participated in a Teen Wolf reunion, organised by MTV to benefit First Responders First, which aids frontline workers during the coronavirus pandemic.
15. JWoww and Snooki
Imagine meeting of the set of a reality show - and then starring in your own show! That's what happened to JWoww and Snooki, who met as roommates on the MTV series Jersey Shore, became inseparable - and continued to star in their own show, which is called, you guessed it, Snooki & JWoww.
The two are mothers now, and they hope their kids will be best friends just like their mommas.
16. Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni
"Law & Order: SVU" was worth it just to watch (and bring together) Hargitay and Meloni, who became close friends and starred in each other’s Instagram accounts a lot over the years.
"SVU gave birth to Mariska and Meloni and Benson and Stabler. So we’re kind of inextricably linked and connected in that way,” Meloni said in an with Entertainment Tonight. “Beyond that, we’re very good friends. I think we value each other.”
17. Seth Rogen and James Franco
The two are known for co-staring in comedy movies "Pineapple Express", "This Is The End", "Sausage Party" and more, but actually met back in in 1999, on the set of the TV series "Freaks & Geeks”.
Rogen said of Franco: " (he)helped me be happier with my work, and myself in general. And he’s just a great friend and makes good pie.” Sounds like a friend we’d like to have ourselves!
18. Donald Faison and Zach Braff
Seems like the two set a goal of topping their bromance between their "Scrubs" characters - and indeed, they’re one of the cutest BFFs couple in Hollywood. On Fasion's birthday two years ago, Braff called him "the most important man in my life" - how adorable is that?
And as if that's no enough, the two host a podcast together, where they talk about "Scrubs", living and Hollywood and so much more.
19. Andrea Barber and Candace Cameron Bure
The Full House duo regularly share pictures of lunch dates, running practices, and, of course, throwbacks to the good old days.
They’re such good friends that when they got the chance to share the same set again for shooting Fuller House, they jumped at the opportunity. And that’s not the only exiting news concerning Full House stars - keep reading for more.
20. Emma Roberts and Lea Michele
Enemies on screen, besties in real life: The Scream Queens co-stars are really worth following on Instagram for the cute comments they leave on one another’s posts. “I love you Emma”, Michele wrote Roberts on her birthday.
“There is no one I laugh harder with, would rather call in the middle of the night or blast the Wreckers with all day... thank you for always being there for me”.
21. Chace Crawford and Ed Westwick
The two actors from Gossip Girl became such good friends that they even lived together in New York for years
Since the series, Crawford appeared in Amazon Prime's superhero show The Boys, and Westwick appeared in thriller Billionaire Ransom.
22. Dave Coulier, John Stamos and Bob Saget
The men of Full House don't live together in real life - but they are best buds. They also all re-united for shooting Fuller House, along with Candace Cameron Bure, Jodi Sweeten, Lori Loughlin, Andrea Barber and Scott Weinger.
So cool they everyone got to find the time to do this - and that Coulier, Stamos and Saget also keep in touch in real life.
23. Colton Haynes and Holland Roden
The Teen Wolf stars are so close one could think they're a couple (they're not: Haynes is gay, and Roden is married).
Really, they upload so many pictures of themselves together that we bet the rest of the Teen Wolf cast are jealous.
24. Neil Patrick Harris and Cobie Smulders
The two played friends-turned-lovers on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and now they’re best friends (don’t be fooled by the photo: like Haynes and Roden, one of them is gay and the other is married).
Fun fact: their characters weren’t even supposed to be together - but after seeing the chemistry between them, writers realised it had to happen.
25. Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Norman Reedus
On The Walking Dead, Morgan plays a the terrible villan (yet somehow, also, a sweet guy), but in real life he's all nice - and a bestie of his co-star Norman Reedus.
Morgan said: "I spend a lot of time with [him]. Not only do we live next to each other in Georgia, but we both have this big affinity toward motorcycles, and we spend a lot of time on the roads. It’s kind of a great way to unwind and we have that in common. So I talk to him daily.”
26. Selena Gomez and David Henrie
The two played brother and sister on the Disney show Wizards of Waverly Place, and are still in close contact - after all, family ties are not severed that easily.
Gomez attended Henrie’s wedding in 2017, and she was the executive producer of the film This Is The Year, directed by him.
27. Laura Prepon and Taylor Schilling
Seems like their real life friendship is much more stable and joyful than the friendship between their Orange Is the New Black characters!
The two shared intimate scenes on screen, but Prepon said it was surprisingly easy and comfortable to film them: "We were so comfortable with each other and immediately just very respectful. Taylor is a total pro."
28. Kat Graham, Nina Dobrev and Candice King
Iconic trio in The Vampire Diaries, iconic trio in real life. The three still keep in touch, although also they’ve been quite busy in the last few years sinc TVD has ended.
King went to star in the spin-off series The Originals, Graham starred in Tupac bio film All Eyez on Me, Dobrev appeared in movies like Dog Days and XXX: Return of Xander Cage.
29. Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer
This one seems like a no-brainer, right? The chemistry between the two on the set of Broad City wouldn’t have been possible without true friendship off-screen.
In fact, the two met long before they got famous, when they both attended the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in NYC. Just imagine how wild their real-life humour is!
30. Tori Spelling and Jennie Garth
This duo is basically attached at the hip, and have recently started hosting a new podcast together, where they - what else - discuss and analyze Beverly Hills 90210. “A friendship that was created on television but a sisterhood for a lifetime”, Tori captioned this photo with Jennie in 2018.
"You['re] the Kelly to my Donna and the Yin to my Yang. Work is always play when it’s with you." The Beverly Hills, 90210 remained such close friends that Spelling evacuated to Garth's house during California's wildfires.
31. Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Mario Lopez
The Saved by the Bell co-stars stayed in touch over the years, and recently teamed up again for the 2020 reboot of the sitcom.
Fun fact: Lopez told Ellen DeGeneres that the two are both blue belts in Jiu-Jitsu, and have been training together. Their famous fight from the first episode of the fourth season used no stunt doubles - those were actually them
32. Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis
We know, we know, it's kind of cheating but we *have* to stan these two. Close friends? The That '70s Show co-stars literally married each other! They met on set when he was 19, and she was 14. Kunis lied about her age because the casting director required actors to be 18 years old, got busted - but her talent helped her get away with that, and the rest is history.
. Kutcher, by the way, also keeps in touch with Danny Masterson, with whom he appeared on Netflix's The Ranch.
33. Jason Momoa and Emilia Clarke
It’s been years since we saw Momoa on Game of Thrones, which granted him the status of a star - and also one special friendship. And although Khal Drogo and Daenerys Targaryen's relationship started off rocky, it's appranet that the actors who played them got along swimmingly.
Momoa and Clarke shared such a special spark that he said of her: "it’s truly like bubbles of giggles are in our bellies when we are together". Cuties!
34. Lea Michele and Darren Criss
The two remained friends since they met on the set of Glee in 2010, and even got a chance to sing together when they went on tour two years ago. (Also, Michele said she wanted Criss to sing at her wedding, and that actually happened - how gorgeous is that?)
Lea is also close to Glee co-star Becca Tobin, and brought her along while shopping for her wedding dress.
35. Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder
Surprise: Nina Dobrev is still friends with Ian Somerhalder - we mean, long-lasting friendships between co-stars are not that rare, as you see, but let's not forget the two are also ex-lovers.
. Paul Wesley, who starred with them on The Vampire Diaries, is still buddies with Ian and Nina, and has been sptotted several times tagging along with Somerhalder and wife, actress Nikki Reed (who starred in Twilight and knows a thing or two about vampires).
36. Melissa Joan Hart and Soleil Moon Frye
Many things have change since Sabrina the Teenage Witch aired on 1996, but it warms out heart to hear that they haven’t changed between between Hart and Frye: the two were on-screen BFFs, and turns out they're still BFFs even off-screen.
Hart said that she and the Punky Brewster star still sometimes catch up and do things like go shopping and get their nails done.
37. Will Smith and Alfonso Ribeiro
Don't let the constant teasing between Will and Carlton fool you - on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air they were cousins who were complete opposites, but in real life they're buddies.
“We’ve spent many years working together and hanging together, playing together, you know, having families together,” Alfonso said on Access Hollywood. “[Will is] just a wonderful individual and we have such a great time together.”
38. John Stamos and Glen Powell
Another Ryan Murphy approved friendship! The two shared only one season of Scream Queens, but their instagram accounts reveal that Stamos, a.k.a. Dr. Tony Gates from ER, and Powell, who starred in teen-comedy “Everybody Wants Some!!”, still hang out together all the time.
Too bad they shared only such a short time together on screen - but who knows, maybe they will re-unite in the future.
39. Jonathan Tucker and Nick Jonas
The former Disney star and the The Virgin Suicides actor became friends while shooting drama series Kingdom.
Tucker called Jonas "my dear friend and brother”, and it seems like the feelings are mutual - as the latter asked him to be his groomsmen in his wedding. That’s what we call best friends.
40. Ariana Grande & Matt Bennett
Bennett, who starred in the Nickelodeon show Victorious along Grande, appeared in two of her music videos (for One Last Time and Thank U, Next).
But do the keep in touch in real life, also? The answer is yes, the two still hang out like high-school pals - which, in a way, they actually are.