18 Costars Who Started Dating Long After Production Wrapped

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20-04-2025

Plenty of actors find love on set, but for many, it's not love at first sight. They may stay friends for a long time or reconnect years later before falling in love.
Here are 18 costars who started dating months or years after production wrapped (and if they're still together):
1. In 1997, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. costarred in I Know What You Did Last Summer. They played Helen Shivers and Ray Bronson, respectively. Two years later, she cameoed in his film She's All That.
In 2000, they ended up on a date by accident. Sarah told People Now, "We were friends for a very long time. We'd had many dinners before. And we were supposed to go with someone else, and the third person didn't make it out, and we decided to still go. We were just two people at dinner catching up. We had a long car ride and a long dinner, and things just happened." Freddie added that, afterwards, "I didn't go on dates with other girls, nor did I even want to pursue dates with other girls." Two years later, they were married.
2. Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively met when they played love interests Hal Jordan and Carol Ferris in a much-maligned DC superhero movie in 2010. Ryan told the podcast Smartless, "I met Blake on the darkest crease in the anus of the universe called Green Lantern." However, at the time, he was married to Scarlett Johannson, and she was dating Penn Badgley. Blake and Ryan remained friends even after their respective relationships ended.
Ryan told SiriusXM's Entertainment Weekly Radio, "About a year after Green Lantern had come and gone and we were both single we went on a double date – she was on a date with another guy and I was on a date with another girl – and it was like the most awkward date for the respective parties because we were just like fireworks coming across...We were buddies for a long time, which I think is the best way to have a relationship, to start as friends." They got married in 2012.
3. On The Vampire Diaries, costars Arielle Kebbel (who played Lexi Branson, a minor role) and Zach Roerig (who played Matt Donovan, a main role) didn't share many scenes. The series ended in 2017, but in 2023, the actors reconnected when they played love interests in the Hallmark movie Love in the Great Smoky Mountains: A National Park Romance.
Per Entertainment Weekly, they confirmed their relationship two years later in a super cute and public way. At a fan convention, Zach surprised Arielle with flowers, and they kissed. You can see the sweet moment on video here.
4. In the 2001 DCOM Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge, Kimberly J. Brown played 15-year-old Marnie Piper, and Daniel Kountz played Kal, her love interest. Kimberly later told People that, at the time, they "got along great," but there were "never any romantic discussions, thoughts or feelings."
In 2016, they reunited to make a video together. On Instagram, Kimberly shared, "Thought this was a good post for today since its kind of a throwback on different levels? Working on the next improv comedy sketch idea for my YouTube Channel and I think this guy is gonna be in it! He looks so familiar.......😏 #tbt."
Their reconnection blossomed into a relationship. She told People, "I was shooting some comedy sketches for my YouTube channel and thought, 'Some of the fans might recognize it and think it's cool.' So I reached out to him, and we worked on the sketches but also started catching feelings, I guess, as the kids say...The more conversations and catching up and the more we got to talking and everything, there was such an ease to it and everything. I remember thinking in the back of my head, 'Oh, what's happening here? There's something happening here."
They got engaged in 2022 and married in 2023. Their wedding included a special nod to the movie that brought them together. Kimberly told E! News, "We had a hallway in the Spanish Hills Country Club where we got married that had a space for large photos going down the hallway into the reception room. We blew up one of the pictures that we have of Marnie and Kal together from the stills that we took then, and we put it next to one of our engagement photos. It showed the progression."
5. When Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams played love interests Noah and Allie in The Notebook, they were anything but romantic. Director Nick Cassavetes told VH1, "Maybe I'm not supposed to tell this story, but they were really not getting along one day on set. Really not. And Ryan came to me, and there's 150 people standing in this big scene, and he says, 'Nick, come here.' And he's doing a scene with Rachel, and he says, 'Would you take her out of here and bring in another actress to read off camera with me?' I said, 'What?' He says, 'I can't. I can't do it with her. I'm just not getting anything from this.'"
"We went into a room with a producer; they started screaming and yelling at each other. I walked out. At that point, I was smoking cigarettes. I smoked a cigarette, and everybody came out like, 'All right, let's do this.' And it got better after that, you know? They had it out.. I think Ryan respected her for standing up for her character, and Rachel was happy to get that out in the open. The rest of the film wasn't smooth sailing, but it was smoother sailing," he said.
Ryan told the Guardian, "We inspired the worst in each other. It was a strange experience, making a love story and not getting along with your co-star in any way. I don't know what happened. Two years later, I saw her in New York, and we started getting the idea that maybe we were wrong about each other." Per InStyle, Ryan and Rachel dated for a few years before calling it quits in 2007. He reportedly later told The Times, "Show business is the bad guy. When both people are in show business, it's too much show business. It takes all of the light, so nothing else can grow."
6. According to Harper's Bazaar, Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster have known each other since around 2008. When The Music Man returned to Broadway in 2022, they played love interests Professor Harold Hill and Marian Paroo. At the time, he was married to Deborra-Lee Furness, and she was married to Ted Griffin.
Hugh and Deborah separated in 2023, and Sutton and Ted divorced in 2024. In late 2024, Us Weekly reported that Hugh and Sutton were in a relationship.
7. David Tennant and Georgia Tennant (birth name Moffett) met while filming the Doctor Who Season 4 episode "The Doctor's Daughter" in December 2007. He played the tenth regeneration of The Doctor, and she guest-starred as Jenny, who was created from a sample of the Doctor's DNA, making her his daughter.
Georgia's dad, Peter Davison, told the Daily Record, "I knew there was something in the air before she did. She worked with him, and afterwards, he kept inviting her to the theatre. She said to me, 'He's wanting to take me to Shakespeare shows. He wants to go to the theatre all the time.' I said, 'Obviously he likes you,' and she said, 'No, I don't think it's that – I just think he wants to educate me.' I told her, 'No, no, no, that's not the way it works'...When they turned up to one of the shows I was in – I think it was Spamalot – I definitely knew."
The episode aired in May 2008, and a month later, the Telegraph reported that David and Georgia were dating. They got married in 2011, and they have five children together.
8. Jennifer Aniston first met Justin Theroux when she visited her friend Ben Stiller on the Tropic Thunder set in 2007. She later told Pop Sugar, "I thought he was very sweet and he was always very nice. But I remember thinking he was very dark. At first, you think he could be like a serial killer, but he is actually the nicest person in the world." Three years later, they reconnected as costars in Wanderlust. She played Linda Gergenblatt, Paul Rudd's onscreen wife, and he played Seth, a commune member who falls in love with Linda. At the time, Justin was in a long-term relationship with Heidi Bivens, but they broke up in 2011.
Justin and Jennifer started dating later in 2011 but denied rumors that their relationship began on set. Jennifer told ABC News, "Nothing happened on that movie. I mean, that was sort of — that's what is a rumor. I mean, it's again, it's the easy rumor. But nothing happened. We were just friends, great friends, on the movie...He is really cute." They got married in 2015 then divorced in 2018. Justin later told Esquire, "Like it or not, we didn't have that dramatic split, and we love each other. I'm sincere when I say that I cherish our friendship. We can not be together and still bring each other joy and friendship."
JB Lacroix / WireImage / Via Getty
9. In the 1988 thriller Miracle Mile, Mare Winningham and Anthony Edwards played Julie Peters and Harry Washello, who experience love at first sight. According to People, they'd already been longtime friends after meeting at an audition several years prior, and Mare later admitted to having a crush on Anthony while filming Miracle Mile. At the time, she was married to William Mapel. Mare and Anthony again shared the screen when she guest-starred on ER in the late '90s.
©Hemdale Film Corp/Courtesy Everett Collection
In 2022, Anthony told Esquire that he and Mare stayed friends over the decades, and when they were both living in NYC, they grew closer. They privately eloped in 2021. He said, "We're too old to throw weddings."
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10. In 2003's Love Me If You Dare, Marion Cotillard and Guillaume Canet played childhood best friends-turned-love interests Julien Janvier and Sophie Kowalsky. At the time, Guillaume was married to Diane Kruger, and Sophie was dating Stéphan Guérin-Tillié.
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Per Us Weekly, Marion and Guillaume started dating in 2007. In 2011, he told the Guardian, "I've known her for 14 years now, but we never had any relation until three years ago. One moment you're moving in a particular direction with a person, then one day you wake up and say, 'She's the love of my life.' I never saw it coming." They have two children together.
Stephane Cardinale - Corbis / Corbis via Getty Images
11. According to Us Weekly, Jon Hamm and Anna Osceola met on the set of Mad Men in 2015. He starred as Don Draper, and she had a bit part as Clementine, who was a receptionist at a retreat Don went to.
Justina Mintz / ©AMC / Courtesy: Everett Collection
In 2017, they were romantically linked for a short time. Then, in 2020, Us Weekly reported that they were an official couple. They got married three years later.
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12. Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas first met in 2007 when they played love interests Mitchie Torres and Shane Gray in the DCOM Camp Rock. They remained close friends and musical collaborators and reprised their roles in 2010's Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam.
Disney Channel / Via Disney+
The pair became a couple after wrapping the sequel. Demi confirmed they were dating Joe on The Billy Bush Show in March 2010. Joe told People, "I think after the movie was complete, then we kind of took the time to get to know each other a little deeper." However, the couple broke up by May.
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In a 2013 essay for Vulture, Joe said, "One relationship that meant a lot to fans was the one I had with Demi Lovato, who I've known for years. We had been friends forever, we were both Disney kids, and because we played a couple in the Camp Rock Disney Channel specials — and fans liked seeing us together — we eventually dated for a month. I really got to know her and got to see the ins and outs of what she was struggling with, like drug abuse. I felt like I needed to take care of her, but at the same time, I was living a lie, because I wasn't happy but felt like I had to stay in it for her, because she needed help. I couldn't express any of that, of course, because I had a brand to protect."
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13. Emma Roberts and Evan Peters first met in 2012 when they played love interests Amy Anderson and Alex in Adult World.
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Emma told Chelsea Lately, "Everyone thought we dated on the movie, and we didn't, not for a long time after. I actually, on the set, was like, 'Oh yeah, we're totally gonna date.' And I would try to like flirt with him, which ended up looking like I had something in my eye because I'd be like, 'Hey, what's up?' And he literally didn't speak to me the entire movie. He thought I was so weird." She also said she didn't wear makeup while filming, adding "I was not exactly looking cute to get a man! So, we ended up dating way, way later."
Presley Ann / Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
According to People, they started dating in mid-2012, got engaged in 2014, then called it off in 2015. However, they reportedly rekindled their relationship a few months later, broke up again in 2016, got back together again a few months later, then finally broke up for good in 2019.
Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images for The Critics' Choice Awards
14. Ewan McGregor and Mary Elizabeth Winstead first met while filming Fargo Season 3 in 2017. Ewan played two roles, brothers Emmet and Ray Stussy, and Mary played Nikki Swango, Ray's fiancé. At the time, Ewan was married to Eve Mavrakis, and Mary was married to Riley Stearns.
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According to People, Mary and Riley separated in May 2017 — a few months after the season began airing — and Ewan and Eve separated in the same month. A source confirmed to People that Ewan and Eve had already been separated when he was photographed kissing Mary that October. Ewan and Mary welcomed a child in 2021 and got married in 2022. They went on to costar in Birds of Prey and A Gentleman in Moscow.
Jon Kopaloff / Getty Images for GreenSlate
15. Heather Locklear and Jack Wagner met on the set of Melrose Place. She played Amanda Woodward for the series' entire run, and he joined the cast as Peter Burns, Amanda's love interest, in Season 4. During their time on the show (1994-1999), Heather was married to Richie Sambora, and Jack was married to Kristina Wagner.
© Paramount Television/ Courtesy: Everett Collection
Jack and Kristina divorced in 2006, and Heather and Richie divorced in 2007. According to People, Jack and Heather started dating in 2007. They got engaged in 2011 but ultimately broke up later that year.
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16. Bill Hader and Rachel Bilson both had minor supporting roles in the 2013 Aubrey Plaza-led rom-com The To Do List. Bill played Aubrey's boss, and Rachel played her sister. At the time, Bill was married to Maggie Carey, who wrote and directed the movie, and Rachel was in a long-term relationship with Hayden Christensen.
CBS Films / Via Pluto TV
By 2019, their previous relationships had ended. TMZ posted pictures of Bill and Rachel grabbing coffee in his hometown a few days before Christmas, sparking romance rumors. Per People, the couple went red carpet official at the 2020 Golden Globes, but they broke up six months later. On her podcast Broad Ideas, Rachel said going through their breakup during the pandemic was "probably the hardest thing [she's] ever done⁠, harder than childbirth."
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17. In the 2019 Christmas movie Noelle, Bill Hader and Anna Kendrick played brother and sister Nick and Noelle Kringle, the children of Santa Claus.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Via Disney+
In 2022, reports emerged that they'd been quietly dating for more than a year. A source told People, "They met years ago. She's hosted Saturday Night Live and they've done a movie together, but they got together well after the movie. They are both very private people, and with the pandemic, it was easy to keep it quiet. They're both hysterical so they must keep each other laughing all of the time. She's really, really happy." However, they reportedly broke up in 2022.
Eric Charbonneau / Warner Bros. via Getty Images, Dave Benett / Dave Benett/WireImage / Via Getty
18. And finally, as voice actors, Bill Hader and Ali Wong costarred in two animated films. In 2016's The Angry Birds Movie, he voiced King Leonard Mudbeard, and she voiced Betty Bird. Then, in 2018's Ralph Breaks the Internet, Bill voiced the uncredited role of J.P. Spamley, and Ali voiced Felony. During the production of both movies, Bill was married to Maggie Carey, and Ali was married to Justin Hakuta.
Sony Pictures Releasing / Via Huliu
After Ali's separation from Justin in 2022, Page Six reported that she allegedly dated Bill for about two months. Then, in 2023, People reported that they were back together. At the 2024 Netflix Is a Joke Festival, Ali said, "I didn't expect the news of my divorce to be so widespread and public. I felt really embarrassed and ashamed, but I didn't realize that all of these media outlets were acting like a bat signal letting all potentially interested men know. I've never been pursued this much in my life...I get a phone call from this guy who I met at a dinner party in the past, and he got my number from a mutual friend."
Frazer Harrison / Getty Images
She continued, "He was like, 'Hey, I just happened to hear the news about your divorce, and I've had a crush on you forever. I actually told my best friend years ago that you were my dream girl, and I know it sounds crazy, but I want you to be my girlfriend.' I was like, 'I just paid $25 [for a dating app]. You seem really nice, but I gotta get my money's worth.'" She said that, afterwards, she was traveling Europe, and he sent flowers to every hotel she stayed in. Confirming her current boyfriend was the man in the story, she said, "Do you want to meet him?" Then, Bill walked onstage with a rose.
Charley Gallay / Getty Images for Netflix
Have you ever dated an old friend (or former coworker)? Share your experiences in the comments!