On-Screen Chemistry: Acting Couples Who Have Played “Love” Several Times
These include Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.
Photo source: Roth/Kirschenbaum Films
At the end of June, the romantic comedy Family Affair was released, in which Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron brilliantly played lovers who unsuccessfully try to hide their relationship from strangers. Fans were delighted to see their idols on screen and their acting. But the most interesting thing is that this is not the first time that Kidman and Efron acted as romantic partners on the set. In 2012, they already pretended to like each other in the thriller The Paperboy. In this review, we will remember other acting couples who played "in love" more than once.
Timothée Chalamet and Saoirse Ronan
Photo source: Columbia Pictures/IAC Films
The two have starred in three films together, playing lovers in two of them, both under the direction of Greta Gerwig – in Lady Bird (2017) and Little Women (2019). “I always knew he was special. And he had a magnetism as an actor. We always felt comfortable with each other,” Saoirse said in 2020. “Even though we have very different approaches to our work and the performances that we give. But that’s what really excites me – how different we are.”
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone
Photo source: Carousel Productions
Ryan and Emma have captivated audiences with their chemistry in three films: Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011), Gangster Squad (2013), and La La Land (2016). Speaking to Entertainment Tonight in 2018, Stone called her partner a "dear, wonderful friend" and said she "can't imagine life without Gosling."
Christian Bale and Amy Adams
Photo source: Annapurna Pictures
They were romantically linked in American Hustle (2013) and Vice (2018). In a 2022 interview with GQ, Christian explained that he had to act as a "mediator" between Amy and Vice director David O. Russell. "I did what I felt was necessary, Irv-style."
Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz
Photo source: The Weinstein Company
They portrayed love in four films, and so convincingly that they dated for a long time off-screen, until they finally got married in 2010. The films "Jam, Jama" (1992), "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (2008), "Escobar" (2017) and "Labyrinths of the Past" (2018) became fateful for them. "We didn't plan to do it every two years," Penelope said with a smile about her partnership with Javier. "It will happen from time to time, if we think it's right. I don't think it will be too often."
Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore
Photo source: Columbia Pictures
Three films together, in which they played lovers - "The Wedding Singer" (1998), "50 First Dates" (2004) and "Blended" (2014). According to Drew, their creative tandem with Adam is based solely on "love, admiration and humor." "I feel safe with him," the actress noted.
Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan
Photo source: Warner Bros.
They have played romantic interests in four films: Joe Versus the Volcano (1990), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), You've Got Mail (1998), and Ithaca (2015). In a 2018 interview, Meg said she found it "really easy" to work with Tom. "He listens. He's a stickler for other people. And he doesn't like drama," she said.
Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence
Photo source: The Weinstein Company
Just like the previous acting couple, they starred in four films. But only in two of them did they “love” each other. “Silver Linings Playbook” (2013) and “Serena” (2014). “We don’t talk often, but when I came to Boston to see Joy (a 2015 film with Lawrence), it immediately became clear that we never stopped. We just picked up where we left off, and that’s worth a lot. You can just look at her and feel her, I’m telling the truth,” Cooper admitted in a 2015 interview with Deadline.