The Perfect Formula
Great chemistry between co-stars is one of the most elusive goals of filmmaking. It can elevate an average film to greatness and make a lasting impression on audiences. Let’s look at the most exceptional cases of co-stars who had insane on-screen chemistry. Some of the examples may surprise you; others will make you nod with fond recognition.
Julia Roberts & Richard Gere
Pretty Woman (1990)
This was the breakthrough film for Roberts opposite the classic male lead Richard Gere. The simmering chemistry between these two made viewers forget the film’s improbable premise, allowing Pretty Woman to become one of the highest-grossing movies of all time.
Touchstone, Pretty Woman (1991)
Will Smith & Eva Mendes
Hitch (2005)
This romantic comedy featured a ruthless dating coach (Smith) who has to throw his playbook out the window while pursuing the irresistible Mendes. Mendes’ beauty and intelligence, combined with Smith’s good-natured charm helped make Hitch the 10th-highest grossing film of 2005.
Emma Stone & Ryan Gosling
Crazy, Stupid Love (2011)
Stone and Gosling were the perfect match in this romantic comedy that provided some crazy plot twists! Their on-screen magnetism was so successful it led to two more films co-starring the pair: Gangster Squad (2013); and La La Land (2016).
Carousel Productions, Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)
James McAvoy & Keira Knightley
Atonement (2007)
The intense chemistry between McAvoy and Knightley fuelled this complex story set in the early days of WWII. Aided by outstanding cinematography and a haunting ending, both co-stars were nominated for BAFTAs (British Academy Film Awards).
Sandra Bullock & Bill Pullman
While You Were Sleeping (1995)
The always-appealing Bullock seems to have great chemistry with whoever she co-stars with—this time out, she was matched perfectly with the laid-back Bill Pullman. Bullock was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance.
Hollywood Pictures, While You Were Sleeping (1995)
Kristin Scott Thomas & Ralph Fiennes
The English Patient (1996)
The intensity of the passion between Fiennes and Scott Thomas amid swirling desert sands is one of several powerful elements driving this sweeping WWII-era tale. Fiennes and Scott Thomas both received Academy Award nominations for their efforts.
Miramax, The English Patient (1996)
Harrison Ford & Carrie Fisher
The Star Wars films
The galactic adventurer never at a loss for words (Ford), and the princess as brave as she is beautiful (Fisher) were the perfect combination for the epic sci-fi series. The growing attraction between the two characters provided some nice breaks from the Star Wars films’ relentless action and special effects.
Lucasfilm, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
Caitriona Balfe & Sam Heughan
The Outlander series
Knowing that fans of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander novels would demand sizzling chemistry between the TV series’ leads, all eyes were on the initial casting screen tests. Balfe and Heughan’s test lit it up, and they are still going strong in the series which anticipates its eighth and last season.
Left Bank Pictures, Outlander (2014-)
Teo Yoo & Greta Lee
Past Lives (2023)
Yoo and Lee are mesmerizing as two old friends longing for a time that’s passed them by in the acclaimed debut of director Celine Song. More complex and contemplative than a mere romantic comedy, the film made outstanding use of the two co-stars’ emotional range and depth.
Drew Barrymore & Adam Sandler
The Wedding Singer (1998)
These two were already friends off the set, triggering Barrymore to request the female lead opposite Sandler for this 80s throwback comedy. The combination hit it off in what turned out to be the first of three collaborations including 50 First Dates (2004) and Blended (2014).
New Line Cinema, The Wedding Singer (1998)
Daniel Kaluuya & Jodie Turner-Smith
Queen & Slim (2019)
This fast-paced film about racial discrimination in policing was held together by the magnetism of the two co-stars. Kaluuya and Turner-Smith are utterly convincing in their roles as lovers and fugitives on the run.
Hillman Grad, Queen & Slim (2019)
Cate Blanchett & Rooney Mara
Carol (2015)
Blanchett and Mara excelled in this film about a woman with a failing marriage who seduces an aspiring young female photographer. Adapted from a Patricia Highsmith novel, the film (and its co-stars) effectively portrayed the forbidden nature of a lesbian romance in the early 50s.
The Weinstein Company, Carol (2015)
Anjelica Huston & Raul Julia
The Addams Family (1991)
This oddball film was a surprise hit, due in no small part to the on-screen chemistry between Julia and Huston. The pair performed a sensual tango in one of the flamboyant film’s high points. They would collaborate again on the sequel Addams Family Values (1993).
Paramount, The Addams Family (1991)
Michael B Jordan & Tessa Thompson
The Creed film series
Thompson and Jordan’s on-screen relationship was a hit with fans—the two actors actually went to marriage counselling together to improve their on-screen chemistry. It definitely helped. Their moving scenes got the Creed series up and running, and they haven’t looked back since; Creed 4 is now in development.
Nicole Kidman & Ewan McGregor
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
The memorable chemistry between Kidman and McGregor was somewhat lost in the critical acclaim for the film as a whole. Both actors credit the production’s long, demanding vocal and dance training for bringing them closer together as co-stars.
Twentieth Century, Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Michael Douglas & Kathleen Turner
Romancing the Stone (1984)
These two co-stars meshed perfectly with each other— and with the over-the-top adventure story that was Romancing the Stone. The Turner-Douglas formula was so successful that the pair made two additional films together: The Jewel of the Nile (1986); and The War of the Roses (1989).
Twentieth Century, Romancing the Stone (1984)
Liv Tyler & Viggo Mortensen
The Lord of the Rings trilogy
Though a background thread to the fantasy high adventure story, the relationship of Mortensen’s Aragorn and Tyler’s elf princess Arwen added a welcome romantic and mythical dimension to the Rings series.
New Line Cinema, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Noémie Merlant & Adèle Haenel
Portrait of a Lady On Fire (2019)
The intensity of the passion between these two co-stars was aided by outstanding cinematography and a strong script. The 1700s period piece won praise from critics as a groundbreaking LGBT film and for its high quality in general.
Arte France Cinéma, Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
Humphrey Bogart & Ingrid Bergman
Casablanca (1942)
The chemistry of these co-stars has become a Hollywood legend. The cynical Rick Blaine (Bogart) and the mysterious Ilsa (Bergman) are one of the classic cinematic pairings of all time. Watch this WWII era classic and find out why.
Warner Bros., Casablanca (1942)
Robin Williams & Nathan Lane
The Birdcage (1996)
Williams and Lane’s portrayal of a gay couple trying to hide their relationship from their son’s wealthy conservative in-laws was praised for its humorous sequences. Critics now regard it as a turning point in the history of LGBT film for its lighthearted portrayal of gay relationships.
United Artists, The Birdcage (1966)
Kate Winslet & Leonardo DiCaprio
Titanic (1997)
The technical achievements of James Cameron’s mega-budget shipwreck epic were made more timeless and dramatic by the seafaring love story between DiCaprio and Winslet.
Rachel Weisz & Rachel McAdams
Disobedience (2017)
The two Rachels (Weisz and McAdams) won acclaim for their acting depth and personal chemistry in this film that explores the rekindling of a forbidden romance under the disapproving eyes of a strict orthodox religious community.
Chris Pine & Anne Hathaway
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004)
In a breakthrough for Hathaway and the first major role for Chris Pine, the pair’s insane chemistry helped make this Disney film a box-office success. The co-stars and their storybook romance still have fans clamoring for a sequel two decades later.
Walt Disney, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004)
Scarlett Johansson & Chris Evans
The Perfect Score (2004)
Johansson and Evans established the chemistry that would serve them through eight additional films together. This movie about desperate students stealing the answers to a big final exam was more popular with young audiences than it was with critics, but it offers an interesting look at the co-stars’ pre-Avengers work.
Paramount, The Perfect Score (2004)
Tom Holland & Zendaya
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Zendaya wasn’t on-screen for much of Spider-Man: Homecoming, but she still made a big impression, especially on co-star Tom Holland. The two actors have been a couple ever since.
Marvel, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Saoirse Ronan & Timothee Chalemet
Lady Bird (2017)
The affection between Saoirse (pronounced shur-seh) Ronan and Timothee Chalemet was obvious as the two played high-school seniors going separate ways in this intriguing coming-of-age story. The pair have worked together on two other films since then: Little Women (2019); and The French Dispatch (2021).
Entertainment 360, Lady Bird (2017)
Javier Bardem & Penelope Cruz
Everybody Knows (2018)
Cruz and Bardem were married for eight years by the time they worked together in this complex Spanish-language drama. The couple won praise for the intense chemistry they brought to the screen; both actors were nominated for Goya (Spanish Film Academy) Awards.
Memento Films Production, Everybody Knows (2018)
Sanaa Lathan & Omar Epps
Love & Basketball (2000)
Lathan and Epps provided great emotional depth to this moving portrait of young athletes desperately trying to break into the big leagues. The work of the two protagonists has gained Love & Basketball a dedicated fan following over the years.
40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, Love & Basketball (2000)
Bradley Cooper & Jennifer Lawrence
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Director David O Russell thought at first that Jennifer Lawrence was too young to play her part, but Lawrence made the character of Tiffany Maxwell her own. Her infectious chemistry with co-star Bradley Cooper made Silver Linings Playbook a major box-office and critical success.
The Weinstein Company, Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Kate Hudson & Matthew McConaughey
How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days (2003)
It was obvious that Hudson and McConaughey had a blast during the filming of this romantic comedy. In spite of the film’s formulaic silliness, even the most stone-faced critics grudgingly praised Hudson and McConaughey’s screwball antics. Hey, you can’t be serious all the time!
Eugene Levy & Catherine O’Hara
Schitt’s Creek TV series
Writing another—and possibly greatest—chapter in their parallel careers as SCTV comedians, Levy and O’Hara played off each other perfectly as a pair of lovably pretentious nitwits living in a small-town motel.
CBS, Schitt's Creek (2015–2020)
Angela Bassett & Denzel Washington
Malcolm X (1992)
The chemistry of these co-stars was a slow burn in the Spike Lee biopic about the influential Black Muslim leader. Bassett’s role as the wife of Washington’s Malcolm added a fascinating personal dimension to the film’s historical significance.
40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, Malcolm X (1992)
Jake Gyllenhaal & Heath Ledger
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Not only did Gyllenhaal and Ledger have intense chemistry in this groundbreaking film, but they also shared a commitment to the message and spirit of Brokeback Mountain as well. The sincerity and nuance of their performances made the film a massive—and lasting—success with audiences and critics alike.
Focus Features, Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Keanu Reeves & Carrie-Anne Moss
The Matrix films
The Matrix was such a mind-bending and original story that it was easy to overlook the outstanding chemistry between Reeves and Moss. Depicting a love story that carried through the sequels, the intrepid pair are still a big-screen gem.
Warner Bros., The Matrix (1999)
Jennifer Lopez & George Clooney
Out Of Sight (1998)
Clooney and Lopez had a romantic chemistry in this film that is still praised by critics and filmmakers nearly 30 years later. The electricity between the two co-stars was woven effectively into a comedic hard-boiled crime plot that earned Out Of Sight a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Universal, Out of Sight (1998)
Billy Crystal & Meg Ryan
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Ryan and Crystal were both at their best in this iconic film. When Harry Met Sally became one of the most memorable romantic comedies of all time for its humor, perceptive observations on relationships, and insane chemistry between the two co-stars.
Castle Rock, When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
Taraji P Henson & Terrence Howard
Hustle & Flow (2005)
Henson and Howard smoldered in the first of their many collaborations. Hustle & Flow offers fans of the Empire series a look back at the pair’s first project together in one of the great all-time hip-hop films.
Homegrown Pictures, Hustle & Flow (2005)
Jared Gilman & Kara Hayward
Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
The youngest pairing on this list, Hayward and Gilman’s depiction of childhood romance was the centerpiece of director Wes Anderson’s fantasy coming-of-age story Moonrise Kingdom. The debut film for both Hayward and Gilman, the two have since established solid acting careers.
Indian Paintbrush, Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Patrick Swayze & Jennifer Grey
Dirty Dancing (1987)
They were having the time of their lives on-screen, but these two co-stars had a difficult relationship on set. The actors had years of bad blood between them, which made filming a nightmare. Luckily for us, Director Emile Ardolino and choreographer Kenny Ortega managed to channel the tension between Swayze and Grey into an enduring romantic classic.
