When two characters fall in love and seem to have genuine chemistry in a movie or TV series, fans often find themselves wondering if the longing stares and cheeky smiles also happen between the two when off camera.
A quick internet search will say one way or another, but when the two actors are in fact a couple, there is a certain sweetness that enhances the work. Now, where there are relationships that flourish and result in a real-life "happily ever after," there are also those that come to a horrible end.
Plenty of actors have dated their co-stars and things just haven't worked out; that is simply natural. However, when two individuals are locked into a contract for a TV series and have to put up with seeing one another for months (or possibly even years) at a time, things on set can become a bit awkward.
Some actors are able to put their feelings aside and be professional. Some exes have stayed friends and are genuinely happy to have shared a part of their personal life with another person. Then there are those who absolutely want nothing to do with their exes. Can you imagine how much tension could be going on behind the camera?
Check out these 10 instances where TV actors had to work with their exes.
10 Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki
The Big Bang Theory
One of the most iconic couples in all of TV history is that of Penny (Kaley Cuoco) and Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) in The Big Bang Theory. The pilot episode of the 12-season series showed Leonard immediately falling for his new neighbor, and the rest of the series deals with him pining for her, them falling in love, and finally getting the happy ending they both deserved.
Cuoco and Galeki are Still the Best of Friends
Now, when it came to Cuoco and Galecki off-set, things were a bit different. The two realized they had feelings for one another early on in the first season, but when they finally got together, they did their best to keep things a secret due to their characters not being an official item yet. The relationship between Galecki and Cuoco lasted nearly two years, but they mutually ended things just before the end of 2009.
Respectfully, both have said that they are grateful to still have such a strong bond with one another. If anything, their feelings for one another played a huge part in how much chemistry their characters had, and not many people can say that they were able to successfully work with their ex for 10 years after breaking up.
9 Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder
The Vampire Diaries
The love triangle to end all others came from The Vampire Diaries as many fans could not decide whether they wanted Elena (Nina Dobrev) to be with Stefan (Paul Wesley) or Damon (Ian Somerhalder). In the end, she chose the "bad boy" brother who knew exactly what he was doing with his glaring blue eyes and seductive smile, but the same cannot be said for the real-life actors.
Somerhalder and Dobrev Still Support One Another
Dobrev and Somerhalder's characters began dating on the show early on — keep in mind, Dobrev played Katherine Pierce who had a long-standing relationship with Damon Salvator — and then the actors started dating soon afterward in real life. Just a few years later, in 2013, the two amicably ended their off-screen relationship, but their characters had to keep up the passion and chemistry.
To say it was difficult may be an understatement, as there were plenty of feelings still brewing, but happily, the two were able to keep things professional. Now, Dobrev and Somerhalder have publicly congratulated one another on milestones and their current relationships, and they can look back and appreciate how far they have come as friends.
8 Blake Lively and Penn Badgley
Gossip Girl
Dan (Penn Badgley) and Serena (Blake Lively) started off as the golden couple that everyone wanted to be, but as Gossip Girl went on, the two showed their true colors and constantly proved that a little toxicity can explode at a moment's notice. The pair ridiculed one another, did harmful and shameful things to the people they supposedly loved, and in the end, they were still perfect for one another due to how much they were selfishly willing to put on the line.
Lively and Badgley Are Great Secret Keepers
While Serena and Dan were an on-again off-again couple for the longest time, Lively and Badgley simply gave their real-life relationship one shot. Rumors started circulating in 2007 about them being a couple, and it was confirmed in the spring of 2008 that they were officially an item. Unfortunately, the pair called it quits in 2010 and decided to keep their status a secret as to remain professional on camera and keep the media out of their lives.
7 Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart
Riverdale
When Riverdale first premiered back in January 2017, fans were immediately captivated by the highly-anticipated relationship trope between the mysterious and determined guy, Jughead (Cole Sprouse), and the smart and sweet girl, Betty (Lili Reinhart). A little over halfway through the first season, the two characters finally got together, and for the actors off-screen, there was a budding romance that had plenty of people talking.
Sprouse and Reinhart Gave It Their All
Just a month after the first episode aired, rumors were flying around about Reinhart and Sprouse, and shortly after, the couple came out publicly about their relationship. From social media posts to quite a bit of PDA, it seemed like all was good for the first couple of years. Unfortunately, the couple called things quits during the middle of 2019. Months later, they rekindled their relationship only for them to call it off again nearly a year later.
The two continued to work together on the teen drama all the way through, but their characters also ended things, leaving some fans fuming about their lack of commitment.
Related: The Evolution of Cole Sprouse: From Child Actor to Edgy Performer
6 Johnny Galecki and Sara Gilbert
Roseanne
While many know that Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco have a history together, there are plenty of fans who are completely unaware of another Big Bang star also having a romantic history with Galecki. Sara Gilbert, who played Leslie Winkle, the witty scientist who hooked up with Leonard and always called Sheldon a "dumbass," and Galecki actually dated long ago while they were filming Roseanne.
Their characters, David and Darlene, actually had a wonderful, hilarious, and strangely relatable relationship that was carried over to the spin-off, The Conners, 20 years later.
Galecki and Gilbert Had Too Much in Common
When Galecki and Gilbert dated on-set, they were just teenagers trying to figure things out. It felt natural and safe at the time because their characters had become so close, and their real-life friendship was solid. However, just two years after they started seeing one another, Gilbert realized she was a lesbian. The two split apart, and Galecki could not have been more proud to be a part of Gilbert's journey towards finding herself.
5 Jennifer Aniston and Tate Donovan
Friends
Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) has had a lot of boyfriends over the years, but one guy in particular had a bit more backstory to his role than most fans were aware of. Tate Donovan played Joshua Burgin, the divorced millionaire who needed a whole new wardrobe.
Rachel always seemed more infatuated with Joshua, and when she took the big leap and proposed to him after just four dates, he rightfully called things off. Now, looking back at Aniston and Donovan's real-life relationship, fans can see how some of their awkwardness came across on-screen.
Aniston and Donovan Had a Difficult Time Acting
Contrary to what most people may think, Aniston and Donovan did not meet on the set of Friends. They actually met a few years before Donovan's cameo, and by the time he joined the wildly famous cast, he and Aniston were breaking things off. Donovan told Us Weekly that it was "really painful and tough" to be going through the motions of acting like they had just met and Aniston's character was completely head over heels for his character.
4 Alexis Bledel and Milo Ventimiglia
Gilmore Girls
Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) had three solid relationships during Gilmore Girls, but only one of them made it beyond the screen and into Bledel's real life. Jess Mariano (Milo Ventimiglia), Luke's "bad boy" nephew who preferred books to actual human interaction, was the one who stole hearts in the most cliché way possible, and Ventimiglia managed to steal Bledel's heart off the screen as well.
Bledel and Ventimiglio Would Have Been "Team Jess"
The two met and started dating when Ventimiglio joined the Gilmore Girls set for season two. They kept their real-life relationship out of the spotlight for several years, but true fans could see that they were really in love on screen.
In 2006, the pair split up without many details making their way into the public eye. 10 years later, the two were thrown back together on the Netflix reboot A Year in the Life, and it seems like their characters officially being old friends who are also old flames was the most authentic and wholesome way to pair them together.
Related: Gilmore Girls: Does the Show Portray Strong Women or Is It Anti-Feminist?
3 Lena Headey and Jerome Flynn
Game of Thrones
Who could ever imagine that Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) would have eyes for anyone except her very own brother? Well, the evil queen may not have, unless she was looking to gain something in return, but the actress sure had a relationship with a particular castmate long before they stepped foot on the Game of Thrones set.
Headey and Flynn Have Moved On
Jerome Flynn, who played the highly skilled sellword Bronn, actually managed to win over Headey's heart back in 2002, nearly a decade after they met on the set of the set of the British TV series Soldier Soldier.
They kept their relationship private for as long as they could, but when Game of Thrones aired in 2011, fans started doing some digging and found that the pair had recently broken things off. Rumors started flying around that things had ended badly, resulting in Headey refusing to do any scenes with her ex. However, in 2019, Flynn said they had spoken on set and there was no bad blood between them.
2 Jennifer Carpenter and Michael C. Hall
Dexter
Siblings argue; they get on one another's last nerves, but in the end, they always come back to love and support one another. When speaking about the on-screen siblings in Dexter, Dexter (Michael C. Hall) and Deb (Jennifer Carpenter), their relationship was a bit odd. Deb, who was technically Dexter's foster sister, developed a crush on her brother, and those feelings seemed to be shared at times.
Fans loved watching them solve mysteries and take down horrible individuals, but it did not seem like too many people were rooting for any romance to happen.
Hall and Carpenter Went Through All the Stages
When Carpenter and Hall started filming Dexter, Hall had just divorced his wife. He and his costar became very close and, ultimately, began dating without telling anyone. In 2008, the two privately got married, but that relationship did not last until the end of the series.
While they realized they were great together, they also came to agree that they worked better as friends and colleagues than husband and wife. Their divorce was finalized in 2011, but neither believes that their relationship had any affect on their characters.
1 Rachel Bilson and Adam Brody
The O.C.
There is something about young love that is just so heartwarming on screen, and with Summer (Rachel Bilson) and Seth (Adam Brody) winning over so many fans on the set of The O.C., practically everyone wanted to see them flourish. For four seasons, Seth and Summer's relationship bloomed.
They talked about difficult situations, they supported one another through nearly everything, and in the end, they received the big white wedding that they so rightfully deserved. Unfortunately, things did not exactly work out the same way for their real-life counterparts.
Bilson and Brody Had to Endure a Wedding
While fans were falling in love with their characters, Bilson and Brody were experiencing their own off-screen romance. The pair started dating in 2003 when their characters were starting to accept their feelings for one another.
They certainly did not try to hide their relationship from the public (possibly because it helped enhance their characters' on-screen romance), but after the real-life couple split up just before the end of the series, they had to awkwardly shoot their wedding scene. Happily, both were in good spirits about their characters' endings, and there seems to be no hard feelings between the actors.
