Some actors don't just play best friends in films and on TV — they're BFFs in real life, too!
Okay, so some also played siblings or mortal enemies. Still, the idea's the same: Between long days filming, attending worldwide press tours or simply bonding over their shared experiences, many castmates haveformed lifelong friendships.
Celebrity bestieslikeMichelle WilliamsandBusy Philippsfirstmet while working on the teen dramaDawson's Creekin 2001 and have remained inseparable ever since, with PhilippstellingPage Sixin March 2025 thatthey've "been there" for each other"through so many different moments in each other's lives."
Meanwhile,Vampire Diaries' starsPaul WesleyandIan Somerhalderturned on their humanity IRL, forming a brotherly connection andlaunching their own bourbon brandin 2021. Far from the only two to go into the spirits business together,Breaking BadbestiesBryan CranstonandAaron Paulco-own the mezcal and tequila company Dos Hombres.
"We became family onBreaking Bad, and this has given us a reason to keep creating together," Paul told PEOPLE in April 2026 of their business, joking that Cranston is "stuck with" him. "He's like a brother to me."
From costars to platonic soulmates, these famous duos and tight-knit casts became real-life support systems for each other well after the director yelled "cut."
Parks and Recreation's Kathryn Hahn and Amy Poehler
Amy PoehlerandKathryn Hahnfound a kinship while costarring on the hit NBC seriesParks and Recreation, but Hahn "didn't anticipate" they would stay friends after the show ended in February 2015.
"I've been in a lot of projects where you get, like, intimate really fast, and then everybody says goodbye," Hahn said during an episode ofGood Hang with Amy Poehlerin April 2025. "I did not anticipate that you would want to continue to be my friend after we did it! And then the fact that it's gotten deeper and deeper ... I'm so grateful for you in my life."
Poehler added, "We've been through a lot of tough times together. We've been very honest together. I think we've really taken great pains to see each other."
"It's so important to have women in your life that aren't family, to grow old with in a way that — it's like you said — feels very honest and also hilarious," Hahn said. "But also doesn't feel like we have to keep up anything together, like, keep up any sort of front. ... Like to walk into these next chapters together just feels like it's not as terrifying."
Victorious' Liz Gillies and Ariana Grande
Ariana GrandeandLiz Gillieshave come a long way since sharing the stage in13: The Musicalon Broadway in 2008. The longtime friends went on to star together on Nickelodeon'sVictorious, where Grande starred as Cat Valentine and Gillies played Jade West, and have remained close ever since.
Over the years, they've continued to support each other's careers, from Gilliesjoining Grande for a dueton herSweetener World Tourin 2019 to Grandewatching her pal performin the Off-Broadway revival ofLittle Shop of Horrorsin 2025. (They evendressed up for Halloween togetheras characters from the 2000 filmBest in Show.
"We make a real effort to see each other," Gillies told PEOPLE in November 2024. "We laugh, we reminisceand we make new memories. I think a lot of the time, when you have friends from childhood, you need to make new memories to keep a friendship going. Otherwise, you're just reminiscing about the past and getting together once a year."
She continued, "I see Ariana all the time, and we're constantly doing things, having new experiences and adding chapters to our book. I'm so grateful that we've been able to share in this wild ride together, and I can't wait to see what's next."
Grande is a pro at making BFFs on set — she's alsofamously closewith herWickedcostarCynthia Erivo, whom she met while filming in 2022.
The Parent Trap's Elaine Hendrix and Lisa Ann Walter
They may haveplayed on-screen rivalsChessy and Meredith inThe Parent Trap, but Lisa Ann Walter and Elaine Hendrix have been joined at the hip ever since.
Sincestarring in the beloved 1998 remake, the two actresses have fostered a decades-long friendship that, according to Walter, has always come naturally.
"People always talk about, 'Oh, you make time for your friends, and you have to make it important,' " she told PEOPLE in September 2023. "It was never a chore. It was never something that I had to schedule."
She also referred to Hendrix as her "life partner," saying, "She just was the person that I called. Everybody has a person they check in with about everything in their life. And Elaine is it for me."
In May 2026, Walter revealed during an appearance onThe Viewthat Hendrix had played a major role in her landing her celebrated role as Melissa onAbbott Elementary.
When the hosts asked for her advice to those trying to make it in the industry, Walter said, "Don't quit," before explaining who made sure she didn't.
"And there have been many times that I wanted to, andI called my best friend Elaine Hendrix, the mean girl fromParent Trap, and I say, 'I'm done. I'm out. I'm moving to Atlanta with you,' " Walter recalled. "And she says, 'Don't quit.' And she read with me forAbbott, and she was part of the reason why I got that job."
Not only have there been several cast reunions over the years, but the pair also had a major TV moment together when Walterjoined Hendrix onDancing with the Starsto pay homage to theirParent Trapdays during season 34's "Dedication Night."
Dawson's Creek's Busy Phillips and Michelle Williams
Philipps and Williams have been BFFs sincemeeting on the setofDawson's Creek, and their working relationship has since developed into one of Hollywood's longest-lasting friendships.
Over the years, they've stood by each other through career highs, personal heartbreaks and motherhood, with their daughters considering each other as "sort of like cousins, in a way."
"We just know each otherand get each other in such a deep, fundamental way at this point," Philipps toldPage Sixof Williams. "When you have a friend like that, you're blessed."
Williams echoed that sentiment in December 2016 when she told PEOPLE they're "in love" with each other, adding, "She's proof that the love of your life does not have to be a man!That's the love of my liferight there."
The two have also become fan-favorite fixtures on red carpets over the years, including theCritics' Choice Awards2023. In January 2019, Philipps revealed that she evenhas one of Williams' Golden Globes at her home.
Alias' Victor Garber and Jennifer Garner
It makes sense thatVictor GarberandJennifer Garnerformed a close bond while playing father and daughter onAlias,and that connection has only gotten stronger over the years.
Since starring together onJ.J. Abrams' hit spy series from 2001 to 2006, the pair have supported each other through major life events andsweet reunions. Garberofficiated Garner's June 2005 weddingtoBen Affleck— and remained a presence through their divorce — and Garnerwatched him perform for several stage productions.
YearsafterAliasended, the duo reunited on-screen in 2023 for Apple TV'sThe Last Thing He Told Me— and for Garner, it was a joyful full-circle moment.
"We've wanted to work together again, obviously, forever. The only problem was, I couldn't stop smiling at him," GarnertoldEntertainment Weeklyat the time, adding, "I was just grinning ear to ear.I was so happy he was there."
In March 2024, Garnercelebrated Garber's 75th birthdaywith a sweet tribute post on Instagram, writing alongside photos of herself and Garber, "Everything's better when I'm next to you, Spy Daddy. Happy Birthday, @therealvictorgarber! 🎈♥."
Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul
Cranston and Paul gaveEmmy Award-winning performances as Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, respectively, on the AMC crime dramaBreaking Bad, but their connection is far from an act.
Over the years, the pair hasexpressed appreciation for each otheras friends, mentors, godparents, business partners in Dos Hombres andone-time bartendersforDrake.
"Bryan, he is my mentor, one of my best friends on the planet," Paul told PEOPLE in June 2023. "I've learned so much from this guy. To be able to tackle something yet again with him, that was really our own brainchild — a dream come true."
Echoing a similar sentiment, Cranston shared, "equally, I love this guy," adding that he was overjoyed to be able to work together again afterBreaking Badended in 2013.
The Office's Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer
Their characters onThe Officewere far from forever friends, butAngela KinseyandJenna Fischerforged an unbreakable bond behind the scenes throughout the mockumentary sitcom's nine-season run.
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"We had this really fun friendship," Fischer told PEOPLE in February 2021 about the origins of their connection. "You don't expect to make a friendship like this when you're older."
Since the NBC show ended in 2013, Kinsey and Fischer have maintained the show's legacy through their podcast,Office Ladies, on which they share stories and exclusive commentary from their time on set. The duo even coauthored a book, titledThe Office BFFS, detailing their personal experiences and favorite memories from filming the hit series.
The Cheetah Girls' Sabrina Bryan and Kiely Williams
Sabrina BryanandKiely Williamsstarred in all threeCheetah Girlsmovies in their Disney days of the aughts. They also performed and recorded music together in the girl group of the same name.
After the film franchise ended, the "Cheetah Sisters" kept up their friendship, with Bryan and Williams remaining as tight as ever. Williams even served as matron of honor when Bryanmarried Jordan Lundbergin October 2018.
They've continued to lean on each other as they'veraised their kids. In April 2019, Williams shared a nostalgic video of the twoserenading her daughter Rowanwith a Cheetah Girls hit-turned-lullaby via FaceTime.
BryantoldE! Newsin February 2024 that Williams "has been one ofmy best friends since the start to end."
"From the first movie, we really connected. And we were so sad when filming ended because we thought that was gonna be it," Bryan continued. "And then when we picked up with doing performances and then into the Christmas tour and beyond — continuing seven years — we've stayed so close."
Friends' Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox
The cast ofFriendshas certainly lived up to their show's name.
The six stars —Jennifer Aniston,Courteney Cox,Lisa Kudrow,David Schwimmer,Matt LeBlancand the lateMatthew Perry— reunited several times since the series finale in 2004, including for the much-anticipated 2021Friends: Reunionon HBO Max.
"It was great, we really did get along," Kudrow shared during a late 2024 appearance onDax Shepard'sArmchair Expertpodcast. "We also worked hard at being friends. That six-way relationship took some work, and we did it."
However, it's the duo behind on-screen BFFs Rachel Green (Aniston) and Monica Geller (Cox) that stands out as the sitcom's closest cast members.
Cox and Aniston's friendship has proved strong over the years. The pair reunited in April 2022 for charity, with Aniston posting a videoon Instagramof themwearingFriends-themed shirts.
They've also shared earnest moments from their time spent together during the holidays.
"We just have fun, we laugh, we're inseparable, and it's great," Cox previously toldTV Weekof the pair's dynamic.
The Vampire Diaries' Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley
Somerhalder and Wesley played bloodthirsty brothers on TV, and afterThe Vampire Diarieswrapped in 2017, they maintained their friendship off-screen. Their relationship even inspired the name of their bourbon brand, Brother's Bond.
In March 2021, the castmates-turned-business partners discussed their friendship and entrepreneurial evolution, telling PEOPLE that the collaboration felt natural given their shared love of bourbon and complementary personalities.
"This is not like a friendship.This is like a brotherhood; it's like a marriage," Somerhalder said. "We've been in it together for so long."
EdTV's Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson
Woody HarrelsonandMatthew McConaugheyhave been thick as thieves since starring together in 1999'sEDtv. They reunited in 2008'sSurfer, Dudeand on the first season ofTrue Detectivein 2014.
According to Harrelson, the longtime friends are working on a new TV project together that's set to debut in the fall of 2026.
"We play ourselves, and it's fiction, likeCurb[Your Enthusiasm], in a way," theHunger GamesalumtoldDeadlinein May 2026. "We play ourselves, but everything's fictionalized."
When asked if the show, aptly titledBrothers, would address the rumor that he and McConaughey were related — something the two actors haveteased in the past— Harrelson admitted, "That's going to factor in. Yeah, that's definitely going to factor in."
"I've known him since '97," he said of his friendship with McConaughey. "We've had a lot of fun together ... I love him like a brother, for sure."
Game of Thrones' Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams
Working on a show likeGame of Thronesis sure to bind actors together, and that was especially true forMaisie WilliamsandSophie Turner, whoplayed sisters Arya and Sansa Stark, respectively, for all eight seasons of the HBO show.
Their tight friendship has beenwell documented over the years, as the two grew up together on set.They evengot matching tattooscommemorating the date they were both cast onGame of Thrones: "07.08.09."
While discussing her hopes of producing and directing in the future during aVogueParisconversation withPhoenixcostarJessica Chastain, Turner shared that she hoped to work with Williams again.
"My best friend Maisie, she and I have a very intense friendship,a friendship that I haven't hadwith any of my other girlfriends before," Turner said in June 2019. "We felt like we wanted to write a movie about a friendship where it's kind of like you're soulmates, but you're friends, and it's like this beautiful connection, but it can also be quite destructive."
In 2017, Williams spoke just as highly of Turner during an appearance on the U.K.'sThis Morning, per theDaily Mail.
"It was so wonderful to have someone my age plucked out from normality into this world," she said, referring toGame of Thrones' massive success, whichthrust both women into the spotlightas teenagers. "It's really lovely to have someone to hold my hand through this. She's like my big sister."
TheModern FamilyCast
After playing one of TV's most beloved families for 11 seasons from 2009 to 2020, theModern Familycast has remained incredibly close.
The series starredEric Stonestreet,Jesse Tyler Ferguson,Ed O'Neill,Sofía Vergara,Julie Bowen,Ty Burrell,Sarah Hyland,Ariel Winter,Nolan Gould,Rico RodriguezandAubrey Anderson-Emmons.
Over the years, they'vereunited for special occasions, including Hyland's August 2022wedding ceremonyand an on-screen family gathering at Vergara's home in 2023. Though everyone can't always attend every get-together — especially Burrell, who often misses due to scheduling conflicts, though he didhave a reunionwith on-screen wife Bowen at the University of Oregon in 2025 — the group stays connected.
In January 2025, Stonestreet confirmed to PEOPLE that the cast has a group text chain while sharing that they "are such a close unit."
"We all are in communicationwith each other," he said. "It was no doubt from the beginning of that."
Recalling one of his first memories of the cast, Stonestreet added, "This is dark and macabre, but I remember thinking, 'Wow, I have a whole lot of new people that I'm going to grow old with and know for the rest of my life.' "
The Sisterhood of the Traveling PantsCast
The only thing more magical than the Traveling Pants is the real-life bond between the four "sisters" who wore them:Blake Livelyas Bridget,Alexis Bledelas Lena,America Ferreraas Carmen andAmber Tamblynas Tibby.
The four actresses met filmingThe Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants—the 2005 flick based on the novel series of the same name — and they've continuouslyshown their love and supportfor each other.
"We have aSisterhoodtext[group chat] that's been going for 20 years now," Ferrera told PEOPLE in January 2024. "We've all had kids. We've all gotten married. We were at each other's weddings. We've been through a lot of life together."
During an appearance onThe Tonight Showin April 2018, Bledel shared the group's interest in athirdSisterhoodmovie, saying that revisiting the franchise "would be the best thing."
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Some actors don't just play best friends in films and on TV — they're BFFs in real life, too! Okay, so some also played s...
