20 iconic pop culture couples who had incredible chemistry on screen

A more recent addition to the list, Jon Hamm and Jennifer Aniston are magnetically attracted to each other in the third season of The Morning Show. Spoiler alert: things don’t work out because Hamm’s character isn’t that great of a person, but they’re great onscreen while things last. They need a rom-com together ASAP.

John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer made lots of sitcom fans believe in love. It was clear from the beginning of the show that they needed to be together, and there’s not an episode of The Office where it seems that these two might not be the right fit. 

Plenty of fans believe Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio are soulmates, and when watching Titanic, it’s obvious why. Winslet and DiCaprio have an ease about them. They’re clearly fond of each other as people, which translates effortlessly onscreen. 

Andy Samberg and Melissa Fumero’s characters in Brooklyn Nine-Nine are the perfect example of opposites attracting. These two are friends in real life, and it shows onscreen. Their characters have differences they need to overcome, but their genuine love for one another makes it possible. 

Spooky characters can have chemistry, too! Anjelica Huston and Raul Julia in the ‘90s The Addams Family films were anything but creepy and kooky. They were sweet, loving, and supportive, and they only had eyes for one another. We would’ve believed them as a real couple any day. 

Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling have great chemistry in every film they’re in together, but watching them in Crazy, Stupid, Love is the most special because it feels like the birth of one of the greatest modern acting pairs. Sure, they’re fantastic in La La Land, too, but it’s partially due to their time together in this 2011 rom-com. 

Never has an onscreen couple created such a campaign for the actors to get together in real life. The two never indulged their fanbase in a real relationship, but they did deliver a steamy performance of “Shallow” at the Oscars, only giving fans more evidence for why they’d make a great couple offscreen. 

Rumor has it Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams couldn’t stand each other on the set of The Notebook. Perhaps that’s what made their connection so believable. Noah and Allie have moments where they hate each other, too. Either these two are as good of actors as people say, or some part of them was genuinely attracted to one another. 

The original classic romance movie couple, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman taught all other actors how to have onscreen chemistry. Casablanca will forever be the blueprint for scripts, performances, and all other aspects of filmmaking regarding romance. 

Another beautiful couple from classic cinema, Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer’s characters aren’t held in the same regard as Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Berman’s in Casablanca, but they should be. There’s a lot to love about The Sound of Music, and Andrews and Plummer’s chemistry is near the top of the list. 

The sitcom couple to end all sitcom couples, Chandler and Monica weren’t even supposed to last beyond a one-night stand. Thank goodness Friends had a studio audience, and the showrunners could gauge their response. Otherwise, they might’ve been the greatest couple that never was. 

Some might say the dancing made Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze’s relationship in Dirty Dancing so convincing, but that’s just what made it steamy. These two had a natural chemistry, and every interaction they had was intense, not just the dancing. 

Zooey Deschanel and Jake Johnson had such strong chemistry in New Girl that the showrunners had to tell them to dial it down in scenes even when their characters weren’t actively attracted to one another. It would’ve been a shame to have had these two end up with anyone but each other. 

We’re not sure Harry and Sally would’ve actually made it as a couple, but their time onscreen is still magical. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan were mystifyingly drawn to each other. There are many reasons this film is a classic, and a large part is their onscreen chemistry. 

Dan Levy and Noah Reid didn’t have to try to have chemistry in Schitt’s Creek. It just came about. Their onscreen relationship is perfectly summed up by Reid’s acoustic performance of "Simply The Best": Effortless, calming, and sweet. 

Some plot points in Pretty Woman are heartrending because Julia Roberts and Richard Gere are clearly meant to be together in the movie. Their chemistry is off the charts. Their relationship might not have been long-term either, but it absolutely had to happen for a time. 

We don’t usually root for people having an affair, but Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn had such incredible chemistry in Scandal that they made people abandon their morals. It probably wasn’t right then, and it probably isn’t right now, but we’ll always be team Fitz and Olivia. 

Knowing that West Side Story is a modern take on Romeo and Juliet and having a pretty good idea of how the story is going to end makes Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer’s onscreen chemistry in the 1961 film all the more tragic. They were too magical together to deserve such a fate. 

Two more characters who didn’t deserve their fate, Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman had beautiful chemistry in Moulin Rouge! Viewers didn’t have the same hints about the ending as they did in West Side Story, but that made their chemistry even more tragic in some ways. 

They say the best couples are friends first. Naya Rivera and Heather Morris’ characters in Glee served as evidence to that theory. Above all, these two were best friends who cared about each other’s happiness no matter how that came about.