12 Photos of The Most Adored Silver Screen Couples Then and Now

Movie screen romances are always magical when done right. Viewers just can’t help but root for the characters! We watched their love stories unfold on the screen, and got hooked on the chemistry between two beautiful people. But nothing stays the same. The actors who played the roles have changed over the years. Some have found their true match in real life and moved on, some are good friends, and some are just acquaintances.
With that being said, let’s see what 12 of the most iconic duos on the silver screen look like now versus how they looked back then. Hop on the nostalgia train and sit tight, cause some of the cases might totally shock you!

1. Tom Cruise And Kelly McGillis - Top Gun

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With the exciting comeback of Top Gun on the cinema’s screen, fans of the movie also ​reminisce about the iconic couple Mitchell and Charlie played by Tom Cruise and Kelly McGills. Their chemistry during the 1986 movie played a huge part in the success of the film. In the film, Pete met Blackwood not too long after he arrived at TopGun, the Naval Fighter Weapons school. He was instantly smitten by her, and their relationship blossomed after they crossed paths again.
However, the magic spark has long gone by the time the sequel hit the theater. Only Tom Cruise was asked to reprise his role, while McGills wasn’t even contacted. McGills said that she wasn’t surprised by the director’s decision, and she wish the actress who replaced her good luck with the movie.

2. Kirsten Dunst And Tobey Maguire - Spiderman

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One of the most iconic love stories of Marvel must be the love story between Mary Jane and Peter Parker. In terms of chemistry, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst totally nailed in the Spider-Man movies. We start with watching Parker’s infatuation with Mary Jane, who he does everything to get attention from, then seeing him grow into a superhero worthy of her love.
Though it is rumored that Dunst and Maguire did have a little thing back in 2011, nothing was ever confirmed. Both actors continued to grow on their career paths. Dunst eventually married fellow actor Jesse Plemons. Maguire ended up with jewelry designer Jennifer Meyer back in 2013 but they have recently divorced.

3. Catherine Zeta-Jones And Antonio Banderas - The Legend of Zorro

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Catherina Zeta-Jones and Antonio Banderas played the legendary main couple in The Mask of Zorro, Elena Montero, and Alejandro Murrieta. Their performances made these characters become one of the best characters in movie history. In the film, Spanish-born Elena De La Vega plays the main love interest of Zorro. Although she has no idea who the man behind the mask is, his heroic demeanor soon charms his way into her heart. It doesn’t take long for her to fall in love with him.
Despite their on-screen sultry gazes, each of the actors went on with their separate lives. Zeta-Jones married Michael Douglas, with whom she has two beautiful children.

4. ​Clint Eastwood And Meryl Streep - The Bridges Of Madison County

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In 1995, The Bridges of Madison County hit the theater and became a phenomenal romantic drama hit. The film tells the story of Francesca as a war bride who lives with her two children and husband on a farm. She eventually meets a photojournalist named Robert Kincaid and then has an intense four-day love affair with him.
There was nothing more than friendship between Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep in real life though. After the success of the film, both Eastwood and Streep went on their separate ways and became successful movie stars. Streep continues to act today, while Eastwood enjoys his retirement with his family at home.

5. Courtney Cox And Matthew Perry - Friends

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One of the most adored rom-com couples in the TV world must be Monica Geller and Chandler Bing from the series Friends. As one of the most-watched shows, Friends definitely did well in building their relationship. They got us hooked on the characters, so much that we have to spend a lot of time binge-watching episodes after episodes.
Outside of the show, both actors seem to be doing pretty well for themselves. Cox has opened an Instagram account that is booming, while Perry has completely recovered from his rough times.

6. Hugh Grant And Andie MacDowell - Four Weddings and a Funeral

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Four Weddings and a Funeral is a British romantic comedy released in 1994, featuring Hugh Grant as Charles and Andie MacDowell as Carrie. Despite showing us the lives of several characters, the love story between Charles and Carrie definitely steals the spotlight.
Nowadays, Grant continues his acting career and has starred in many movies, including most recently, The Gentlemen (2019) and The Undoing (2020). MacDowell, on the other hand, has given up her Hollywood spotlight and chose a quiet but happy family life with her children.

7. Dev Patel And Freida Pinto - Slumdog Millionaire

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Slumdog Millionaire is one of the biggest box office hits. Released in 2008, the movie has won many awards and leaves a deep impact on the hearts of the people who watched it. The main love couple played by Dev Patel and Freida Pinto has no doubt stolen our hearts with their tearful love story. 
In real life, the pair had previously described each other as "soul mates". However, in 2014 they split after six years together. They’re still good friends to this day.

8. Orlando Bloom And Keira Knightley - Pirates of the Caribbean

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After three movies together, Will and Elizabeth's story ended with a bittersweet ending, but a good one nonetheless. Bloom and Knightley were ready to leave the franchise behind them after that and focused on building their own personal career.
In an interview with The Independent in 2010, Knightley shared with us that she had had a wonderful time making the trilogy, but that is enough for her. Bloom also shared the same opinion, saying "I just really wanted to do different things."

9. Keanu Reeves And Sandra Bullock - The Lake House

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Starring in several movies together, Bullock and Reeves have built quite a fandom on their own. Many fans wished they ended up together, especially after they confessed their mutual crushes during separate appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
During an interview on Ellen Show, Bullock swooned over Reeves, saying "I think about how sweet Keanu Reeves was and how handsome he was". Reeves reciprocated the sentiment in an interview on the talk show the following year. When asked about their mutual crush, he said "No. She obviously didn't know I had a crush on her either." However, the two of them never dated in real life.

10. Alyson Hannigan And Jason Segel - How I Met Your Mother

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How I Met Your Mother is another legendary TV series. Fans of the series adore Marshall (Jason Segel) and Lily (Alyson Hannigan). Their chemistry is just another level of wholesome.
The show ended in March 2014 and just like the fans, both actors was sad that they wouldn't get to play as the lovely couple anymore. During one interview after the series was over, Hannigan broke down crying. “He’s such a wonderful guy,” Hannigan said, stopping to hold back tears. “I’m not going to miss him,” she joked.
Nowadays, both actors have gone and built their own happy life. Hannigan has been married to Alexis Denisof and appeared in many made-for-TV films including Kim Possible and Abducted: The Mary Stauffer Story. Segel also has a successful movie career. He appeared in films including The End of the Tour, Our Friend, and Sex Tape, which he also wrote and directed.

11. Kristen Stewart And Robert Pattinson - Twilight

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Hate it or love it, you gotta admit Twilight is one of the most well-known romantic stories on the silver screen. Fans just can’t get enough of the drama from the love triangle between Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), and Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner).
In the end, team Edward won, both on-screen and off-screen. Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart seemed to be head over heels for each other, and they were officially a couple for a while. Their relationship didn’t last though. They broke up after Kristen’s cheating scandal.

12. Jenna Fischer And John Krasinski - The Office

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Pam Beesly and Jim Halpert are everybody’s favorite couple for nine seasons of The Office. They started quite smitten with each other, then stuck together through many hardships and eventually found their happy-ever-after ending. 
The fans were curious if John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer date in real life. The answer is no, they didn’t. But they have a great friendship, trust, and bond with each other. They continue to support and commend each other to this day.