Six All-Star Actor Couples
Hollywood is a weird place. Movie acting is a job, sure, but it’s also an environment where people work together in emotionally intimate scenarios day after day, spending long hours together, cut off from the rest of regular life. No wonder it seems like a different world – compared to most of our jobs and lives, it is.
That also helps explain why filmmakers and actors often date and marry. These relationships don’t always last; sustaining a connection formed in the bubble of a film shoot can be difficult. Some actor couples make their commitment work, however – and some even work together in notable films.
This month, John Krasinski and Emily Blunt take a spot on the short list of couples who work together with the Krasinski-directed horror film A Quiet Place. In honor of that event, here are some of the most recognizable married couples who have co-starred in films.
John Krasinski and Emily Blunt
Krasinski and Blunt were well-known actors by the time they began dating in late 2008. Krasinski was in the midst of his nine-season run as the lovable Jim Halpert in NBC’s The Office. Blunt made a name for herself years earlier with her role in The Devil Wears Prada. The film kicked off an illustrious career for the actress over the next decade. The pair married in 2010 and have two young daughters together.
After Krasinski’s sitcom role came to an end, he dove deeper into the big screen. Besides starring in film roles, he explored more opportunities in screenwriting, producing, and directing. It was only a matter of time before Krasinski and Blunt co-starred on screen–and that time has finally come with the upcoming horror, A Quiet Place. Krasinski spoke about working with Blunt with Philadelphia Style Magazine about how she inspired him to not only star and write the script, but also direct which ultimately enticed her to join the project.
“We had talked about working together, very loosely, but we didn’t want the story of us being married to supersede the story of the movie. I looked up—and, at first, I thought something was wrong because she seemed very serious. She said, ‘You can’t let anybody else do this movie.’ I can’t overdescribe how much that meant to me. It was the greatest compliment of my career. There’s nobody I look up to and admire more, so the fact that someone I trust not only in marriage, but as an actress, with that taste level and that strength, would want to dive into this script was huge for me.”
Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn
OK, they’re not married, but partners Russell and Hawn have been together since 1983 and are going stronger than ever. They’ve starred in five films together including The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band, Swing Shift, and most notably Overboard. That comedy is the origin point for a remake set to premiere this year. Russell continues to star in big films, most recently in The Fate of the Furious and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Meanwhile, 2017 marked Hawn’s return to the big screen as she starred alongside Amy Schumer in Snatched.
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have been married for over 20 years. Although they have been vocal about their marital struggles and unconventional relationship, they are still together. They have two children, Jaden and Willow, who have followed their parents footsteps into the world of showbiz. The couple starred together in the award-winning 2001 film Ali, based on the life of boxer Muhammad Ali. Will Smith played the title role, and Pinkett Smith portrayed Ali’s first wife Sonji Roi.
Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell
Both natives of suburban Detroit, Shepard and Bell began dating in 2007 before getting engaged in 2010. They decided to hold off getting married until 2013 because they wanted to wait until California legalized same-sex marriage. The pair now has two daughters together and have co-starred in three films together including When In Rome, Hit and Run, and CHiPs. They each have continued success in their acting careers throughout TV and film. Most recently, Bell stars in a lead role in the highly buzzed about comedy, The Good Place. Shephard has even appeared in a guest role in the comedy series.
Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky
Hemsworth and Pataky dated less than a year before marrying in late 2010. They now have three kids and their marriage seems to be stronger than ever. Hemsworth broke into the world of blockbuster stardom with his portrayal as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Pataky, on the other hand, has also starred in another box office juggernaut franchise, Fast and Furious. After the couple grew with their careers, the left Los Angeles and moved to Hemsworth’s native Australia. Early this year they starred together as an on-screen husband and wife in the war drama, 12 Strong.
Dave Franco and Alison Brie
Dave Franco was once known as the younger brother of James Franco, but he’s made a name for himself on his own merits. The brothers have worked together several times, most recently in Franco’s The Disaster Artist. That biographical comedy-drama starring the Franco brothers garnered numerous award nominations and wins. It also marked the first time Dave Franco worked on a project with his wife, Alison Brie. The pair began dating in 2012 before marrying in 2017. In addition to her own film work, Brie is best known for her role on the comedy series Community, and most recently the Netflix series GLOW.
See Emily Blunt and John Krasinski fend off monsters in A Quiet Place, now in theaters everywhere.