Heartwarming Celebrity Friendships That Withstood The Test Of Time

Ian McKellen & Patrick Stewart

These British actors have known each other for more than 40 years and have developed the sweetest bromance we’ve ever seen! From on-screen foes to off-screen besties, McKellen and Stewart have a solid and heartwarming friendship. The pair became close while filming X-Men in 2000, but they’d been friends for over a decade before working on that project together. McKellen and Stewart have starred in multiple X-Men movies together while also working on their own franchises. They’re always involved in each other’s personal lives, from weddings to birthdays, and frequently post kind words about each other on social media.

Walter Matthau & Jack Lemmon

Matthau and Lemmon can easily be considered one of the most successful pairs of best friends in Hollywood history! The actors had a natural chemistry that translated well on screen, drawing audiences in from the moment they appeared on set together and leaving fans desperate for more. The pair made several films together, often playing adversaries while remaining the closest of friends offscreen. They remained besties up until the very end. Matthau passed away in 2000 in California, and Lemmon passed the following year. Their friendship lives on in the films they made and the hearts of the fans they touched.

Lily Tomlin & Jane Fonda

Few friendships can boast lasting over four decades, but Tomlin and Fonda have one of them! These actresses have been supporting each other since 1977. They worked together later that year on the feminist comedy 9 to 5 and recently worked together on another comedy, Netflix’s Grace & Frankie. Tomlin spoke with the Washington Post about her friendship with Fonda in 2017 and had this to say, “We’re friends because I just love her. I know Jane has my back whenever she can.” They’ve been through many intense life events together, but nothing can slow down this dynamic duo. Tomlin and Fonda starred in two movies together in 2023 and have no plans of slowing down.

Shay Mitchell & Ashley Benson

Mitchell and Benson met on the set of Pretty Little Liars in 2010, and the co-stars have remained close friends ever since. Their friendship blossomed during the seven years the show ran, and the two have retained a friendship that’s the shining example of “best friends forever” to this day. Fans frequently comment on social media posts of the two actresses going out and having fun together and seem to look up to this pair as an example of a strong friendship.

Holly Marie Combs & Shannen Doherty

Holly Marie Combs and Shannen Doherty are probably best known for their roles on the hit WB series Charmed, but their friendship goes far beyond that show. Doherty secured the role of Prue Halliwell in Charmed and invited her bestie to try out for the role of Piper. The pair’s obvious chemistry from their many years of friendship is one of the biggest reasons why Combs got the part! Unfortunately, there was some drama on set between Doherty and fellow co-star Alyssa Milano, which led to Doherty leaving the show. Despite that, she and Combs remained best friends and are a big part of each other’s lives. The pair recently met back up during a Charmed convention in 2023, and their love for each other was beyond obvious!

Katy Perry & Allison Williams

Unlike most of the celebs on this list, Perry and Williams met through mutual friends rather than working on a project together. Everyone knows Katy Perry as the pop sensation who brought us hits like “I Kissed A Girl” and “Dark Horse,” and everyone knows Williams from her role in Girls, but not everyone would immediately pair these two as besties. The reason for this is the pair’s desire and appreciation for privacy. They rarely post about each other on social media, but they can frequently be seen going out and having a great time together. Maybe that privacy is the key to a long-lasting friendship!

Gigi Hadid & Kendall Jenner

Hadid and Jenner had a similar start in life. They grew up in similar circles in California and broke into the modeling industry as teens. They both built their careers to reach full supermodel status, and when they met via Twitter in 2010, it was as if they were destined to become best friends. The friends have done Victoria’s Secret shows together and partied at Coachella while always maintaining a tight bond. Gigi spoke about their friendship to E!News in 2015 and said, “I think Kendall and I have a really good friendship in the sense that we have different career paths but we’re both kind of on equal points in our careers where we really understand each other.”

Matthew McConaughey & Woody Harrelson

McConaughey and Harrelson have been friends for decades. The pair became close while filming season 1 of True Detective in 2014, but they were friends even before that role. Their on-screen chemistry was easy for fans to see, and their friendship quickly became a source of excitement for fans. They even have their own ship name- McConelson! The pair enjoy a “friendship tour” once a year, where they spend time together and post about their antics on social media. Fans love their bromance and can’t wait for their new comedy series to premiere on Apple TV+!

Robert De Niro & Martin Scorsese

Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese have been making movie magic together for over forty years. The powerful pair first teamed up in 1973 while filming Mean Streets, leading them to a lifelong friendship filled with exciting projects. The pair have worked on nine films together throughout their friendship, including their most recent Netflix project, The Irishman. De Niro spoke with PEOPLE about his friendship with Scorsese and said, “I consider myself very lucky to have that long of a relationship with him. I can’t imagine my life without it.”

Sarah Jessica Parker & Andy Cohen

Sarah Jessica Parker and Andy Cohen have been friends since the early 1980s when Parker met Cohen while he was working behind the scenes for CBS News. The chance meeting led to a decades-long friendship that is heartwarming to witness. Parker and Cohen have had each other’s backs over the years as they spoke up against the media’s less-than-kind portrayals and publically supported each other. An incident in 2021 proved just how close their friendship is. The media was hounding Parker about her gray hair and how she was “letting go of herself.” Cohen defended her publically and said, “Here she is sitting next to me, who’s gray, and people just missed the mark totally. It was so misogynistic.”

Zendaya & Tom Holland

Tom Holland and Zendaya met in 2016 while filming Spiderman: Homecoming, and their connection was instantly obvious. The pair began spending a lot of time together and became fast friends, but the media suspected there was more going on. Like a true romance, these friends-to-lovers confirmed they’d entered into a romantic relationship in 2021. The power couple is still going strong today, and they both credit their strong friendship for giving them a solid foundation to rely on once they entered into a more intimate relationship.

Steve Martin & Martin Short

Martin and Short have one of the longest friendships on this list- lasting nearly forty years! The pair met while filming 1986 hit Three Amigos! and became fast friends. Over the years, they’ve worked on other projects together, including their most recent Hulu film, Only Murders in the Building. As the decades passed, Martin and Short became integral parts of each other’s lives. The pair supported each other through major life events and even vacationed together. Martin spoke with PEOPLE about their friendship and said, “There’s just an ease between us. Sometimes, I’ll hang out with Marty, and I’ll realize I haven’t laughed that hard in two months. And that just feels great.”

Leonardo Dicaprio & Kate Winslet

Winslet and Dicaprio have one of the sweetest friendships in Hollywood. The pair met while auditioning for their roles in Titanic and developed a close friendship while on set. This friendship followed them through the ensuing years, and the pair supported each other as they navigated the waters of life. Dicaprio walked Winslet down the aisle during her wedding in 2012, and the pair struggled through the pandemic, offering support while unable to see each other in person. Winslet told The Guardian about her friendship with Dicaprio and how tough the pandemic was for them. “Like so many friendships globally, we’ve missed each other because of COVID. He’s my friend, my really close friend. We’re bonded for life,” the actress said.

Jennifer Aniston & Courteney Cox

Jennifer and Courteney met while filming the hit tv series Friends. It’s not too surprising that a life-long friendship came out of this show, and Jennifer attributes much of what she learned while filming to her ability to maintain such a lasting relationship. “We’ve been through so many things together,” Jennifer said. “The show taught us the importance of camaraderie and really sticking together. And it’s taught me about being there for each other.” The pair have supported each other through the ups and downs of life and publically say they consider each other family.

Tina Fey & Amy Poehler

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler have been friends since the early decades, and the pair rose to stardom together. They met in Chicago while taking improv classes, and this powerful pair motivated each other to improve their skills until they both eventually achieved spots on Saturday Night Live. They’ve since filmed multiple movies together and have carved out a friendship that’s impenetrable by the pressures of Hollywood. Amy spoke about their friendship while being interviewed and said, “She’s the same way back then as she is now, which is really, really funny and incredibly hardworking and a very supportive and loyal friend.”

Nicole Kidman & Naomi Watts

Kidman and Watts have been friends for over three decades! The actresses became fast friends while filming Flirting in 1991, but they actually knew each other far before that. The pair attended the same high school in Australia and performed in the same theater company, but their friendship didn’t blossom until they worked on the film together. Nicole spoke with PEOPLE about her friendship and bond with Naomi, and said, “We’ve gone through a lot together over a significant amount of time. That history binds you. We have a strong respect and love for one another.”

Robert Pattinson & Tom Sturridge

Both of these London-born actors have found immense success in the world of Hollywood. Pattinson and Sturridge don’t often speak about each other in interviews, but the pair have been friends since they were a mere 13 years old! The pair were very close with each other’s families growing up, and it appears that trend is going to continue as Sturridge’s sister named Pattinson the godfather to his daughter. While the pair don’t often speak about their decades-long friendship, they’re often spotted by the paparazzi having the time of their lives while hanging out together!

Ben Affleck & Matt Damon

Would you believe Affleck and Damon have been friends for over forty years? The two stars grew up together in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and bonded over their mutual love of baseball, acting, and filmmaking. Their formative years of sharing their passions bonded them for life and led to an unbreakable friendship. They lived together for a time while pursuing their dreams in LA. Affleck spoke with GQ about this time in their lives and said, “My own kind of sanity and mental health really benefited from having someone who I grew up with and knew as a child who was also going through something similar.”

Liv Tyler & Kate Hudson

Live Tyler and Kate Hudson are big names in Hollywood, and the pair have maintained a close bond since the 90s. They were introduced by their famous parents in childhood and ended up attending the same school together. The two friends chased their acting dreams together after graduating high school and were both cast in the film Dr. T and the Women in 2000. The pair have remained inseparable ever since. Kate even asked Liv to be the godmother to her son! These two have a friendship that’s rare in Hollywood!

Oprah & Gayle King

Oprah and Gayle were close friends long before Oprah rose to fame as a talk show host. They originally met in Boston while working at a TV station in the 70s during the earliest stages of their careers. More than forty years of friendship have seen these two through the ups and downs of life. They stuck by each other’s sides and have frequently spoken about the importance of their friendship. Oprah once said, “Whatever this friendship is, it’s been a very fun ride—and we’ve taken it together.”

Richard Pryor & Gene Wilder

Pryor and Wilder were a comedy dynamic duo in the 70s and 80s, starring in films together such as Another You and Stir Crazy. They enjoyed a long, fulfilling friendship that not only propelled their careers forward, but also provided them with a guidepost through life. When Pryor passed away in 2005, Wilder was devastated at the loss of his best friend. Wilder reflected on his life-long partner in crime in 2013 and said, “When he was good he was wonderful, when he was bad, he was awful.”

Jada Pinkett Smith & Queen Latifah

Who doesn’t love an inspiring display of girl power? Jada Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah have been best friends since the 90s. They met as teens while Queen Latifah performed at a club in Baltimore. Jada spoke to People in 2017 about her first impressions on the rapper and said, “I’d never seen anyone like her before, this female rapper named Queen Latifah. I convinced the promoter to let me introduce her.” The rest is, as they say, history! The pair became fast friends and even starred in a couple of movies together.

Penelope Cruz & Salma Hayek

Cruz and Hayek’s friendship was forged in fire, which is probably why their bond is as unbreakable as steel! The pair were already friends when their plane had to make an emergency landing while flying them to Mexico to film Bandidas in 2004. The pair became inseparable after surviving this near-death experience and developed one of the most adored friendships in Hollywood history. They even developed their own special pet names for each other, and the pair frequently posts on social media about their adventures together.

Regina Hall & Sanaa Lathan

Regina Hall and Sanaa Lathan have known each other for over twenty years! They’ve poured so much of their personal lives into each other that they’ve begun referring to each other as their “human diaries.” Hall was recognized at the Step Up Inspiration Awards in 2018 for her commitment to mentoring young women in Los Angeles, and Sanaa posted a heartwarming dedication to her best friend after she received the award. “Had the pleasure of honoring my bestie @morereginahall today at the Step Up inspiration awards. So proud of you Regina you inspire me and so many others. Love u and congratulations!” Lathan wrote.

Busy Philipps & Michelle Williams

Philipps and Williams met on the set of Dawson’s Creek back in 2001, and their friendship became an immediate staple in each other’s lives. They’ve supported each other through major life events, including death and birth. Williams is the godmother to Phillips’s daughter and supported her friend when Health Ledger passed away. Williams spoke with People in 2016 about their friendship and said, “I’m so in love with her. She’s proof that the love of your life does not have to be a man! That’s the love of my life right there.”

Jeanette McCurdy & Miranda Cosgrove

Many of the younger readers of this list will recognize Jeanette McCurdy and Miranda Cosgrove. The stars made their mark on Hollywood while filming iCarly and became best friends during filming, despite some obstacles. McCurdy’s mother infamously tried to stop the girls from being friends, but true love always wins out! In her tell-all novel, “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” McCurdy spoke about their friendship and said Cosgrove was an amazing source of emotional support and inspiration.

Jennifer Lopez & Leah Remini

Remini and Lopez first met in 2004 through their male significant others. Remini spoke about feeling a little star-struck when she met J. Lo for the first time and said in an interview with Los Angeles Times, “As I was walking up to the table, I was like, ‘Ugh, God, you’re even prettier in real life.’ She started laughing, and I was like, ‘Ugh, and you have a sense of humor even?'” The pair became fast friends and frequently attended events together where the media raved about their closeness. J. Lo and Leah have become the definition of friendship goals!

Meghan Markle & Serena Williams

You may not expect the Duchess of Sussex and a tennis player to be besties, but these two are smashing friendship stereotypes left and right! They were brought together during the 2010 Super Bowl before Markle became royalty, and their friendship was instantaneous. Megan discussed their friendship on her now-defunct blog and said, “We are both the same age, have a penchant for hot sauces and adore fashion, but what connects us more than those things is perhaps our belief in exceeding expectations – our endless ambition.”

Taylor Swift & Selena Gomez

The two pop sensations met in 2008 when Swift and Gomez dated the Jonas brothers, Joe and Nick Jonas respectively. The pair can frequently be seen attending events together and often post cute dedications to each other on social media. During a 2017 interview, Selena Gomez joked that their friendship, “was the best thing we got out of those relationships.” It’s wonderful to see women coming together and staying together even when the men who helped them meet don’t stick around!

Adam Levine & Jonah Hill

Levine and Hill were friends back in high school, causing trouble together as one would expect! The pair became fast friends after their fathers met and introduced them during their teen years. The Grammy-winning Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine and Oscar-nominated actor Jonah Hill have been inseparable since their early years and have even stated in interviews that they think of each other as family. They’ve remained close throughout their adult lives, and now their sons are best friends as well!

BJ Novak & Mindy Kaling

BJ Novak and Mindy Kaling met in 2004 as writers for the hit comedy series The Office. At one point, their friendship did turn to romance, but when that didn’t work out, the pair easily went back to their super close and super platonic relationship. Kaling said this about their relationship during an interview with InStyle in 2015, “He is not my boyfriend, but he is not my best friend. I guess you could describe our relationship as a ‘romantically charged camaraderie with loud arguments,’ but I don’t think Facebook would accept this as a new status.”

Will Smith & DJ Jazzy Jeff