Over time, Netflix has become not only the leading streaming service platform, but also one of the most significant content creators in Hollywood. Movies, TV series, documentaries, and even reality shows – there’s something for everybody to binge-watch on the service.
With studies now showing that Netflix has as many subscribers as cable television, it is no wonder that the company has attracted top talent to join its roster of TV shows and movies. From superhero properties to romantic comedies, from R-rated projects to kid-friendly content, Netflix has already managed to bring in the likes of Will Smith, Brad Pitt, Naomi Watts, Angelina Jolie, Ashton Kutcher, and Jane Fonda. Moreover, the company has also managed to turn previously unknown actors into international celebrities, such as the stars from Stranger Things, Orange Is The New Black, and Black Mirror.
As of 2018, Netflix has over five thousand titles in its library, and an increasingly large portion of that amount is made up of original content. With so many movies and TV shows in the pipeline, Netflix was bound to see many of its stars become close – either romantically or through friendships.
Like most relationships in Hollywood, many of these connections were brief. However, some of these people have developed long-lasting bonds that still endure to this day. If you ever wondered whether certain co-stars shared any chemistry off-screen, or what was behind a certain pair of Netflix stars, this is the time to find out the truth.
These are 10 Netflix Stars Who Dated In Real Life (And 10 Who Are Just Friends).
DATED: JOEY KING & JACOB ELORDI
One of Netflix’s latest movies is The Kissing Booth, starring Joey King and Jacob Elordi. Based on Beth Reekles’ novel of the same name, this film follows Elle Evans (played by Joey King) as she falls in love with her best friend’s older brother, Noah Flynn (played by Jacob Elordi).
It turns out that whatever chemistry the two actors developed on camera also translated to their reality behind the scenes.
Joey King and Jacob Elordi have been officially – and very publicly – dating since they met while shooting The Kissing Booth. On Instagram, the couple is known for sharing their various cutes dates with fans: visiting theme parks, having picnics, and even dressing up for Halloween.
JUST FRIENDS: CLAIRE FOY & MATT SMITH
The Crown is a visually stunning original Netflix series about the U.K. Royal Family. On the show, Claire Foy plays a young Queen Elizabeth and Matt Smith portrays Prince Philip. However, regardless of their clear on-screen chemistry, Claire and Matt are simply very good friends.
Recently, Netflix was embroiled in a controversy for having paid Claire Foy – the star of The Crown – less than it paid Matt Smith. Speaking on the matter, Smith said, “I believe that we all should be paid equally and fairly. Claire is one of my best friends. I support her completely.”
While there is no romance between the two, it is clear that Claire Foy and Matt Smith share a great friendship that goes beyond Netflix’s The Crown.
DATED: NATALIA DYER & CHARLIE HEATON
Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton make up a pair that is easy to root for on Stranger Things, but little did fans know that their relationship would eventually evolve off-screen as well.
Over the years, Dyer and Heaton denied and denied that they were together, despite being constantly seen on each other’s social media platforms.
However, in 2018, the couple decided to make things public, finally coming out as a pair at the 2018 SAG Awards.
In a parallel with reality, Nancy finally gave into her feelings for Jonathan in the second season of Stranger Things. With a confirmed third season, we can only hope that this couple will survive the series’ oft upside-down plot twists.
JUST FRIENDS: DAVID HARBOR & WINONA RYDER
Stranger Things’ Winona Ryder and David Harbor are easily one of the best on-screen relationships on the entire series.
Behind the scenes, the two actors are also kind of obsessed with one another, just not in a romantic way.
Actually, Ryder nad Harbour are really great friends, despite him admitting to the fact that she was his high-school crush for being in 1988’s Heathers and Beetlejuice.
Harbour and Ryder have given several interviews that prove how strong their friendship has become off the set of Netflix’s Stranger Things. However, nothing romantic ever came from it.
Ryder has been with Scott Mackinlay Hahn since 2011, and Harbour has been linked to Alison Sudol, of Fantastic Beasts fame.
DATED: SAMIRA WILEY & LAUREN MORELLI
Lauren Morelli was just a writer who was hired to work on Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black. Then she met Samira Wiley, who played Poussey Washington, on set. And things took off from there.
As a matter of fact, when she first started working on the show, Morelli was married to Steve Basilone. After meeting Wiley, Morelli came out as a lesbian and filed for divorce from Basilone.
This odd – but wonderful – story behind-the-scenes of Orange Is The New Black is proof that anything can happen when it comes to love.
Morelli remains as a writer and producer of Orange, but Wiley has since left the show. As of late, Wiley can be seen on Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale.
JUST FRIENDS: TAYLOR SCHILLING & LAURA PREPON
While an off-screen relationship blossomed from Orange Is The New Black between Samira Wiley and Lauren Morelli, there was no real life romance between Taylor Schilling and Laura Prepon, who portray an on-again, off-again couple on the show.
In real life, Prepon has been dating Ben Foster for a few years, and the two actors got married in 2018. Schilling has defined her orientation as “expansive,” and has recently been linked to Carrie Brownstein, who is most known for her acting work on Portlandia and Transparent.
Between Prepon and Schilling, there is only a strong friendship, despite their very clear on-screen chemistry on Orange Is The New Black. As the show wraps up in 2019, fans can only hope that Alex and Piper will stay together.
DATED: BRANDON FLYNN & MILES HEIZER
Brandon Flynn plays Justin Foley on 13 Reasons Why, a jock who all the high school girls fall for. Miles Heizer plays Alex Standall on the series, a more recluse character who has a tight group of friends.
What the two actors have in common? Well, they both play very straight boys on a Netflix original series, but in real life, they were actually romantically attached to each other.
To be fair, this was a very brief fling between the actors.
Brandon Flynn went on to date singer Sam Smith, and Miles Heizer kept his private life mostly to himself since then. Despite not commenting much on his orientation, Miles was recently seen portraying a bi character in Love, Simon and was featured as a guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race.
JUST FRIENDS: MIKE COLTER & KRYSTEN RITTER
Mike Colter (aka Luke Cage) and Krysten Ritter (aka Jessica Jones) may have shared a lot of on-screen chemistry when they were first introduced to the Netflix portion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but in real life, the two are really just friends.
Mike is married to Eva Colter, with whom he has a daughter, and Ritter has been dating musician Adam Granduciel since 2014.
Despite the fact that Jessica Jones and Luke Cage have seemingly moved on from one another on screen, Krysten Ritter and Mike Colter still stand as one of the most unforgettable pairs that Netflix has ever featured on its original shows. After premiering on the first season of Jessica Jones in 2015, the two reunited on 2017’s The Defenders miniseries.
DATED: ALISON BRIE & DAVE FRANCO
Many people are aware that Dave Franco is related to James Franco. However, not a lot of people know that Dave has been dating – and got married to – actress Alison Brie since 2012.
Dave Franco has worked on two Netflix projects. For one, he voiced Alexi Brosepheno on the animated show BoJack Horseman. In addition, he was featured in three separate episodes of Easy, an anthology series from Netflix. Alison Brie has voiced several characters on BoJack Horseman and is the protagonist of GLOW, Netflix’s comedy about female wrestlers that premiered in 2017.
Despite the fact that Brie has a much firmer and consistent professional relationship with Netflix than husband Franco, the two actors have been attached to successful projects in the streaming service.
JUST FRIENDS: DYLAN MINNETTE & KATHERINE LANGFORD
On 13 Reasons Why, Dylan Minnette’s Clay Jensen cannot get Katherine Langford’s Hannah Baker out of his head. However, in real life, Minnette and Langford are simply friends.
To be honest, judging from the relationship their characters had in the Netflix original series, keeping things friendly is probably for the best.
Minnette has been attached to actress Kerris Dorsey for a few years. Langford has kept her personal life private, but has always referred to Minnette as just a good friend.
During an interview with MTV, Langford said about Minnette, “He’s fantastic... so generous and kind and courteous and he’s pretty much Clay.”
Nothing to see here, 13 Reasons Why fans!
DATED: AMY POEHLER & WILL ARNETT
Amy Poehler may be better known for Saturday Night Live and Parks And Recreation, but it was the 2001 satirical film Wet Hot American Summer that launched her career.
In 2017, Netflix released an eight-episode miniseries that served as a sequel to the film. Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later saw the return of Amy Poehler as Susie, as well as her premiere on Netflix.
Between 2003 and 2012, Amy Poehler was married to Will Arnett, an actor who has an extensive professional relationship with Netflix. Aside from being a part of the Arrested Development revival, Will Arnett has also starred in the streaming service’s Flaked and A Series of Unfortunate Events live-action adaptation.
However, Amy and Will have managed to never cross paths on Netflix.
JUST FRIENDS: GILLIAN JACOBS & PAUL RUST
Netflix’s Love marked the first foray of writer, director, and producer Judd Apatow on the streaming service. The show ran from 2016 to 2018, and starred Paul Rust and Gillian Jacobs in the leading roles. However, the on-screen couple does not translate to real life, as both Rust and Jacobs have been romantically involved with other people for a long time.
As a matter of fact, Rust is married to one of the creators of Love, Lesley Arfin, who first worked with Judd Apatow on Girls. Jacobs has revealed that she has a boyfriend, but has mostly kept his identity to herself.
Extending her relationship with the streaming service after the ending of Love, Gillian Jacobs starred in Ibiza, a 2018 romantic comedy from Netflix.
DATED: JUNE DIANE RAPHAEL & PAUL SCHEER
June Diane Raphael (from Grace & Frankie) and Paul Scheer (from Wet Hot American Summer, BoJack Horseman, and Big Mouth) met in 2004 and got married in 2009.
As of 2018, they are still together and have two kids.
Despite being two comedic actors who sometimes work for the same studios, Raphael and Scheer rarely share the screen together. However, the couple hosts a podcast together, called How Did This Get Made?, alongside comedian Jason Mantzoukas. In the podcast, the three hosts deconstruct movies that are deemed very bad.
The couple were both featured in 2017’s The Disaster Artist, a movie centered around the making of The Room, which is widely considered the worst movie of all time.
JUST FRIENDS: GLEN POWELL & ZOEY DEUTCH
One thing is for sure: Netflix’s new movie Set It Up did not set up co-stars Glen Powell and Zoey Deutch. As a matter of fact, “It’s never gonna happen,” Powell said.
Glen Powell and Zoey Deutch met during 2016’s Everybody Wants Some!! from Richard Linklater. That year, Powell was enjoying new career heights as he was one of the breakout stars from Fox’s Scream Queens, which aired between 2015 and 2016. Deutch, on the other hand, became known for 2016’s Why Him? and 2017’s Before I Fall.
Despite their chemistry in Set It Up, Glen Powell and Zoey Deutch want everyone to know that they are really just friends, and that nothing is ever going to happen between them.
DATED: ANNIE PARISSE & PAUL SPARKS
Paul Sparks has been featured in significant roles in two major Netflix shows. In House of Cards, the actor was featured in 27 episodes as the writer Thomas Yates. Then, the actor was featured in The Crown as Billy Graham, an American evangelist who became well-known in the United Kingdom.
What many people do not realize is that Sparks is married to Annie Parisse, who was featured in House of Cards in 2015 and then proceeded to star in Netflix’s Friends From College.
Paul Sparks and Annie Parisse are a couple that has definitely been benefiting from their professional relationship with Netflix.
With the uncertain fate surrounding House of Cards, it is unclear whether Paul Sparks will return to the show. However, Annie Parisse is confirmed for the second season of Friends From College.
JUST FRIENDS: ALISHA BOE & BRANDON FLYNN
Alisha Boe and Brandon Flynn play an on-again, off-again couple on 13 Reasons Why, but the real relationship between the actors couldn’t be further away from the one their characters share.
To begin with, Brandon Flynn is an out gay man. The actor briefly dated 13 Reasons Why co-star Miles Heizer and, for a while now, has been in a relationship with pop star Sam Smith. In addition, Alisha Boe has been linked to a man named Scott O’Brien, who she has shared various pictures with.
While Brandon Flynn and Alisha Boe make up a cute couple on screen, it is also sort of great to know that they share a real friendship behind the scenes.
DATED: AMY POEHLER & NICK KROLL
After separating from Will Arnett, Amy Poehler became romantically involved with another comedic actor who would eventually join Netflix: Nick Kroll.
Their relationship lasted between 2013 and 2015, while Poehler was at the height of her Parks and Recreation career. Moreover, those were the years that Nick was on air with Comedy Central’s Kroll Show, which ran for three successful seasons.
In 2017, Nick Kroll premiered a new original animated show on Netflix, Big Mouth, which was promptly renewed for a second season to air in 2018. The series features the voices of several of Amy Poehler’s Saturday Night Live friends, such as Maya Rudolph, Fred Armisen, and Kristen Wiig
. However, Amy has so far steered away from being involved with Nick’s current Netflix show.
JUST FRIENDS: DEWANDA WISE & ANTHONY RAMOS
Based on the 1986 movie of the same name, She’s Gotta Have It is a Netflix series by Spike Lee.
Starring as Nola Darling, a character that was originally portrayed by Tracy Camilla Johns, is DeWanda Wise, who had previously been featured in Fox’s Shots Fired. In the show, Nola is managing three consecutive relationships with three men: Greer Childs, Jamie Overstreet, and Mars Blackmon. The latter is portrayed by actor Anthony Ramos, who was fresh off of his Hamilton success on Broadway before joining the show.
Despite sharing an incredible on-screen chemistry and being seen in various interviews together, Wise and Ramos are just friends. In the coming years, Ramos is already slated to star in A Star Is Born and Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
DATED: JAE SUH PARK & RANDALL PARK
Randall Park may be mostly known for his roles in Fresh Off The Boat and Veep, but the actor has also been featured on Netflix’s Love and Wet Hot American Summer. His wife, actress Jae Suh Park, had her cinematic breakout debut in 2015’s The Big Short, but it was in 2017 that she landed a main role in Netflix’s Friends From College.
Both Randall and Jae Suh Park are known as comedic actors.
Moreover, they are both of Korean descent, which certainly made things interesting when Randall Park portrayed the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in 2014’s The Interview. On TV, both actors have been on The Mindy Project, but have not shared projects otherwise.
JUST FRIENDS: TOMMY DORFMAN & CHRISTIAN NAVARRO
The second season of 13 Reasons Why features its two main gay characters coming together. Christian Navarro’s Tony Padilla reveals that he happens to have a major crush on Tommy Dorfman’s Ryan Shaver, and things evolve from there.
However, only Tommy Dorfman is gay in real life. Despite being a somewhat private person when it comes to his relationships, Christian Navarro has been dating a girl named Shazi Raja, and never gave any indication that he is attracted to men. To top it all off, Tommy Dorfman already is married to Peter Zurkuhlen.
With all of that in mind, it is certain that there is nothing between Tommy Dorfman and Christian Navarro.
They might be a pair on 13 Reasons Why, but they are just friends in real life.
---
Who's your favorite Netflix couple? Let us know in the comments!