Celebrity couples have always intrigued the public, sparking a fascination with tabloids and the romantic lives of the biggest stars in Hollywood. The chemistry required to build convincing connections on-screen often leads to relationships between the actors in the real world. Although many couples break up after only a brief fling, others appear to be built to last.
On the more uncommon end of the celebrity dating spectrum are couples who played siblings on-screen. While the real-life relationships seldom interfered with the actors' ability to portray siblings, in some cases — namely Dexter - the writing was changed to reflect the relationship between the performers.
Jamie-Lynn Sigler & Robert Iler
The Sopranos
The Sopranos made waves among audiences from the moment it premiered on HBO in 1999 and became a constant source of Monday morning conversation. Over the course of six seasons, viewers were able to watch as the Soprano children Meadow and A.J. played by Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Robert Igler grew up before their eyes.
After The Sopranos aired its final episode in 2007, both Sigler and Iler were spotted in a Las Vegas nightclub with several other celebrity friends. While they both went their separate ways romantically and neither actor ever confirmed their relationship status, it was believed that they dated for a good portion of 2007 (per Hollywood.com).
Lauren Graham & Peter Krause
Parenthood
NBC's Parenthood, based on the movie of the same name, aired in 2010 and followed the lives of the four Braverman siblings as they begin raising families of their own. The show featured heavy hitters such as Craig T. Nelson and starred Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls) and Peter Krause (Six Feet Under) as the two eldest children.
Both actors had incidentally met while on the set of Caroline in the City in 1995 but never pursued a relationship until they reunited for Parenthood. Since becoming official, the couple has guest-starred in each others' projects with Krause playing the no-nonsense park ranger in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.
Matthew Broderick & Jennifer Grey
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
The '80s was the peak for coming-of-age movies, particularly ones written by John Hughes whose creations such as Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club have transcended generations. The 1986 hit, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, launched the careers of Matthew Broderick as Ferris Bueller and Jennifer Grey portraying his older sister, Jeannie, who spends the entire film attempting to get Ferris in trouble.
Although the pair initially kept their off-screen relationship a secret, Broderick and Grey became incredibly close during filming and even became engaged before production had ended. The actors dated for four years before splitting up in 1988, one year after the tragic car accident that took the lives of two other people (per US Weekly).
Ian Somerhalder & Maggie Grace
Lost
Ian Somerhalder and Maggie Grace were among the main characters of Lost who crash-landed on the island in the pilot episode. Their characters, Boone Carlyle and Shannon Rutherford, had a complicated relationship as step-siblings which often led to conflict and long periods of estrangement. After Shannon finds herself in another dangerous relationship, Boone arrives in Australia to take her back to The States.
Though it was never explicitly addressed, Boone's romantic love for Shannon became evident in his distrust of Sayid and a flashback later in season one revealed that the pair had slept together before the infamous flight 815. After both characters were killed off the show, Somerhalder and Grace began a year-long relationship in 2006.
Barry Williams & Maureen McCormick
The Brady Bunch
Cast as step-siblings in The Brady Bunch, Barry Williams and Maureen McCormick portrayed Greg and Marcia, the two eldest of the Brady children. Due to the close proximity of the young stars working together, producers were put in charge of ensuring that no off-screen romantic relationships were pursued. Of course, that is easier said than done as was evident from the on-again-off-again relationship between Williams and McCormick.
Although their relationship was a well-kept secret, the pair revealed, almost 40 years after the show ended, that they had in fact dated while filming The Brady Bunch and that Williams had been McCormick's first kiss. McCormick detailed the goings-on in her memoir, Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice, in which she explained that they began seeing one another while filming the show's fourth season in Hawaii.
Amy Poehler & Will Arnett
Blades of Glory
Notable comedy couple, Amy Poehler and Will Arnett joined the cast of Blades of Glory in 2007 as the brother and sister figure skating duo, Fairchild and Stranz Van Waldenberg. The Van Waldenberg siblings served as the villains for the underdog team, Chazz Michael Michaels and Jimmy MacElroy, portrayed by Will Ferrell and Jon Heder respectively.
The obvious connection between the actors, who were married at the time, lent itself to the absurdity of the sports comedy and created the unsettling tension between their characters. When asked how they felt about playing brother and sister, the couple explained that while it made for comedy it was overall very creepy.
Tom Hanks & Rita Wilson
Sleepless In Seattle
Sleepless in Seattle, written and directed by the prolific Nora Ephron, is still regarded as one of the best rom-coms of the '90s. The film follows Sam Baldwin and Annie Reed whose cross-country relationship is sparked after Sam's son tells his father's story to a relationship expert on the radio. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, who later reunited for another Ephron triumph You've Got Mail, helped to create a modern An Affair To Remember.
Hanks' real-life wife Rita Wilson played Sam's sister in the film, Suzy Baldwin. The pair had met in 1981 when Wilson guest-starred on Bosom Buddies but didn't begin dating until 1986, following their reunion in Volunteers (1985). Hanks and Wilson have since cemented their standing as Hollywood's power couple.
Anna Kendrick & Bill Hader
Noelle
Disney+'s Noelle stars Anna Kendrick as Noelle Kringle and Bill Hader as Nick Kringle, Santa's children who grapple with the reality of their father's imminent retirement. While Nick Kringle is the intended heir to the throne, he is less than enthusiastic about taking on the job while his sister, Noelle, desperately wants the position for herself.
Kendrick and Hader reportedly began dating after filming the Christmas movie together and managed to keep their relationship private until recent news (per E! News). Though the pair had met years prior when Kendrick guested on SNL, they only started seeing one another after reconnecting for their roles in Noelle.
Shannen Doherty & Jason Priestley
Beverly Hills, 90210
Brenda (Shannen Doherty) and Brandon Walsh (Jason Priestley) were the fascinating new students at West Beverly in Beverly Hills, 90210, and quickly became the most popular siblings in town. Brenda's relationship with Dylan McKay (Luke Perry) made for one of the greatest couples in the show's history. Similarly, Brandon was paired with Kelly, the other leading lady played by Jennie Garth.
While the cast later revealed that several different pairings went on behind the scenes during the filming of the show, most notably was Shannen Doherty and Jason Priestley's off-screen relationship. Although they reportedly dated for just over a year, the pair often found themselves butting heads on set and have a tense relationship to this day, according to Nicki Swift.
Jennifer Carpenter & Michael C. Hall
Dexter
Dexter and Debra Morgan were two of the best characters in Dexter and had compelling chemistry as the brother and sister crime-fighting duo. Despite not being related by blood, the siblings had an unbreakable bond and a quick-witted repertoire. Actors Jennifer Carpenter and Michael C. Hall, who also starred as David in Six Feet Under alongside Peter Krause, began dating soon after Dexter first aired in 2006.
Carpenter and Hall's relationships progressed quickly and the pair were married in 2008. Ironically, as the couple split in 2011, the writers decided to give their on-screen counterparts a new romantic subplot. As season 6 came to a close, Debra Morgan discovers that she may be in love with her adopted brother, Dexter, and struggles with the reality of what that might mean for their relationship. The writing decision was wildly unpopular with viewers and marked the steep decline in the show's popularity.