Iconic TV Couples That Were Actually Dating Behind The Scenes Too
Jim and Pam. Sam and Diane. Ross and Rachel. You know those will-they-won't-they TV couples who had audiences perched right at the edge of their seats waiting for that magical first kiss to happen. It often seemed so real, as if the dedicated actors were actually the hopeless romantics they portrayed on our television screens. Well, in some cases, that electric tension was 100% real. That's right, some of the nation's favorite fictional pairings were just as smitten when the cameras stopped rolling. While some of these celeb couples rode off into the sunset and never looked back, others quickly realized that their love was nothing but Hollywood magic.
Jennifer Garner and Michael Vartan
Got together: 2003
Still going strong: No
Jen and Michael played sexy spies, Sydney and Michael, for a top-secret CIA branch in ABC's Alias. Who, despite all of the highly stressful spy business, still found time to fall head-over-heels in love. Off-screen, the pair dated for about six months after Jen's divorce from Scott Foley back in 2003.
Jason Segel and Linda Cardellini
Got together: 2000
Still going strong: No
The fresh-faced stars met on the set of Judd Apatow’s cult-favorite comedy Freaks and Geeks in 1999. The grungy freaks had a "thing" in the acclaimed series that spilled over into real life. They started dating when the show was canceled just over a year after its first airing. Luckily, their romantic run was a lot more successful than the show that brought them together. There's speculation that the famous break-up scene in Forgetting Sarah Marshall was inspired by his split from Cardellini in 2007, but Segel has kept his answers on the topic suitably cryptic: “I can’t control what people think," he once said.
Rose Leslie and Kit Harington
Got together: 2011
Still going strong: Yes
Game of Thrones' Ygritte and Jon Snow fell for each other in season three, only to later break up when Ygritte shoots Jon with a cluster of arrows. Thankfully, their love story wasn't so tumultuous in real-life. The actors got married in 2018. And according to Kit, there's one place that holds a special place in his heart when it comes to his bond with Rose, "The three weeks in Iceland when we were shooting the second season. Because the country is beautiful, because the Northern Lights are magical, and because it was there that I fell in love."
Dylan McDermott and Maggie Q
Got together: 2014
Still going strong: No
Lieutenant Beth Davis and Detective Jack Larsen fell for each other while solving crime on CBS's short-lived Stalker, which inevitably led to a real-life romance between Dylan and Maggie. The pair got engaged after just seven weeks of dating, but sadly, things didn't last. Dylan and Maggie never settled on a wedding date and split in 2019.
