Celebrity Friendships That Began Before They Were Famous
Some of us have had lifelong friends who have seen us through every phase since childhood. Celebrities are no different. Many of them have had friendships that began well before they found fame, with some beginning their relationships all the way back in childhood.
Take a look at these celebrities who, surprisingly, were good friends way before the rest of the world knew who they were.
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck
Who would have guessed that two boys from Cambridge, Massachusetts, would go on to become the most influential performers in modern Hollywood?
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck met when they were children and grew up in the same neighborhood. When they decided to pursue their dreams of stardom, they supported each other as they went to auditions and landed small roles. While they were grinding there, the two were also working on a script called Good Will Hunting.
Good Will Hunting turned out to be a critical smash, and the best friends ended up winning the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Since then, their careers have been unstoppable, with Damon leading huge franchises and Affleck becoming a respected director and producer.
Ryan Gosling And Justin Timberlake
As teens in the 1990s, Justin Timberlake and Ryan Gosling were both cast on The All-New Mickey Mouse Club. The cast featured a number of up-and-coming young performers, including Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, but Timberlake and Gosling had a special bond.
Because Gosling's mom had to work in Canada, he ended up living with Timberlake and his mom during filming. As adults, Timberlake would become one of the biggest pop stars in the world after the success of *NSYNC and his solo career, while Gosling is an Oscar-nominated actor best known for Barbie and Project Hail Mary.
Scarlett Johansson And Jack Antonoff
Before he was known as the Grammy-winning music producer most famous for working with Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff was friends with Scarlett Johansson. The two were classmates at New York's Professional Children's School, a school designed for children who were working in the entertainment industry. Johansson already had a few film roles under her belt, and Antonoff was playing music, figuring out where he wanted his career to go.
They briefly dated and even went to prom together. Now, Johansson is considered an A-list actress with numerous Oscar nominations and multiple film franchises to her name. Antonoff formed two bands and is mostly known for his work as a music producer.
Christopher Reeve and Robin Williams
Christopher Reeve and Robin Williams first met as students at the Juilliard School in New York City back in the 1970s. When they were chosen for the prestigious advanced program, the two became roommates and began a close friendship that continued as their celebrity status began to climb.
In 1995, after Reeve suffered a devastating spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed, Williams was one of the first people to visit him in the hospital. They remained close friends, with Reeve's family describing their bond as close as brothers, until Reeve's death in 2004. Williams passed away in 2014 after struggling with Lewy body dementia.
Naomi Watts and Nicole Kidman
Naomi Watts and Nicole Kidman both met in their home country of Australia while attending North Sydney Girls' High School. However, they became close friends when they worked together on the film Flirting in 1991, which was Watts' first role.
The actresses have remained close over the years while their careers have taken off and propelled them to the A-list. They have described their relationship as a "sisterhood" and are often seen supporting each other at industry functions.
Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Wood
Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Wood formed a bond at a young age. Even though Culkin was arguably the biggest child star on the planet because of the Home Alone films, both boys were still in the early stages of their careers when they met.
After being cast alongside each other in the psychological thriller The Good Son, Wood and Culkin began a lasting friendship that continues to this day. Wood would go on to gain international fame for his leading role in The Lord of the Rings franchise while Culkin remained in the public eye while acting in film and TV projects.
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler
We know Tina Fey and Amy Poehler as the first female co-anchors of SNL's Weekend Update, hilarious Golden Globes hosts, and co-stars in films like Sisters, but they actually met long before their careers took off.
Fey and Poehler first met at an ImprovOlympic comedy class in Chicago in 1993. The two friends would go on to join The Second City's touring company before working together on Saturday Night Live.
John Krasinski and B.J. Novak
Most people know John Krasinski and B.J. Novak as Jim and Ryan from The Office. However, their relationship goes all the way back to their childhood Little League team. Both stars grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, and even attended the same high school. They have said that they were friendly growing up, but not super close friends.
In a stunning coincidence, they both ended up being cast on The Office, which kick-started their careers. Krasinski has transitioned from acting to directing, while Novak is an acclaimed comedy writer for film and television and has authored several books.
Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato
Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato are two stars who grew up in the industry together. They were in primary school when they first met while auditioning for Barney & Friends. The young actresses landed roles on the hit preschool show long before their careers took off on the Disney Channel. They even starred in the Disney Channel original movie Princess Protection Program together.
Fast-forward to today, and both are still in the spotlight, with Gomez starring in Only Murders In The Building and Lovato focusing on her music career. The two grew apart for a period of time but have rekindled their friendship.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire
Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire both rose to fame together in the 1990s. Starting out as child actors, the two struck up a friendship after seeing each other at auditions where they were frequently trying out for the same parts.
DiCaprio broke into the industry first after landing roles on sitcoms and earning an Academy Award nomination for What's Eating Gilbert Grape. Maguire wasn't too far behind and became one of the world's biggest stars after being cast in the Spider-Man franchise. The two friends starred alongside each other in The Great Gatsby in 2013.
Sarah Paulson and Pedro Pascal
Today, Pedro Pascal is one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood. After his breakthrough on Game of Thrones, he went on to star in other hits like The Last of Us, The Mandalorian, and Fantastic Four. But success didn't happen overnight for him.
Pascal spent many years as a struggling actor and wouldn't have found the spotlight without the help of his longtime friend, Sarah Paulson. The two have been friends since the '90s, and Paulson reportedly would give Pascal her per diem so that he could afford food. The two are now both established actors in the entertainment industry and have maintained their friendship through all the highs and lows.
Jada Pinkett Smith and Tupac Shakur
Jada Pinkett Smith met Tupac Shakur when they were both sophomores at the Baltimore School for the Arts in Maryland back in the '80s. The two became close friends, sharing a love of creating music and poetry. Despite claims that they dated, Pinkett Smith has shut those rumors down, saying that their relationship was strictly platonic.
As we all know, Jada Pinkett Smith would go on to become a successful actress in Hollywood. Tupac is considered one of the most influential rappers in music history, but his life was tragically cut short in 1996.
Cameron Diaz and Snoop Dogg
It might surprise you to learn that Cameron Diaz and Snoop Dogg were actually high school classmates at Long Beach Polytechnic. Snoop Dogg was a year older than Diaz, so they weren't super close, but he does remember seeing her at parties during their teenage years. Who would have guessed that these two classmates would go on to have incredible careers in the spotlight?
Maya Rudolph and Gwyneth Paltrow
It might seem like an unlikely friendship, but Maya Rudolph and Gwyneth Paltrow have known each other since they were children. The reason is that both of their fathers worked in the entertainment industry and were close friends. Rudolph and Paltrow attended the same elementary school, St. Augustine by the Sea in Santa Monica, before their careers took off. When Paltrow hosted SNL in 2001, Rudolph, who was a cast member at the time, joined her on stage to share their class photo with the audience and viewers at home.
Marcus Mumford and Carey Mulligan
Carey Mulligan is a multi-time Academy Award nominee, and her husband, Marcus Mumford, is the lead singer of the band Mumford & Sons. This isn't just a classic case of an actress marrying a musician, though. These two first met when they were kids at a church camp. They became pen pals but drifted apart before reconnecting as adults. Now the two are married and share three children together.
Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance
When Angela Bassett first met her now-husband, Courtney B. Vance, they were both graduate students at the Yale School of Drama. Vance had a girlfriend at the time, and both actors were focused on their studies. Years later, the two friends reconnected when they were both single and began dating. They officially married in 1997 and have been together ever since.
Adam Levine and Jonah Hill
These two might seem like a bit of an odd match, but their friendship goes all the way back to childhood. Adam Levine and Jonah Hill's families were close friends, so the two grew up together, went to the same school, and even carpooled together. In 2014, Hill served as the officiant at Levine's wedding to Behati Prinsloo.
Lisa Kudrow and Conan O'Brien
Lisa Kudrow skyrocketed to fame in the 1990s when she was cast on the hit show Friends. Knowing how her career turned out, it might surprise you to learn that at one point, she considered walking away from acting. That is, until she met Conan O'Brien at a beginner's improv group in Los Angeles in the '80s.
Kudrow and O'Brien became close friends and even dated for a brief time. They supported each other throughout their career ups and downs, with Kudrow even suggesting that O'Brien should consider hosting a comedy show. The rest is history.
Nicole Ritchie and Paris Hilton
Many of us remember watching Nicole Ritchie and Paris Hilton on the reality show The Simple Life back in the 2000s. While the show had a very loose definition of "reality", their friendship was real. The two socialites first met as toddlers and attended the Buckley School together.
While they had a brief falling out, the two reconnected and are still close as they navigate motherhood and their families together.
Liv Tyler and Kate Hudson
Actresses Liv Tyler and Kate Hudson have been friends for nearly 40 years. The two first met as teenagers when they were attending Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica, California. They formed an instant bond that translated into their careers. In 2000, Hudson and Tyler co-starred in the film Dr. T & the Women.
John Mulaney and Nick Kroll
Both John Mulaney and Nick Kroll have had impressive comedy careers in Hollywood, working as stand-up comics, writers, and actors. The two first met at Georgetown University and were involved in the school's improv troupe. Over the years, they have remained close collaborators and friends. They starred in the original Broadway production Oh, Hello together and in the animated Netflix show Big Mouth.
Ewan McGregor and Jude Law
Early on in their careers, when they were both struggling actors, Ewan McGregor and Jude Law were friends sharing an apartment in Primrose Hill. The two actors even admitted that they shared a bunk bed to keep costs down. Decades later, both actors have found international success: McGregor is best known for the Star Wars franchise, while Law is a prolific actor with a diverse filmography.
Connie Britton and Lauren Graham
These two actresses have had long and celebrated careers in Hollywood – particularly on television – but it wasn't always this way. Once upon a time, Connie Britton and Lauren Graham were just starting out in their careers and ended up as roommates. Britton revealed that they lived together in an empty house in Los Angeles as they tried to break into the industry.
They remain close friends to this day, with Britton supporting Graham when she was awarded her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell
If you had told us that Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell were once roommates, we wouldn't have believed you. How is it possible that two funny guys named Steve met in Chicago, lived together, and went on to become comedy legends? Well, this is definitely a case of life being stranger than fiction.
Colbert and Carell first met while performing at Chicago's Second City comedy troupe. As we all know, Carell would find fame after his roles on The Office and The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Colbert broke out on The Daily Show before becoming the host of The Late Show.
Holly Hunter and Frances McDormand
Holly Hunter and Frances McDormand first met because their boyfriends at the time were friends. The four friends decided to move into the same building, but when Hunter and McDormand broke up with their partners, the two women decided to continue living together and remained close. It's incredible to think how humble beginnings led to a lifelong friendship for two Oscar-winning actresses.
Danny DeVito and Michael Douglas
Back in the 1960s, Danny DeVito and Michael Douglas were roommates. What could have been a disaster for two seemingly mismatched aspiring actors turned into a great friendship. DeVito and Douglas bonded over their acting ambitions and shared sense of humor. Years after their friendship began, they finally got to work together when they were both cast in Romancing the Stone.
Matt Bomer And Lee Pace
Matt Bomer and Lee Pace attended the same high school together and struck up a friendship as teenagers performing in their school's theater club. Bomer has even joked that when he first met Pace, he was actually taller than him (Pace is 6'5"). They remained friends when their careers were starting out and shared an apartment together in New York City.
Judd Apatow and Adam Sandler
In the 1980s, Judd Apatow and Adam Sandler were roommates sharing an apartment in California and trying to break into the industry. Sandler was performing stand-up at the time, and Apatow was working as a comedy writer.
Sandler's breakthrough came when he was cast on Saturday Night Live. While Apatow found success in the '90s working as a writer, he didn't really gain mainstream recognition until the 2000s when he directed The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Since then, he has produced and directed a number of acclaimed comedy films, including Knocked Up, This Is 40, and Trainwreck.
Sandler and Apatow reunited for the film Funny People in 2009.
Topher Grace and Chloë Sevigny
Topher Grace and Chloë Sevigny grew up in the same town of Darien, Connecticut. What's interesting about their relationship before fame is that they weren't exactly friends – Sevigny worked as a babysitter and would watch Grace and his sister. The two also acted together in local theater productions.
Fast-forward a few years, and Sevigny became a sought-after actress in the indie film scene while Grace landed the main role on That '70s Show. And to think, their careers started in Darien, Connecticut.
Andy Samberg and Chelsea Peretti
Fans know these actors as two of the stars of the popular sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but Andy Samberg and Chelsea Peretti both grew up in the Bay Area and attended the same elementary school. The writers of Brooklyn Nine-Nine included this real-life detail in the show by making Samberg and Peretti's characters friends since childhood, as well.
Emily McWilliams
