A lot of celebrity couples begin when the stars in question meet each other on set, and it's really no surprise — after all, it's no different than anyone else meeting their next significant other at work. Filming movies and TV series can be arduous, with long hours, and requires the actors to really get in the headspace of the characters they're portraying, emotions and all. So of course real-life feelings have come from all of that over the years.
Just like we have our own celebrity crushes, as it turns out, those in Hollywood have them too. From Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer's mutual crush on each other while filming Friends to the Twilight star who fell a little bit in love with her on-screen romantic interest, here are celebrities who were willing to publicly admit that they once had major crushes on their costars.
Real-life relationships might not have materialized from these crushes, but it's still fun to imagine what might have been.
Emma Watson & Tom Felton
In an interview with Seventeen, Emma Watson admitted to crushing on Tom Felton in the early days of filming the Harry Potter movies.
"For the first two movies, I had a huge crush on Tom. He was my first crush," she admitted, via Us Weekly. "He totally knows. We talked about it — we still laugh about it. We are really good friends now, and that's cool."
Hilary Duff & Chad Michael Murray
Hilary Duff worked with Chad Michael Murray on their teen rom-com A Cinderella Story, and like a lot of others out there at the time, she couldn't help but develop a little crush.
"I definitely had a crush on [Chad]. We had a few kissing scenes in the movie, and I remember feeling pretty nervous about that, but then we became friends and I wasn't so nervous anymore," Hilary told Cosmopolitan in 2016.
Sandra Bullock & Keanu Reeves
During a 2019 episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Sandra Bullock admitted that she had a crush on her Speed costar Keanu Reeves, and when he sat down with host Ellen DeGeneres that same month, he revealed that the feeling had been mutual.
"I think about how sweet Keanu Reeves was, and how handsome he was. It was hard for me to really be serious because he'd look at me and I'd be like …" Sandra said.
Jennifer Aniston & David Schwimmer
Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer played Ross and Rachel on Friends, and years later, fans found out their feelings were real off screen too. On the HBO Max Friends reunion in 2021, Jennifer admitted that they'd crushed on each other big time while filming.
"I remember saying one time to David, 'It’s gonna be such a bummer if the first time you and I actually kiss is going to be on national television,'" she said. "Sure enough, the first time we kissed was in that coffee shop. We just channeled all of our adoration and love for each other into Ross and Rachel."
Cole Sprouse & Jennifer Aniston
There was more than one crush happening on the Friends set — though this one is a bit unexpected. Cole Sprouse, who played Ross' son, Ben, admitted to having a crush on Jennifer too.
"I had a really, really hard time working with Aniston because I was so in love with her," he told the New York Post. "I was infatuated. I was speechless — I'd get all bubbly and forget my lines and completely blank. It was so difficult."
Shane West & Mandy Moore
Shane West and Mandy Moore played love interests in A Walk To Remember, and in a 2021 interview with Vulture, Shane revealed that the chemistry they had wasn't just for show.
"I think [Mandy and I] both had a little bit of a crush, but then we were just there for each other in the most honest and purest of ways," he said. "That sounds incredibly corny, but it's true and rare."
Matthew Davis & Selma Blair
Because Matthew Davis and Selma Blair's characters were engaged on Legally Blonde, it's no surprise that he ended up with a crush on her (even though things didn't exactly work out between Warner and Vivian in the movie).
"I’ll adore [Selma] until the day I die. I will always cherish her taking care of me and looking after me because I was so d–n green," he told the New York Times in 2021.
Josh Brolin & Ryan Reynolds
Nobody is immune to the charms of Ryan Reynolds — not even Josh Brolin, his Deadpool 2 costar.
"I was a secret fan of The Proposal, having watched it several times by myself," he said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "I told Ryan — I was like, 'I don't know why this is, and I don't know what this means psychologically, behaviorally, emotionally, but I have kind of a crush on you."
Regé-Jean Page & Phoebe Dynevor
After filming all those steamy scenes together on Bridgerton, should we really be surprised that Regé-Jean Page said in a video interview that Phoebe Dynevor is his celebrity crush?
"The joy that is Phoebe Dynevor, my Daphne Bridgerton, because how could you not be?" he said.
Tom Holland & Elizabeth Olsen
Tom revealed to British GQ that Elizabeth Olsen (and her Marvel character the Scarlet Witch) is his crush — even though he's currently dating one of his Spider-Man costars, Zendaya.
"I think Scarlet Witch is pretty hot, you know. I think Elizabeth Olsen's super hot and really nice as well!" he told the magazine. "She was really nice to me at the premiere. So yeah, probably Scarlet Witch."
Woody Harrelson & Elizabeth Banks
In a video for Mockingjay: Part 2, Woody Harrelson admitted that he had a crush on Elizabeth Banks after filming The Hunger Games films together.
"I have a crush on Elizabeth Banks, I'm not going to lie," he said. "I think she's a beautiful woman, I think she's a marvelous actress, and I just love her as a person. She's as fun as can be."
Ashley Greene & Jackson Rathbone
As Ashley Greene told E! News, while filming Twilight she developed a bit of a crush on Jackson Rathbone.
"I definitely had a crush on Jackson when we first started working together. He's just such a little Southern gentleman, and he's so artistically brilliant. So yeah, mad crush on him," she said.
Elizabeth Perkins & Tom Hanks
Elizabeth Perkins told Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live that she crushed on Tom Hanks while filming Big together — though he was already married to Rita Wilson at the time.
"He lays one on me about halfway through the movie. I had such a crush on him at the time. I was single," she said on the show, via People.
Kristen Stewart & Amy Adams
While they were filming On the Road, Amy Adams became Kristen Stewart's crush — and for more than just her good looks.
"Amy Adams, man, she's my favorite actress. I have a total crush on her because I got to work with her too — she's awesome," Kristen told W, via Digital Spy.
Vin Diesel & Helen Mirren
While working together on The Fate of the Furious, Vin Diesel developed some feelings for costar Helen Mirren.
"No one else in the room mattered. Nothing existed but this bond between her and me, and there was something really magical and really special about it," he said while honoring her at Lincoln Center in 2018, via IndieWire. "It's something that I'll take with me for the rest of my life."
