In Hollywood, acting duos have the potential to bring out the best in one another, resulting in audiences wanting to see more of the pair. Some acting duos have worked together many times, such as Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, and have become known and beloved because of it. Other duos, such as Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, have worked together for years, forming an off-screen friendship that helps create notable on-screen chemistry.
However, other acting duos have only collaborated one time, but were still successful in showcasing a compatible creative relationship that audiences might not have thought would work. No matter their history or number of projects together, these actors have brought about memorable duos. Their collaborative efforts have been praised by critics and audiences, leading to hopes of future collaborations.
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10
Drew Barrymore & Adam Sandler
Known best for The Wedding Singer
Drew Barrymore is one of Adam Sandler’s many famous collaborators in the industry. Barrymore and Sandler have worked together three times, with their first, and most successful, collaboration being the 1998 film, The Wedding Singer. The romantic tone of the film is endearing and the comedic elements are regarded as some of Sandler’s best.
The tonal excellence and balance in The Wedding Singer is the best example of why Barrymore and Sandler make a great duo. They bring out the best in one another, with Barrymore often bringing a unique charm to Sandler’s projects that couldn’t be done by another actress. Though their latest collaboration, Blended, wasn’t as successful, the two are overdue for another project together.
9
Saoirse Ronan & Timothée Chalamet
Known best for Lady Bird
An acting duo that has only begun in recent years is that of Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet. Ronan and Chalamet met while filming Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird, reuniting again a few years later for Gerwig’s Little Women. In each film, the two are each other’s romantic counterparts, effortlessly portraying a sense of yearning for the other, Ronan as the titular character in Lady Bird and Chalamet as Laurie in Little Women. The real-life friendship between Chalamet and Ronan is apparent in their on-screen work, making it impossible for audiences to say no to another collaboration.
8
Ayo Edebiri & Rachel Sennott
Bottoms (2023)
Following the success of Emma Seligman’s Bottoms, another collaboration between the film’s lead actors is needed. Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott are a great example of actors with one film together that proves to audiences they are a dynamic duo. Edebiri and Sennott have worked together before on the Comedy Central series, Ayo and Rachel are Single, but Bottoms brought their combined comedic talent to a larger audience. Edebiri and Sennott’s individual careers have quickly grown in recent years, so upcoming projects put a pause on another immediate collaboration between the two, but it’s likely the wait will be worth it.
7
Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Seth Rogen
Known best for 50/50
It’s been a few years since Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen worked together, so another project with the two is needed. Gordon-Levitt and Rogen’s most successful collaboration also happens to be their first. In the 2011 film, 50/50, the two play best friends, Adam (Gordon-Levitt) and Kyle (Rogen). The film follows Adam’s journey with cancer, bringing out a dramatic side to Rogen, a rarity for the famed comedic actor. The duo has been able to bring skills out of each other that are not often associated with their work, as seen in their other collaboration, The Night Before.
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6
Emily Blunt & Meryl Streep
Known best for The Devil Wears Prada
Emily Blunt and Meryl Streep’s reunion at the SAG Awards was a reminder of their most remembered and favored collaboration. The two, alongside Anne Hathaway, starred in The Devil Wears Prada with Blunt playing an assistant to Streep’s character. Following The Devil Wears Prada, Blunt and Streep would find themselves working together in similar opposing roles in Into the Woods and Mary Poppins Returns. In each film, the duo play characters with conflicting stories or personalities, though their differences are more lighthearted in Mary Poppins Returns, with Streep portraying Mary Poppins’ eccentric and fun cousin.
5
Adam Driver & Channing Tatum
Logan Lucky (2017)
Adam Driver and Channing Tatum have only worked alongside one another in one film, Logan Lucky. The duo is situated perfectly within the film’s quick and rewarding script as Driver and Tatum get to cater to their talents not often seen in other projects. While this isn’t surprising for Tatum, as he’s worked with Logan Lucky‘s director Steven Soderbergh before, Driver’s comedic side, though it’s controlled in the film, isn’t often seen in his filmography. Another collaboration between Tatum and Driver would not only be entertaining, but a switch-up from the latter’s recent string of mainly dramatic roles.
4
Keira Knightley & Matthew Macfadyen
Known best for Pride & Prejudice
As a duo, Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen are best known for their roles as Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy in the 2005 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice. Knightley and Macfadyen as the lead characters are often regarded by many as the best due to their chemistry with one another and their individual performances. Their following collaborations, Anna Karenina and The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, find the duo in differing relationship dynamics, but their compatible talents shine through. It’s unclear where either actor prefers to go in future projects, but a reunion between the two would be welcomed by fans.
3
Anne Hathaway & Jake Gyllenhaal
Known best for Brokeback Mountain
Having played couples in two films together, Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal’s success as a duo has seen both ends of the spectrum. Although the relationship portrayed in Brokeback Mountain that received long-term acclaim was between Jack (Gyllenhaal) and Ennis (Heath Ledger), Hathaway’s character, Lureen, still played a crucial role in the film. By contrast, Gyllenhaal and Hathaway’s relationship in Love & Other Drugs received mixed reviews from critics, with many stating the film feels disorderly. Recent reports say Gyllenhaal and Hathaway are being sought out to star in Beef season 2, providing an opportunity for a strong comeback as a duo.
2
Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone
Known best for La La Land
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone’s partnership has brought about memorable performances from the two, eventually leading to Academy Award nominations for their leading roles. As a duo, Stone and Gosling’s movies are guaranteed to feature the two exhibiting their on-screen chemistry, whether it’s lighthearted and comedic, such as in Crazy, Stupid, Love, or in a serious setting like in Gangster Squad. The performances of Stone and Gosling in the latter were a highlight for many audiences and critics in an otherwise lackluster film.
However, their talent as a duo is most apparent in the 2016 film, La La Land. The duo’s portrayal of aspiring artists who fall in love, and experience all the complications that come along with it, is done exceedingly well and it’s difficult to imagine other actors in their place. Another collaboration between Stone and Gosling would be a treat to fans, especially following the big years they’ve each had.
1
Winston Duke & Lupita Nyong’o
Known best for Us
Before their first film with one another, Winston Duke and Lupita Nyong’o met while at Yale. Years later, they both starred in the Black Panther films and Jordan Peele’s, Us. In Us, Duke and Nyong’o delivered brilliant performances as Adelaide and Gabe, as well as their doppelgängers. They don’t spend much time on-screen with each other in Black Panther or Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but their stories are still intertwined. The history and connection between Nyong’o and Duke make for a powerful duo worthy of a film that highlights their real-life friendship.
