On-screen romances captivate audiences, especially if the actors can make people believe a true love story. However, while chemistry may be sizzling on camera, it’s often not in a good way. Several of the most famous TV and movie couples hated each other in real life and couldn’t wait to stop working together.
One pair of actors’ professional relationship was seen in a different light when an old interview resurfaced during the #MeToo era. Meanwhile, another on-screen couple was so engaging during their make-out session in the rain that the friction between them remained a well-kept secret until the director let the truth slip in 2014, something he regretted years later. Let’s discover more!
Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd at the 37th Emmy Awards in 1985 | Source: Getty Images
Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd
These two actors starred together in the TV show “Moonlighting” from 1985 to 1989. The series followed the adventures of an ex-model and a smart-aleck detective managing a private detective agency.
Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis for Season 5 of “Moonlighting” in 1988 | Source: Getty Images
Their on-screen chemistry was perfect and worked great for the audience, but off-screen, their relationship was far from smooth. Still, Shepherd had great things to say about her former co-star in a 2005 interview. She said:
“I had no qualms at all. Even before success, Bruce [Willis] had that chutzpah. He had that spark. He was full of himself the minute I met him, and then he simply fulfilled himself.”
Bruce Willis for the “Moonlighting” pilot in 1985 | Source: Getty Images
She also noted that they had an immediate connection during the audition process. “With Bruce, the temperature in the room went 20 degrees higher. For me, anyway,” Shepherd added.
However, this intense connection had a downside. The actress revealed, “It’s hard to do a show and keep your relationships with everybody. I remember at one point in the show, it had gotten to where we just hated each other. It was a very volatile show anyway, but that’s also what made it great.”
Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd in an episode of “Moonlighting” in 1989 | Source: Getty Images
Despite their tumultuous professional relationship during filming, Cybill Shepherd has expressed fondness for Willis in recent years. At a charity event in 2022, she shared that no one else was “considered for the part” when Willis appeared at the audition.
The actress also said she would “always love Bruce,” especially in light of the news that Willis would be retiring from acting due to aphasia.
Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd for the pilot of “Moonlighting” in 1985 | Source: Getty Images
Their ability to maintain a convincing and loving couple on the show despite personal conflicts speaks to their professionalism and acting skills. Fans and younger generations can enjoy “Moonlighting” on streaming at Hulu.
Kirk Cameron and Julie McCullough
These actors starred together in the popular sitcom “Growing Pains” from 1985 to 1992. The show revolved around the misadventures of a family with a home business father and a journalist mother.
Jeremy Miller (Ben), Joanna Kerns (Maggie), Julie McCullough (Julie), Kristen/Kelsey Dohring (Chrissy), Kirk Cameron (Mike), Tracey Gold (Carol), Alan Thicke (Jason) for “Growing Pains” Season 5 in 1989 | Source: Getty Images
Cameron played Mike Seaver, the breakout character of the series, while McCullough joined the cast in the fourth season as Julie Costello, the nanny for the Seaver’s fourth child.
As the show progressed, the actor’s personal beliefs began to influence his approach to the character and the show’s content. He became a Born Again Christian around the third season, which led to conflicts with the producers over storylines he deemed too racy.
Julie McCullough and Kirk Cameron for “Growing Pains” in 1989 | Source: Getty Images
Steve Marshall, one of the producers, noted, “It made it an unhappy set and the actors were not happy and the producers were not happy.”
The situation came to a head when McCullough’s character, who had been dating Mike Seaver, was abruptly written off the show, although they were supposedly about to get married. This led to speculation that Kirk Cameron had objected to McCullough’s past appearances in Playboy magazine. However, the show’s producers have consistently denied this narrative.
Julie McCullough and Kirk Cameron for “Growing Pains” in 1989 | Source: Getty Images
Dan Guntzleman, the showrunner, explained, “The truth is, Julie was let go because Mike being in a committed relationship was a dead end. He was, after all, an immature imp who was ill-equipped to deal with a grownup world on all levels. That’s where the conflict and comedy came from: The maturity to have and maintain a lasting relationship fought against this.”
Cameron added Guntzleman’s explanation to his autobiography, “Still Growing.” He also wrote that according to the showrunner, McCullough’s character was only supposed to be “Mike’s first serious relationship.” Therefore, Julie wasn’t considered Mike’s endgame.
Julie McCullough and Kirk Cameron for “Growing Pains” in 1989 | Source: Getty Images
Mike Sullivan, another producer, added, “It was a guest star role; she wasn’t hired as a series regular. There was never any intention of the Mike character being married or in a permanent romantic relationship.”
Despite these explanations, the tension between Cameron and McCullough was evident. The actress later talked about her co-star and said she would “rather laugh with the sinners than cry with saints.”
Julie McCullough attends the 2011 Chiller Theatre Expo at the Hilton Parsippany on October 29, 2011 in Parsippany, New Jersey | Source: Getty Images
McCullough added, “I am at peace with God. Kirk thinks people like me are going to Hell, if I do then at least I’ll go well-informed and well-read.”
This case is a clear example of the task producers and showrunners play in these matters. While the actors’ differences would undoubtedly influence the storyline and any future projects, McCullough was written off because that was always the plan.
Julie McCullough and Kirk Cameron for “Growing Pains” in 1989 | Source: Getty Images
You can stream “Growing Pains” on and .
Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep
These two are some of the most legendary actors in Hollywood, and they were together in the iconic 1979 film “Kramer vs. Kramer,” a striking drama about a couple’s heated custody battle over their young son following their separation.
While their on-screen performances were praised beyond belief, their off-screen relationship was fraught with controversy.
Dustin Hoffman kisses Meryl Streep in a scene from the film “Kramer Vs. Kramer” in 1979 | Source: Getty Images
One of the most intense scenes in the film involves Streep’s character, Joanna, being cross-examined by Hoffman’s character’s lawyer. This moment required the actress to portray a woman whose self-esteem was being systematically dismantled. To elicit the desired emotional response, the actor reportedly used questionable tactics.
Before filming, Hoffman approached Streep and began whispering the name “John Cazale” in her ear. Cazale was the actress’s former partner, who had passed away shortly before shooting for this movie began.
He intended to use her real grief to fuel her performance, a method that crossed ethical boundaries. However, the actor also slapped Streep, who later reflected on this experience in a 2018 New York Times interview, during the peak of the #MeToo era.
When asked about working with Hoffman, she revealed, “This was my first movie, and it was my first take in my first movie, and he just slapped me. And you see it in the movie. It was overstepping.”
Despite these challenging experiences, Streep maintained her professionalism and delivered a performance that elevated her career. However, she never got “over it.” During an interview with Ladies’ Home Journal in the early 1980s, the actress said that Cazale’s death was still a part of her.
“But, just as a child does, I think you can assimilate the pain and go on without making an obsession of it,” Streep added.
Meryl Streep poses backstage after winning “Best Supporting Actress” during the 52nd Academy Awards at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California | Source: Getty Images
Meanwhile, the tensions between Hoffman and Streep made it to the media. In a 1979 Time Magazine interview, the actress recounted an incident where Hoffman allegedly touched her breast inappropriately during their first meeting.
However, Streep’s representative clarified in 2017, when the interview resurfaced and caused a huge stir, that the article was not an “accurate rendering of that meeting” and that Hoffman had apologized for any offense.
Meryl Streep And Dustin Hoffman at the Oscars in 1979 | Source: Getty Images
That’s why the actress told the New York Times in 2018 that it was a good thing those types of acting methods, where real physical pain and hurtful situations are used to draw out emotions, were “being corrected.” In today’s political climate, this kind of practice wouldn’t be allowed and would get any actor “canceled.”
Furthermore, because of everything that happened, Hoffman and Streep never worked together again. Meanwhile, you can watch “Kramer vs Kramer” on Prime Video and .
Dustin Hoffman kisses Meryl Streep in a scene from the film “Kramer Vs. Kramer” in 1979 | Source: Getty Images
Jennifer Aniston and Tate Donovan
The actors’s on-screen romance in the hit sitcom “Friends” masked a painful reality. The show, which ran from 1994 to 2004, followed the personal and professional lives of six friends living in Manhattan.
Jennifer Aniston and Tate Donovan on an episode of “Friends” in 1997 | Source: Getty Images
Donovan guest-starred for a six-episode arc in 1997, playing Joshua, a love interest for Aniston’s character, Rachel Green.
What viewers probably didn’t know was that Aniston and Donovan were actually ending their romance in real life during the filming of these episodes.
Jennifer Aniston and Tate Donovan at the Lincoln Square in New York in 1997 | Source: Getty Images
Reflecting on this experience, Donovan said, “I was just happy to be on the team. The only bummer was Jennifer and I were breaking up at the time. And so that was tricky to sort of act, and act like we are just meeting each other, and falling in love, or whatever, interested in each other, when we’re sort of breaking up. That was just tough.”
The situation became so difficult that they both approached the producers about cutting the storyline short. The actor recalled, “It was just six episodes. I mean, only because we were breaking up. We were like, ‘Hey, can we not keep doing this? ‘Cause this is really painful and tough.’”
Tate Donovan and Jennifer Aniston at the world premiere of “Hercules” in 1997 | Source: Getty Images
Despite their real-life breakup, fans would’ve never discovered there was anything amiss if Donovan and Jennifer Aniston had never mentioned it. Also, the actor stated that the cast treated him well. He said:
“They were fantastic. It wasn’t cliquey for me at all. I was lucky. The good thing that came out of it was that everyone was really cool about it, and really as helpful as they could be. In other words, they were just compassionate, very compassionate about the whole breakup.”
Jennifer Aniston and Tate Donovan on an episode of “Friends” in 1997 | Source: Getty Images
Furthermore, the other “Friends” actors’ support extended beyond emotional understanding. They even played a prank on Donovan on his first day, assigning him to a dilapidated trailer as a joke. Donovan’s calm reaction to the prank earned him respect from everyone on set.
You can stream the sitcom on Max.
Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams
The actors became A-listers after starring in the 2004 romantic drama “The Notebook,” which tells the story of two young lovers whose romance is threatened by their different social classes.
“The Notebook” movie poster during “The Notebook” New Line Cinema Los Angeles Premiere at Mann Village Theatre in Westwood, California | Source: Getty Images
The film has become a classic in the romance genre, and even 20 years after its release, fans can still swoon at the chemistry between Gosling and McAdams. However, the reality behind the scenes was far from lovely-dovey.
In a 2014 interview with VH1, director Nick Cassavetes revealed that the co-stars initially couldn’t stand each other on set. He recounted a particularly tense moment when Ryan Gosling asked him to replace McAdams with a stand-in actress for a particular scene.
Ryan Gosling arrives at the premiere of New Lines’ “The Notebook” on June 21, 2004 at the Village Theatre, in Los Angeles, California | Source: Getty Images
The director added:
I said, ‘What?’ He says, ‘I can’t. I can’t do it with her. I’m just not getting anything from this.’”
Heather Wahlquist, Ryan Gosling, James Garner, Sam Shepard, Robert Shaye, Nick Cassavetes, Gena Rowlands, Rachel McAdams, James Marsden and Jamie Brown at “The Notebook” premiere in 2004 | Source: Getty Images
The situation escalated to the point where Cassavetes had to intervene. He arranged a meeting between Gosling and McAdams with a producer present. The director told VH1 that the actors began “screaming” at each other, so he walked away.
After that fight, however, things got better. “I think Ryan respected her for standing up for her character and Rachel was happy to get that out in the open. The rest of the film wasn’t smooth sailing, but it was smoother sailing,” the director revealed.
Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling, winners for Best Kiss Award for “The Notebook” at the 2005 MTV Movie Awards | Source: Getty Images
What’s even more surprising is that Gosling and McAdams went on to date from 2005 to 2007 after filming wrapped. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly for the 20th anniversary of “The Notebook,” the director said that they “fell in love” and became a “fiery couple.”
Meanwhile, he has always believed that it was because of them that “The Notebook” is still considered such a romantic classic.
Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling, reprise their roles in “The Notebook” for Best Kiss Award at the 2005 MTV Movie Awards | Source: Getty Images
During this interview, Cassavetes also expressed regret for revealing the actors’ original issues back in 2014. He apologized to Gosling and McAdams and said he “shouldn’t have spilled the beans.” Meanwhile, fans can enjoy this movie on Max.
These five couples remind us that the magic seen on screen is often the result of skilled acting rather than genuine affection, and a lot can happen behind the scenes.
However, knowing this shouldn’t stop anyone from still enjoying the relationships on TV shows and movies. It’s all part of entertainment and sometimes, fiction can become reality.
