Friends in high places: Our favorite Hollywood BFFs, from Matt and Ben to Kate and Leo
Donato Sardella/Getty; Todd Williamson/Getty; Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Show business may seem like a jungle to navigate alone, so having a friend with the same level of public exposure can be a lifeline. While many celebrities prefer to keep their personal lives private, a few openly flaunt the love and admiration they share for their closest Hollywood peers. Some friendships began pre-fame (like the time twentysomethingsAndrew GarfieldandJamie Dornanshared an L.A. apartment); some blossomed over years of working together (such as the ladies ofFriendsandRiverdale); and others simply evolved naturally (likeTaylor SwiftandSelena Gomez). In honor of National Best Friends Day, see a handful of A-listers who celebrate their camaraderie across Tinseltown. After meeting on the set ofDawson's Creekin 2001,Busy PhilippsandMichelle Williamsbecame the best of friends. In the years since, Williams guest-starred on Philipps' sitcomCougar Townand they've been each other's regular red carpet dates. In 2022, Williamstold PEOPLEshe'd love Philipps to portray her in a biopic. "She knows me better than anybody," she said. "It's not an obvious choice, because we're very different...[but] she knows every last detail about me, so she would get it right." —Mary Sollosi Taylor Hill/FilmMagic We'reholding spaceforCynthia ErivoandAriana Grande's kismet friendship. If theWickedmovie press tour has proven anything, it's that these two — who brought Elphaba Thropp and Glinda Upland to the big screen — have been changed for good: crying in sync, joined at the hip (or finger), and constantly singing each other's praises. "We've gained a lifelong friend," Grandetold EWin November 2024, while Erivo added, "We gained from these two women that we play, because they were so dedicated to being themselves, there's a renewed understanding of what it means to be yourself." —James Mercadante TheseCharlie's Angelscostars were friends before they were angels, but have been closer than ever since hanging up their wings.Drew Barrymorehas said thatCameron Diaz— who was a bridesmaid in her 2012 wedding — would be her one phone call should she ever end up in jail. "Not that any of us are going to jail anytime soon," Barrymore toldGood Housekeepingin 2016. "But 100 percent. She would, like, get in there and get you out." In January 2025, the actress shared six photos of the two over the yearson Instagram, with the caption reading: "And then I met this friend of mine, and all I have to do is stand in front of her and she sees everything I am, everything I stand for." —M.S. Matt DamonandBen Affleckwere friends well before they made the A-list. Though each of them picked up a few credits on their own at the beginning of their careers, the duo really burst onto the scene together in 1997 when they co-wrote and costarred inGood Will Hunting, for which they won theOscarfor Best Original Screenplay. Even now, their legendary friendship is integral to each of their celebrity images (and has played into Damon'songoing faux feudwithJimmy Kimmel). For Affleck's2022 EW cover story, he was interviewed by Damon as they went down memory lane — all the way down to discussing theirfirst feature film together. They've since gone on to work together in films likeThe Last Duel(2021),Air(2023), andthe upcomingRIPfor Netflix. —M.S. Not even Matt Damon scored an invite toJennifer Garnerand Ben Affleck's intimate 2005 wedding. Garner'sAliasdad,Victor Garber, and his future husband, Rainer Andreesen, were the only guests — with Garber officiating. Later that year, Garner asked Garber to be godfather to the then couple's first child, Violet. In 2023, the pair reunited forApple TV+'sThe Last Thing He Told Me, with Garner admittingshe kept breaking character around him. "So we've wanted to work together again, obviously, forever, and for [series co-creators] Josh Singer and Laura Dave to give us that chance was pretty exciting. The only problem was, I couldn't stop smiling at him," she told EW. "I was just grinning ear to ear. I was so happy he was there." —M.S. Jenna FischerandAngela Kinseyforged the best friendship over the course of nine years onThe Officetogether, and have remained close even after departing Dunder Mifflin. In the years since the sitcom's 2013 finale, the best pals have made frequent appearances on each other's Instagrams inOfficethrowback posts and hangout selfies. On May 17, 2022, the two released a book together titledThe Office BFFs: Tales of the Office From Two Best Friends Who Were There, which offers an intimate look behind the scenes of the show and a celebration of their years-long friendship. They've also got anOffice-rewatch podcast,Office Ladies. —M.S. Theo Wargo/NBC via Getty Lately, we've been fortunate to seeSteve MartinandMartin Shortregularly on our screens — and the past few awards seasons — sinceOnly Murder in the Buildingpremiered in 2019. But they've been keeping us in stitches since 1986 when they first costarred inThree Amigos. Since then, the duo has again shared the screen in theFather of the Bridefilms (1991, 1995) and taken their signature banteron the road with joint comedy tours. Yet, outside of entertaining everyone else, their greatest joy comes from cracking each other up. "Steve and my friendship is tied around a concept of ongoing laughter — and respect for each other and love for each other — but laughter," Shorttold PEOPLEin April 2024. "[I'd] like to just keep laughing." —J.M. The bestie love story betweenJennifer LawrenceandAmy Schumerblossomed quickly, but has held strong since they first started hanging out in 2015. The pair has gone on vacation together;danced on Billy Joel's pianotogether; and have supported each other in their motherhood journeys. In 2024, Schumerrevealed toVarietythattheir comedy script, where they played sisters, was ultimately scrapped — but they're already brainstorming future joint projects. "The way we're hoping our careers go, we might do something with more grit and teeth." Lawrence added, "Now that we're older, a sister comedy might not resonate as much. But we have every intention of working together." —M.S. As the saying goes: The sisterhood that wears pants together stays together.Alexis Bledel,America Ferrera,Blake Lively, andAmber Tamblynhave been tighter than your favorite pair of jeans ever since they first played Lena, Carmen, Bridget, and Tibby in 2005. The quartetfrequently reunitesand all were in attendance for Lively's, Ferrera's, and Tamblyn's weddings (with Lively planning the bachelorette parties for the latter two). In December 2024, the friendspublicly supported Livelyamid herlegal battlewithJustin Baldoni, writingon Instagram: "As Blake's friends and sisters for over 20 years, we stand with her in solidarity." —M.S. Leonardo DiCaprioandTobey Maguiremet on the L.A. audition circuit as child actors in the '80s and early '90s, and were principal members of the infamous "P---y Posse" (which also includedHarmony Korine,Lukas Haas, andKevin Connolly, among others), immortalized in Nancy Jo Sales' 1998New York Magazinearticle"Leo, Prince of the City,"as young adults. Now, almost three decades since the publication of that legendary piece, the old pals (andGreat Gatsbycostars) are still close andhave been spotted hanging outover the years. —M.S. Nothing can sink this duo's love for each other. Following their star-marking turns inTitanic(1997), the pair of Oscar winners havenever let goof their friendship, and reteamed more than 10 years later to star inRevolutionary Road(2008) together. "He's my friend, my really close friend. We're bonded for life," WinslettoldThe Guardianin 2021. In 2024, the longtime friends reunited at a screening for Winslet's filmLee— where DiCaprio kicked things off with high praises,calling her "one of the great talents of my generation."Ina video shared on X, the actor said: "Kate, my dear friend, your work in this film has been nothing short of transformative.... I continue to be awestruck, I continue to admire your strength, your integrity, your talent and your passion for every single project you create." —M.S. Taylor Swift has formed many squads over the years, but her bond with ride-or-die Selena Gomez — who appeared in Swift's"Bad Blood" music videoin 2015 — remains bulletproof. Swift has confirmed the strength of their friendship in subtle but pointed ways, from featuring Gomez's name on her T-shirt in the"Look What You Made Me Do"videotosharing girls' nights at award showsand even jokingly claiming a role in Gomez's future wedding bycommenting on Instagram, "I will be the flower girl." Gomez has demonstrated their unbreakable bond, too — celebrating her30th birthday with Swiftin 2022 andtellingVanity Fairtwo years later that Swift "is really like a big sister to me." Alexa, play "It's Nice to Have a Friend" by Taylor Swift. —M.S. Long afterFriendsended its run, these three will still be there for each other. BothCourteney CoxandLisa Kudrowwere invited toJennifer Aniston's 2015 nuptials toJustin Theroux(where Cox was maid of honor), and the trio of funny ladies have been spotted having dinners together in L.A. In 2021, the three joined their costars — the lateMatthew Perry,Matt LeBlanc, andDavid Schwimmer— forMax'sFriendsreunion, which was an emotional rollercoaster thatAniston needed to take abreakfrom. Two years later, Aniston and Kudrowcame to support Cox during her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony. "Friendstaught me the importance of camaraderie and really sticking together. These friendships were at the most important time in my life, and we went through so many things together," Cox said during her speech. "And it just taught me about being there for each other." —M.S. Mark Von Holden/Variety via Getty It's hard not to grow close after seven seasons of working together, but tacklingRiverdale's bizarre, hit-or-miss storylines was sure to bond the cast for life. The show's trio of leading ladies (Lili Reinhart,Madelaine Petsch, andCamila Mendes) have been anything but shy about their friendship —sharing BTS moments on social mediaandsupporting each other's post-Riverdaleprojects— and itwas heartbreak that brought them closer. "We all got out of relationships at the same time and then went through this pandemic together," MendestoldPapermagazinein April 2021. "And now we've been bonded by how much change has happened. Me, Madelaine, and Lili, specifically, we've never been closer than we have...It's really nice to have them, to feel like I do have friendships here — meaningful ones." —J.M. Jimmy FallonandJustin Timberlakefirst met backstage at the 2002MTV Video Music Awards, where Fallon was hosting and Timberlake was performing. They went on to appear in variousSaturday Night Livesketches together before Fallon began hostingLate Night, where the duo's "History of Rap" sketches went viral. They've sincemade songs togetherandreunited onSNLover the years. When Fallon was named one ofTIME's most influential people in 2013, Timberlake wrote an essay for the magazine; when Timberlakeplayed the Super Bowl halftime showin 2018, Fallon introduced him. The best friends will seemingly never stop showing up for each other. —M.S. Naomi WattsandNicole Kidmanwent to the same girls' high school in Australia, but didn't become friends until they worked together on the 1991 Australian coming-of-age filmFlirting. In the decades since, the stars have accompanied each other on red carpets; presented each other with awards; and gone on the record multiple times about their longtime friendship. Watts evenrevealed to EWin 2024 that before Kidman signed on to Netflix'sThe Perfect Couple— which paired her on screen with Watts' ex,Liev Schreiber— she reached out first. "We always check in," Watts said. "We're besties." —M.S. Charley Gallay/Getty After meeting in 1978,Jane FondaandLily Tomlinhave formed an iconic onscreen team, costarring in9 to 5(1980), seven seasons ofGrace and Frankie,Moving On(2022), and80 for Brady(2023). And reflecting on all of her countless collaborators, Fondaconsiders Tomlin"my favorite man I've ever worked with — she is my sister, and I love her more than anything." —J.M. It turns out these two stars have more in common than just being A-list heartthrobs. Namely:pranking. But even when they aren't pulling secret gags on their costars (or on each other), theOcean's Eleven(2001) andBurn After Reading(2008) collaborators — whoare always complimenting each other— have a strong longtime friendship. "We've been friends for a long time," ClooneytoldGQfor his joint cover with Pitt in August 2024. "And it's fun because we also check in on each other every once in a while, which is an important part of this. Things get complicated in life and you always have to make sure everybody's okay." The same year, the two palsreunited on screenfor the first time in 16 years inApple TV+'sWolfs, playing rival crime fixers called in to cover a high-profile crime. —M.S. Monica Schipper/Getty College bestiesBowen YangandMatt Rogershave parlayed their longstanding chemistry into a thriving Hollywood team. While both have made names for themselves (Yang onSNLand inWicked, Rogers onI Love That for YouandNo Good Deed), their collaboration has remained a constant — co-hosting their award-winning podcast,Las Culturistas, since 2016 and costarring in Hulu'sFire Island(2022). "I feel like best friendships are about like wanting everything for the other person," Yang saidduring a 2022 interview onToday with Jenna & Friends, "I get to watch my best friend rock it down on a TV show and be a scene-stealer and just give such a layered performance. It's so cool." —J.M. Salma HayekandPenélope Cruzwere friends long before they costarred in 2006'sBandidas, on the set of which they nicknamed each otherhuevos."We didn't have children yet, so we used to sleep much more than now. So it was a way to call each other lazy," Cruzrecalled toAllurein 2013. "We [slept] in the same bed so many times, and it was like she was always trying to wake me up and call mehuevos." The pair presented at the Oscars together in 2005; posted sweet moments on their Instagrams; and hasrepeatedly spoke about their longtime friendship. In 2024, they walked hand-in-hand on the red carpet atWSJ Magazine's Innovator Awards, where HayektoldEntertainment Tonight: "We're going through every stage of being a woman together — getting married, finding the love of our lives, having children — and nobody can understand me and life better than her." —M.S. Tina FeyandAmy Poehlermet in the '90s while taking classes at Chicago's iO Theater (formerly ImprovOlympic). In 2001, Poehler joinedSNL, where Fey had been a writer since 1997. Both actresses appeared inMean Girls(2004), written by Fey, and they brought their authentic chemistry to star together inBaby Mama(2008) andSisters(2015). Their back-to-back stints at theGolden Globespodium from 2013 to 2015 — andaWeekend Updatesegment at the 2023 Emmys— have fans clamoring for them to share another awards show stage ever since. While that remains to be seen, they've kept their comedic chemistry alive throughjoint toursandreunions onSNL, a show theycontinue to watch together. —M.S. The legendary bromance of J.D. and Turk lasted long beyondScrubs. They regularly goof around at industry events together and make jokes at (and about) each other on social media, andZach Braffserved as best man inDonald Faison's 2012 wedding to CaCee Cobb. Together, the two started a podcast series titledFake Doctors, Real Friendsin 2020; costarred in severalT-Mobile commercials; and evencompeted onWho Wants to Be a Millionairein 2024. —M.S. Gilbert Flores/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Back in 2008, Andrew Garfield and Jamie Dornan were just two aspiring actors sharing a home in L.A. with future stars likeEddie Redmayne,Robert Pattinson, andCharlie Cox. All these years later, these two have remained each other's biggest cheerleaders, supporting each other on and off the red carpet. "I'm so proud of him. He's an unbelievable actor and he proves it time and time again. So, I'm so thankful to have friendships like that, that have gone on for so long and to be able to support each other," Dornantold PEOPLEin 2022, with Garfield adding: "I love Jamie specifically because he's such a beautiful man and a proper true friend, just a good heart, and so proud of everything he's done. And we were so bored together. That's another thing about true friendship, just being able to sit around and do absolutely nothing and waste time together." —J.M. Kate HudsonandLiv Tylerhave known each other since childhood, thanks to their famous parents — they also attended high school together at Los Angeles' Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences. They appeared together inDr. T & the Women(2000), and both can be found from time to timeon each other's Instagrams. In 2022, Hudsonsat down withVanity Fairto take a lie detector test, where she crowned Tyler as her best onscreen kiss. "She beats them all. We, to this day, are like, 'Why didn't we go for it more with our making out?'" the actress said. "She has the softest lips of them all. Oh my God. Those lips? Those Tyler lips!" —M.S. They may seem like an odd couple, butAlexander SkarsgårdandJack McBrayerhave been best friends for years, photographed together as long ago as aTrue Bloodafterparty in 2012. As Skarsgård made the rounds on the 2017–18 awards circuit, celebrated for his turn onBig Little Lies, McBrayer was his date at both the Emmys and the SAG Awards, where they posed for a series of goofy BFF pics. Back in 2015, they appeared in aFunny or Dieseries about the two of them going on an Arctic adventure. —M.S. TheColdplayfrontman and the Cornetto trilogy funnyman have been best pals for years, andChris Martinis godfather toSimon Pegg's daughter, Matilda, while Pegg is godfather to Martin andGwyneth Paltrow's daughter, Apple. —M.S. Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly
Friends in high places: Our favorite Hollywood BFFs, from Matt and Ben to Kate and Leo Donato Sardella/Getty; Todd Williamson/Getty; Christo...
