Old Hollywood Couples: Actresses Who Have Dated Their Co-Stars
Relationships on-screen are thrilling to root for, but what about the love that blossoms behind the scenes? In Old Hollywood, love stories between co-stars were all too common on the red carpets and they often ended in messy divorces (from either end) or unplanned children. But as harmful as some of these relationships and affairs were, it’s hard not to get invested in the juicy details between these actors.
Whether you’re a fan of classic Hollywood films or you just love to get the inside scoop, these Old Hollywood love affairs are as exciting as watching them occur on-screen.
1. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton
Taylor, while a world-renowned actress, was equally known for her many love affairs and husbands. These future lovers first met on the set of the 1963 film, Cleopatra, which saw Taylor portray the Queen of Egypt while Burton was Mark Antony. According to the famed actress, Burton approached her with the rather lame pickup line, “Has anybody ever told you that you’re a very pretty girl?” Given that Taylor was a major movie star and considered to be one of the most beautiful actresses at the time, she wasn’t much affected by the moment.
It wasn’t until their first scene together that Taylor finally fell for Burton. The two began a tumultuous love affair not long after, even though both stars were married — Taylor to Eddie Fisher (whom she’d stolen from her best friend, Debbie Reynolds) and Burton to Sybil Burton. The stars eventually left their partners for each other, marking the beginning of a torrid relationship.
2. Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy
Hepburn and Tracy first met on the set of Woman of the Year in 1942, which they starred in as a pair of journalists who fall in love. The actors fell in love in real life, too, but kept their relationship a secret for nearly two decades. Although it was known about in Hollywood, Tracy was a devout Catholic who was married and knew divorce was not an option.
Tracy never acknowledged his relationship with Hepburn, which only fueled the rumors. He also remained married to his wife, Louise Treadwell, until his death in 1967. Hepburn didn’t publicly acknowledge their affair until after the death of Tracy’s wife in 1983.
3. Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart
These major movie stars met on the set of To Have and To Have Not in 1943. Bogart, then age 44, was married to Mayo Methot when he met the 19-year-old Bacall. Although Bacall was not very interested in Bogart at first, eventually they fell hard for each other. The two began dating in secret while Bogart awaited his divorce from Methot.
Bacall and Bogart eventually married in 1945, shortly after the actor’s divorce. They had two children together — Stephen and Leslie Bogart — in 1949 and 1952, respectively. Bacall and Bogart continued to star in films together, including The Big Sleep (1946) and Key Largo (1948). The couple remained together until Bogart’s untimely death in 1957 at the age of 57.
4. Sophia Loren and Cary Grant
Like all love affairs, it starts with a first glance. Loren and Grant initially met on the set of the 1957 movie The Pride and the Passion, when Grant was 53 and Loren was 23. Loren was involved with her future husband, Carlo Ponti, at the time and Grant was onto his third marriage, this one with Betsy Drake.
Loren wrote in her 2014 memoir, Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow: My Life, “When I finally saw Cary’s unmistakable profile at the door, I thought I’d faint… He looked as though he’d just stepped down from the screen: a dream come true.” While Loren eventually chose Ponti and Grant went on to marry twice more, the two remained entangled for many years.
5. Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini
While Bergman admired Rossellini long before meeting him on the set of the 1950 movie Stromboli, the two didn’t begin their affair until then. Both were married — Bergman to Petter Lindström and Rossellini to Marcella De Marchis — but that didn’t stop their blossoming love.
Bergman had Rossellini’s child days before finalizing her divorce from Lindström and even went on to marry him. The couple had two more children together before eventually divorcing in 1957.
