Best looking on screen couple of all time?
A friend came over this weekend and said he and his 22 year old daughter had been discussing this for fun and, no shock, had completely different answers to the question: Who is the most attractive on-screen couple of all time?
His daughter felt it was impossible to beat Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
He, a 60 year old who watches old movies on TCM constantly, had argued for Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty in Splendor in the Grass.
I shook my head because Wood and Beatty, while both knockouts, can’t hold a candle–if you ask me–to Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman, possibly the two most beautiful white people that ever lived. (They starred together only once in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.)
However, I asserted–and neither my friend nor my husband agreed with me but they of course are wrong–that the most beautiful on screen couple of all time is Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai–I first saw them in the Bollywood blockbuster Dhoom 2. They were so incandescently gorgeous it was distracting!
I asked my daughter–25–and she argued for Brangelina or Scott Eastwood and Taylor Swift–yes, this is a cheat–in Wildest Dreams.
My friend Laura suggested Tessa Thompson and Nnamdi Asomugha in Sylvie’s Love. (I thought they were gorgeous but the film, a letdown.)
Obviously, the possibilities are endless and there’s no right answer. But it is fun to think about!
Who would you pick?
I’ve got to go to work, people. I have to stop googling beautiful people.
My sister reminded me of my obsession with Viggo in A Walk on the Moon. He and Diane Lane in the water are… something. “fans self” Throw in, just for eye candy Liev Schreiber and you’ve got a winner.
Not gonna be able to beat Jeff Bridges at his most hot and the always gorgeous Rachel Ward in Against All Odds. That scene in the ruins is legendary for good reason.
Against all Odds (1984) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p]
I’m gonna have to go with Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek in Desperado. They are both so stupidly attractive, it borders on ridiculous.
Banderas in his prime was a great match for Hayek, Zeta-Jones, Gugino, and Jolie.
Brad Pitt and Julia Ormond in Legends of the Fall.
So many gorgeous couples have been mentioned, it’s hard to pick just one. Here are a few more: Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp in Chocolat. Robert Redford and Katherine Ross in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Although, really the most gorgeous couple in that movie has to be Paul Newman and Robert Redford.
This is EXACTLY what I said during the original conversation.
I just realized we are overlooking Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones in Mask of Zorro!
I’m late to this conversation but just reading the post above, Banderas and Zeta-Jones were the first couple to come to my mind.
I agree with so very many of what’s been said already and now have a long list of movies either to watch or watch again. One I didn’t see mentioned yet (and apologies if I missed it) was Meryl Streep and Robert Redford in Out of Africa.
Can we put in a good word for Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O’Sullivan as Tarzan and Jane?
Their first Tarzan movie was pre-code, and holy cow, his costume was pre-code, too. I’m surprised that loincloth stayed on.
https://www.loa.org/news-and-views/1175-love-amid-the-treetops-the-lyrical-abandon-of-johnny-weissmuller-and-maureen-osullivans-tarzan-and-jane
That was a fun trailer and an interesting article! Thanks!
And if we go back even further to Silents, Greta Garbo and John Gilbert in Flesh and the Devil.
Helena Bonham Carter and Linus Roache in Wings of the Dove haven’t been mentioned,but they are definitely memorable.
P.S. Wildest Dreams may be a cheat, but it get my vote for top 10.
Madeleleine Stowe and Daniel Day-Lewis in The Last of the Mohicans. Just gorgeous.
Totally agree on this memorable couple! I watch this beautiful but heartbreaking film every few years mostly because of the two them.
Love this-but I say Uncas (Eric Schweig) was more beautiful than Daniel Day Lewis.
Agreed! He was just beautiful.
Erroll Flynn and Olivia DeHavilland made a beautiful screen couple. I believe they did nine films together. If I were to pick one film, it would be a toss up between Captain Blood and The Adventures of Robin Hood. Both of those films were early in their careers and Flynn was drop dead gorgeous. He didn’t age well, and his personal life was a mess, so he lost some of his appeal in his later films.
Other great pairs have been mentioned by others, especially Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell, Liz Taylor and Paul Newman, and Michelle Pfeiffer and Rutger Hauer. Its too early in the morning here so I can’t think of some more recent examples.
Beauty is subjective though, and what appeals to one person is a turn off to another. I remember back when I was in my 20s, my two best friends both liked long haired blond haired guys who were slender and not very tall. Another friend liked big, burly guys with a belly. I preferred tall, dark haired guys (Alan Rickman in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves). So I don’t think there is a definitive screen couple. You like who you like.
Ooh, tough one! Weisz/Fraser in The Mummy isn’t bad, but that’s also because they have such great chemistry. I would have been on board Jolie/Pitt in Mr. & Ms. Smith some years ago, but Pitt doesn’t really do it for me anymore. Taylor/Newman in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is also a very good suggestion, but I think I’ll go with my first thought: Audrey Hepburn & Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/5dd8ba80d6b6f52938b37dfe1dec9335/tumblr_mhml6mm4E11rsdz79o1_500.gif
Doris Day and James Garner in The Thrill of it All do it for me every time in the “oldies but goodies” section as I had a childhood crush on Brett Maverick!! In the Recently Near Past Section it would be Aidan Turner and Eleanor Tomlinson in Poldark. I will refrain from mentioning Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe. Oooops! Slipped out just before I clicked on Post Comment.
Ah, Brett Maverick! My mother, my sister, and I all had a crush on him!
I vote for Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell in The Mark of Zorro.
Ladyhawke is another movie with a gorgeous couple (Michelle Pfeiffer and Rutger Hauer).
Wandering off into the distant past…Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh in Gone with the Wind, Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon in Wuthering Heights, Hedy Lamarr and Charles Boyer in Algiers.
This couple popped into my mind immediately.
In terms of electric on-screen chemistry, I’d have to go with Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon. They were in several movies together and always gave the impression of being an actual married couple rather than just acting. I was actually kind of surprised to learn they weren’t a real-life item.
Chemistry is a whole ‘nother thing. I’d have to make up a whole new list for that!
Well, I thought the prompt was open to interpretation as in they looked best as a couple. ;-) Moreover, they both had a kind of classic elegance to them that I find endearing.
It’s hard to define looks anyway. I know a lot of people who think Tom Hanks is ugly, I find him attractive – not gorgeous but for sure not ugly. I’ve heard people say they don’t find Jason Momoa attractive (are they blind????) and others say Tom Cruise is too pretty. I prefer older Cary Grant to younger and you can’t convince me Humphrey Bogart is classically handsome. Charismatic? One hundred percent. Smoldering when paired with Bergmen? YES! Poster boy pretty? Nope.
I’d love to see a blog on the antithesis of best chemistry/best looking couple as in “People who should never have been cast together.” Alec Baldwin/Kim Basinger had no chemistry in the movies they were in, for example. Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson gave off such a strong “just buds” vibe they shouldn’t have been cast as love interests in Hunger Games franchise. No reflection on their acting talents but some things you just can’t act your way through.
Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant in Charade is a possible.
One of my favorite films! I absolutely agree re Hepburn and Grant.
Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury in Mississippi Masala.
Yes this! And it’s the only movie he’s filed where he takes his shirt off, I think.
Another great example – loved this movie and this couple in particular. I’m overdue to watch this one again.
When I was young I thought that Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting from “Romeo and Juliet” were the two best looking people in the world.
When I saw “Bride and Prejudice” with Aishwarya Rai and Martin Henderson I was pretty stunned with how good looking a couple they were. Same with any Olivia DeHaviland- Errol Flynn picture, but especially The Adventures of Robin Hood.
Grace Kelly was almost unbearably beautiful on screen but she was often paired with much older actors like Bing Crosby, Jimmy Stewart and a pretty old Clark Gable. I’m going to cheat a bit and say Mogambo with Clark Gable, but really because Ava Gardner played the other female lead in it and her and Grace Kelly playing opposites were just jaw dropping-ly lovely.
It’s less well known but “Queen Margot” (La Reine Margot) with Isabelle Adjani and a young Vincent Perez has two of the most beautiful people imaginable in their prime, acting opposite each other.
Oh, yes! I remember being besotted with Vincent Perez in Queen Margot. Good flick!
A few classic / unforgettable Cary Grant pairings: with Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief and with Ingrid Bergman in Notorious.
Another older movie with smoking hot chemistry is Duel in the Sun with Jennifer Jones and Gregory Peck (as the bad boy).
Queen Margot is just a feast for the eyes in every way between the lead characters and the costumes. The violence can be a lot to take though.Vincent Perez was at his most beautiful though and Isabella Adjani stayed stunning for decades.
Wow, Duel In The Sun! Not many people know that one. Talk about a bad boy “hero”!
SPOILER
Isn’t that the one where they both shoot each other in the end and crawl toward each other to die?
I recall that Jennifer Jones was married to David O’Selznick of Gone With The Wind fame and he put her in every kind of role from the saintly child in Song of Bernadette to the “bad seed” seductress in this one, to a favorite of mine- Elizabeth Barrett Browning in the remake of Barrett’s of Wimpole Street.
Yes, on your spoiler. It was a very toxic relationship from start to finish, but the passion was off the charts.
Cary Grant was probably the only man in the world as handsome as Grace Kelly was beautiful.
Hard to pick but my top choices would be
Omar Sharif and Julie Christie in Dr. Zhivago.
Audrey Hepburn · George Peppard In Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Paul Newman Liz Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Rock Hudson and Liz Taylor in Giant.
Helena bonham carter and Julian Sand in A Room with a View.
I’d definitely vote for Hepburn/Peppard, too!
I love “A Room With a View” so much, I think I wore my vhs tape of it out back in the day.
I’m a big fan of the Hudson/Taylor combo in Giant.
There IS a right answer and it is Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in The Mummy. [wpd-tenor full=’0f765fe1ffe3dca7da7391e1a851dfc1/tenor.gif’ preview=’6f44968d61ea69cd24d9b296f4a31238/raw’ width=’244′ height=’144′]
Although I have to say there is a LOT of evidence in support of Taye Diggs and Angela Bassett in How Stella Got Her Groove Back.
I do love that movie but… Brendan is kinda a goof…. <3
He could goof when he wanted to, but he could also just SMOLDER.[wpd-tenor full=’9e8188400ed8eefd762e320be05e4327/tenor.gif’ preview=’84932e2ce607b4c0f1b6d2e14b397b5b/tenor.png’ width=’498′ height=’269′]
I just saw him in No Sudden Move and he was unrecognizable.
Nothing wrong with a hot goofy guy.
Love that movie, it has to be one of the best, if not THE BEST, horomedys out there.
Agree for Liz Taylor and Paul Newman. But also want to add a vote for Audrey Hepburn and Peter O’Toole in How to Steal a Million. A fun caper movie where both just ooze with charm and beauty
I love “How To Steal A Million” so much. Peter O’Toole is perfection in the role and his chemistry with the stunning Audrey Hepburn is off the charts. It’s worth watching just to see Audrey in her black lace and mask ensemble.
I don’t know about all-time, but some I’ve always found stunning:
Juliet Binoche and Olivier Martinez in The Horseman on the Roof
Takeshi Kaneshiro and Ziyi Zhang in House of Flying Daggers
(I’ve attached pics, hope it works)
Takeshi Kaneshiro and Ziyi Zhang in House of Flying Daggers were an absolutely gorgeous couple. I also loved Ziyi Zhang and Chen Chang in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
I was coming here to rep Zhang/Chang Crouching Tiger!!!!
That would get a strong yes from me.
That is such a great movie – haven’t watched in a few years, I need to schedule in some time to view it again.
Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung in Hero (also has Zhang Zhiyi).
Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung in In the Mood for Love.
Really, just Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung.
I don’t know that I pay attention to looks as much as chemistry and my top picks for smokin’ hot chemistry would be:
An Officer and a Gentleman:Richard Gere and Debra Winger, who hated each other and turned that into passion on screen.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before: Noah Centineo and Lana Condo – super cute together.
The Empire Strikes Back: Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford – that scene when they are repairing the Millennium Falcon is priceless.
10 Things I Hate About You: Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles
Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron in High School Musical.
Kadeem Hardison and Jasmine Guy A Different World
Luka Sabbat and Yara Shahidi Grown-ish – this is more of an aesthetic; they looked good together but I did not like Luca (Sabbat) and Zoey (Shahidi) as a couple.
Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn in Overboard.
Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in You’ve Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle
John Cusack and Ione Skye in Say Anything…
.Robin Wright and Cary Elwes in The Princess Bride.
Richard Gere and Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman
Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing.
Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca – He’s not really classically handsome but their chemistry was amazing and she is totally gorgeous.
Rock Hudson and Doris Day – Pillow Talk,
Damon Wayans and Tisha Campbell – My Wife and Kids
Randall Park and Ali Wong – Always Be My Maybe
Randall Park and Constance Wu – Fresh Off the Boat
I’m with you on Paul Newman & Liz Taylor in “Cat on A Hot Tin Roof.” They we’re the first couple to jump into my mind when I read the question.