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12 pairs of on-screen siblings who dated in real life

12 pairs of on-screen siblings who dated in real life
Peter Krause and Lauren Graham have been together for over a decade since meeting on "Parenthood."Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
  • In Hollywood, dating your co-stars is pretty common.
  • However, there's something strange about seeing on-screen siblings date in the real world.
  • Peter Krause and Lauren Graham started dating after playing siblings on "Parenthood."

In Hollywood, co-stars fall in love all the time - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. These 12 couples mostly didn't work out (with one exception). But that's not all they have in common - they also all played brothers and sisters on-screen.

From the Bravermans on "Parenthood" to the Morgans on "Dexter," all 12 of these couples played siblings (or step-siblings), while they were together in real life.

Keep scrolling to see which of your fave siblings were a little bit like Jaime and Cersei Lannister.

Jennifer Carpenter and Michael C. Hall were married (and divorced) while they played siblings in "Dexter."

Jennifer Carpenter and Michael C. Hall were married (and divorced) while they played siblings in "Dexter."
Jennifer Carpenter and Michael C. Hall in 2009.      Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Hall played the titular character in "Dexter," a serial killer with a code, while Carpenter played Deb, his foul-mouthed adopted sister. The two went through many stages in their relationship, but their bond was the heart of the show.

In real life, Hall and Carpenter started dating in 2007, tied the knot in 2008, and announced their divorce in December 2010. However, they starred on the show together for another three years, until "Dexter" aired its finale in 2013.

Read more: 18 pairs of TV co-stars who had to keep working together after breaking up in real life

Peter Krause and Lauren Graham were playing siblings on "Parenthood" when they began dating in 2010.

Peter Krause and Lauren Graham were playing siblings on "Parenthood" when they began dating in 2010.
Peter Krause and Lauren Graham in 2020.      Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

Krause and Graham played Adam and Sarah Braverman, respectively, on NBC's "Parenthood" from 2010 to 2015 — and during that time, they began dating.

"We couldn't stop talking," Graham told Good Housekeeping in 2016. "Not about ourselves, but about the world and books and family. Once we got together, there was no game play. It was like, 'You like me, and I like you.' It gave me an understanding of life: This is how things happen, and it's completely random."

A decade later, they're still together.

In "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," Matthew Broderick and Jennifer Grey played antagonistic siblings - but in real life, they were in love.

In "Ferris Bueller
Matthew Broderick and Jennifer Grey in 1988.      The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

Broderick played Ferris, the epitome of a cool kid, while Grey played his sour older sister Jeanie, who only wanted to catch Ferris in his lies in the 1986 classic.

Their relationship was revealed to the world in August 1987 when, while driving together on vacation in Ireland, the two were involved in a serious car crash that left two people dead. They'd break up around a year later, in 1988.

Chris Pratt and Emily VanCamp fell in love while playing siblings on teen drama "Everwood."

Chris Pratt and Emily VanCamp fell in love while playing siblings on teen drama "Everwood."
Chris Pratt and Emily VanCamp in 2006.      David Livingston/Getty Images

Pratt and VanCamp both got their start on "Everwood," a teen drama that aired on the WB from 2002 to 2006. In it, VanCamp played Amy Abbott, while Pratt played her older brother Bright. The pair ended up dating for a couple of years.

Pratt spoke about their relationship to TV Guide, right after the show ended. "We've pretty much gotten used to the response of, 'Eww, that's weird. That's creepy.' The people who know us are happy, and probably expected it to happen eventually. But yeah, every once in a while we get that one person that's like, 'That's really creepy. You just kissed your sister,'" Pratt joked.

"It never really weirded us out that we played brother and sister, because, you know, it's all fiction."

Maureen McCormick and Barry Williams played step-siblings on "The Brady Bunch," but "couldn't keep their hands off each other" off-screen.

Maureen McCormick and Barry Williams played step-siblings on "The Brady Bunch," but "couldn
Maureen McCormick and Barry Williams in 1972.      Darlene Hammond/Archive Photos/Getty Images

McCormick and Williams played Marcia and Greg Brady for all five seasons of "The Brady Bunch," from 1969 to 1974. Towards the end of the show's run, McCormick and Williams developed feelings for each other, as teenagers are wont to do.

McCormick wrote in her book, "Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice," that even she was creeped out sometimes to be kissing her brother, writing, "Oh my God! I'm kissing my brother. What am I doing?'

She wrote that their first kiss took place during the cast's trip to Hawaii in season four. But, she said, their relationship was an "on-and-off-again game," and they never officially became boyfriend and girlfriend.

Evan Rachel Wood and Shane West dated years after they played siblings on "Once and Again."

Evan Rachel Wood and Shane West dated years after they played siblings on "Once and Again."
Shane West and Evan Rachel Wood in 2002.      J. Vespa/WireImage/Getty Images

From 1999 to 2002, West and Wood played Eli and Jessie Sammler on ABC's "Once and Again." The show focused on their dad, Rick, and his attempts to move on after his divorce with a new woman, Lily.

A decade later, in 2009, the two were spotted together celebrating West's 31st birthday. "I think you can put two and two together," Wood said of their relationship status. "I won't confirm or deny it but I don't think I have to." She also added that West was her celebrity crush.

But it didn't last long: The following year, Wood was engaged to Marilyn Manson.

In "Roswell," Katherine Heigl and Jason Behr played siblings from a different planet. In real life, they dated for most of the show's run.

In "Roswell," Katherine Heigl and Jason Behr played siblings from a different planet. In real life, they dated for most of the show
Katherine Heigl and Jason Behr in 2002.      J. Vespa/WireImage/Getty Images

"Roswell" aired for three seasons from 1999 to 2002, and according to E! News, Heigl and Behr dated for almost all of the show's run, before breaking up in 2002.

On the show, they played Max and Isabel Evans, alien siblings who crash-landed in Roswell, New Mexico, and try their best to fit in with humanity, to varied levels of success.

Shannen Doherty and Jason Priestley played the Walsh twins in "Beverly Hills, 90210" but their real relationship was more like Brenda and Dylan.

Shannen Doherty and Jason Priestley played the Walsh twins in "Beverly Hills, 90210" but their real relationship was more like Brenda and Dylan.
Jason Priestley and Shannen Doherty in 1991.      Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc/Getty Images

Doherty played the rebellious Brenda Walsh for the first four seasons of the show before getting written off, while Priestley played the more popular Brandon during seasons one through nine (he was shown in archival footage for the tenth and final season in 2000).

In his book, "Jason Priestley: A Memoir," Priestley shared that "Various combinations of people slept with each other over the years. Nobody ever got attached. We never let it get in the way what we were doing. I will let you know that nobody ever got — work always superseded everything."

Even if their relationship wasn't serious, we'll always have these photos of them making out on the 1991 Emmys red carpet to look back on.

Read more: THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Beverly Hills, 90210' 30 years later

Ian Somerhalder and Maggie Grace played step-siblings with crushes on each other in "Lost," and those crushes translated off-screen.

Ian Somerhalder and Maggie Grace played step-siblings with crushes on each other in "Lost," and those crushes translated off-screen.
Maggie Grace and Ian Somerhalder in 2004.      Stefanie Keenan/Patrick McMullan/Getty Images

The two played step-siblings Boone and Shannon during "Lost's" first two seasons, with Boone's death at the end of season one being one of the most shocking moments of the show. Throughout the course of the season, it gradually was revealed that Boone was into his step-sister, and she took advantage of those feelings rather frequently.

In real life, the two dated for around a year, from 2006 to 2007, a year after Somerhalder's character was killed off. "Ian and I are still very good friends," Grace said in 2015.

Emily VanCamp dated another one of her on-screen brothers, Dave Annable, who played her brother in "Brothers and Sisters."

Emily VanCamp dated another one of her on-screen brothers, Dave Annable, who played her brother in "Brothers and Sisters."
Dave Annable and Emily VanCamp in 2008.      John Shearer/WireImage/Getty Images

In "Brothers and Sisters," VanCamp played Rebecca Harper, a young woman who comes into the lives of the Walkers (the main focus of the series), and reveals that she is their half-sibling — their father had an affair with her mother, producing Rebecca. She then tries to build relationships with her new family.

The only issue? That VanCamp and her on-screen half-brother, Annable (who played Justin) had visible chemistry and were dating off-screen. The show then made the choice to have Rebecca actually not be their half-sibling, freeing up Rebecca and Justin to date on the show.

VanCamp and Annable began dating in 2007, but broke up before VanCamp's character left the show in season four — Annable met his future wife, Odette, during season five.

"I looked like an idiot," Greg Berlanti, an executive producer, told EW in 2008. "Here were two young people who didn't grow up with each other, didn't know each other, but they had this electricity. There was nothing I could do."

Amy Poehler and Will Arnett were already married when they played incestuous siblings in "Blades of Glory."

Amy Poehler and Will Arnett were already married when they played incestuous siblings in "Blades of Glory."
Will Arnett and Amy Poehler in 2011.      Joe Scarnici/WireImage/Getty Images

Poehler and Arnett, who were married from 2003 to 2016, co-starred in 2007's "Blades of Glory" as the ice-skating Van Waldenberg siblings, the villains of the film. The two clearly have a vibe throughout the film, but it all comes to a head at the end of the film when they kiss.

Selena Gomez and David Henrie dated while co-starring on "The Wizards of Waverly Place."

Selena Gomez and David Henrie dated while co-starring on "The Wizards of Waverly Place."
David Henrie and Selena Gomez in 2008.      John Shearer/WireImage/Getty Images

Gomez and Henrie never publicly confirmed their romance, but there was much speculation about the two on-screen Russo siblings, who reportedly went on a few dates in 2010, and were spotted together in 2014.

No matter what, the two have remained good friends. Gomez attended Henrie's wedding in 2017, and the two teamed up for 2020's "This Is the Year," which Henrie directed and Gomez produced.

Read more: THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Wizards of Waverly Place' 9 years later

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