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Married Couples On Film
The husband and wife teams that lit up the screen

This week sees husband and wife Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly play, well, husband and wife in Creation, as Charles Darwin and his missus Emma. We were inspired to consider cinema's other marital pairings and see how their real-life chemistry translated to the screen.

WORDS HELEN O'HARA

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Married Couples On Film | Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton Married Couples On Film
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton
In which films: The VIPs, The Sandpiper, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe, The Comedians, The Taming of the Shrew, Doctor Faustus, Boom!, Anne of a Thousand Days, Under Milk Wood, Hammersmith Is Out, Divorce His, Divorce Hers

One of the most prolific screen couples in terms of shared films, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton's tempestuous relationship made their every move, or movie, news-worthy. And to their credit, they used that built-in box-office appeal to make some films that most likely would never have seen the light of day without their star power: Under Milk Wood anyone? Anyone? Onscreen, their chemistry was rarely as explosive as it seemed in real life - with the possible exception of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe and The Taming of the Shrew - but even a fraction of that legendary charisma usually did the trick. The one strange exception is Cleopatra, before they were married, with their affair in full swing, where their onscreen chemistry is relatively muted, the two generally looking puzzled by each other rather than lustful.

Chemistry rating

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Your Comments
1 RE: Married Couples On Film
Posted on Saturday October 10, 2009, 22:08 by JoeyPottr
Can't believe they forgot Bogie and Bacall, that's like getting rid of the word smolder when it comes to couples. " You know how to whistle don't you Steve, you just put your lips together and blow." I don't agree with the chemistry rating between Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith though, I thought they had great chemistry in their movies. I didn't think that Nicole Kidman or Tom Cruise had much chemistry onscreen simply because she looked like she could break him in half, (the beginning love scene in DOT, is just funny when she SLAMS him into the way practically picking him up) besides he had to stand on a box to film scenes with her. I didn't think that Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin had much chemistry together compared to oh say Kim and Mickey Rourke in 9 1/2 Weeks. I thought that Courtney Cox and David Arquette had some good chemistry in the Scream movies. Also Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn (not married but might as well be) had good chemistry in Overboard and Swing Shift. Read More

2 RE:
Posted on Tuesday October 6, 2009, 15:52 by hiptobesquare_x
I agree. The Big Sleep, anyone? Read More

3
Posted on Tuesday September 29, 2009, 03:05 by nickg329
The legitimacy of this entire list is negated by the fact that Bogart and Bacall have somehow been skipped. Read More

4
Posted on Saturday September 26, 2009, 03:54 by scousegit
What about John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands? Read More

5 We are such geeks :)
Posted on Friday September 25, 2009, 17:23 by Tokkas100
You guys all beat me to the Cassel and Bellucci pairings. Read More

6 You left out
Posted on Friday September 25, 2009, 12:04 by Andybee76
Dobermann, Brotherhood of the Wolf and L'appartement for the Bellucci/Cassell pairings!! Read More

7 Missing...
Posted on Thursday September 24, 2009, 13:43 by paulchilds
Suprised not to see Jeff Goldblum & Geena Davis Read More

8 Cassel-Bellucci
Posted on Thursday September 24, 2009, 11:15 by laulau1404
Come on Empire, you can do better your research than that! Vincent Cassel and Monica Bellucci were also together in Come mi vuoi, Le plaisir (et ses petits tracas), L'appartement (which was remade as Wicker Park), Le pacte des loups (Brotherhood of the wolf) and Dobermann. Read More

9 A tough watch?
Posted on Thursday September 24, 2009, 05:07 by uheiberg
I don't get you people. Eyes Wide Shut is absolutely fantastic! idiots... Read More

10 Sarah Michelle Gellar - Freddie Prinze Jr.?
Posted on Wednesday September 23, 2009, 21:43 by onursmg
How come they are not on the list?! They met on the set of "I Know What You Did Last Summer" in 1997. Sarah was also in Freddie's hit "She's All That" movie in 1999. They were also together in "Scooby-Doo" in 2002 and "Scooby-Doo: Monsters Unleashed" in 2004. If you are doing something, do it fair. Read More

11 brangelina???
Posted on Wednesday September 23, 2009, 19:35 by england_cmr
how can u missed out brad pitt and angelina jolie in mr and mrs smith??? also, althoug, technically not ON screen together, but tim burton and helena bonham carter Read More

12 RE: what about eastwood?
Posted on Wednesday September 23, 2009, 14:49 by darjeelingmike
Sorry to report that Irreversible fact isn't unknown, it's obvious on 2nd watch and for many, what makes the 2nd viewing even more shocking. Thankfully I knew this already but really, why the spoiler for those who haven't yet seen it even once?!?! Read More

13 Taylor And Burton.
Posted on Wednesday September 23, 2009, 14:26 by joanna likes films
I think my favourite on-screen married couple is Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. In Cleopatra, I could see the chemisty sizzing when they first lock eyes during the film. They did a lot of films together that made their relationship very intresting to watch. Paul Newman and his wife are second for being such a long-running couple and also have that instant chemisty. Read More

14
Posted on Wednesday September 23, 2009, 12:04 by Old_Pyrate
Also missed Brotherhood of the Wolf for Bellucci and Cassel Read More

15 RE: what about eastwood?
Posted on Wednesday September 23, 2009, 09:28 by grucl
Little known sick fact about Irreversible:   Cassel in fact doesn't kill the rapist. He kills a totally innocent man. The real rapist can be seen standing in the background. Read More

16 RE: what about eastwood?
Posted on Wednesday September 23, 2009, 07:41 by byredianboy
I can't believe Bogey and Bacall have been omitted Read More

17 what about eastwood?
Posted on Tuesday September 22, 2009, 20:22 by Symesie Boy
Surely you should have included Clint and that blonde-maggot-faced-actingly-challenged thing he appeared with in the Any Which Way brace of films and Bronco Billy, or whatever it was called. I'll do it for you, she was rubbish and was the only bad thing in a couple of great films, their chemistry was nothing short of bad. But Clyde was good. Very good. Read More

18
Posted on Tuesday September 22, 2009, 18:34 by Homegrove
Cassell and Bellucci were also both on this: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0237534/ althou gh I can't remember if they actually shared any screen time. It was a fun movie, must see what the DVD goes for in Amazon atm. Read More

19
Posted on Tuesday September 22, 2009, 17:50 by Toursiveu2
The most famous teaming of Cassel and Bellucci before Irréversible was French action extravaganza Dobermann. Why stop at ten couples? What about Dennis Quaid & Meg Ryan, Woody Allen & Mia Farrow, Paul Bettany & Jennifer Connelly, Brad & Angie... Read More


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