Tom Holland and Zendaya are currently experiencing a peak moment in Hollywood. They starred together in two major films of 2026: Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Brand New Day achieved the largest domestic opening in history as reported by Forbes, while The Odyssey became a significant global success for Nolan. This led to a record-breaking weekend at the North American box office with the latest Spider-Man movie’s release in August.
Their success has solidified their status as a leading Hollywood power couple. However, evaluating the greatest movie-star pairings of all time is subjective, with no definitive criteria. Newsweek compiled a list based on five main factors: each individual’s stardom, combined box-office impact, awards and critical accolades, influence on popular culture and media, and the longevity and lasting significance of their careers and relationship.
10. Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell
Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell began their relationship in 1983 during the making of the 1984 film Swing Shift. They later starred together in Overboard and The Christmas Chronicles, along with its sequel. Hawn received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Cactus Flower and a Best Actress nomination for Private Benjamin. Russell’s notable works include Escape From New York, The Thing, Tombstone, Miracle, and several Fast & Furious films.
The couple chose not to marry, maintaining their independence while staying together as stated by Hawn in People. Their relationship, spanning over four decades, is among the longest-running partnerships between major Hollywood stars.
9. Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz
Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz first collaborated in the 1992 Spanish film Jamón Jamón and began a relationship years later, marrying in 2010. Both had established international careers prior to becoming regular Hollywood leads. Bardem earned the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in No Country for Old Men and Cruz won Best Supporting Actress in Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
In 2022, they were among the few married couples to receive acting Oscar nominations in the same year. Bardem was nominated for Being the Ricardos and Cruz for Parallel Mothers, marking the fourth nomination for each. Their ranking relies on their combined awards, international reach, and sustained careers in Spanish- and English-language cinema.
8. Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively met while filming Green Lantern in 2011 and married the following year. Reynolds achieved significant commercial success with the Deadpool franchise, whereas Lively’s credits include The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, The Town, The Age of Adaline, A Simple Favor, and It Ends With Us.
In August 2024, the couple simultaneously topped the North American box office. Reynolds’ Deadpool & Wolverine ranked first after surpassing $1 billion globally, while Lively’s It Ends With Us debuted in second place with $50 million domestically. Their combined film earnings, business ventures, and social media presence have established them as a prominent contemporary Hollywood couple.
7. Bruce Willis and Demi Moore
Bruce Willis and Demi Moore married in 1987 and divorced in 2000. They have three daughters and remained close post-divorce. During their marriage, Willis starred in films like Die Hard, Die Hard 2, The Last Boy Scout, Pulp Fiction, 12 Monkeys, Armageddon, and The Sixth Sense. Moore’s hits included Ghost, A Few Good Men, Indecent Proposal, Disclosure, and G.I. Jane.
Their marriage coincided with the most commercially successful periods of their careers. Each often led major studio productions, granting the couple considerable combined box-office power during the 1990s. Moore remains involved in Willis’ family life post their divorce, especially after Willis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
6. Tom Holland and Zendaya
Tom Holland and Zendaya teamed up in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, returning for Far From Home, No Way Home, and Brand New Day. Outside the franchise, Zendaya starred in Dune films and Challengers, while Holland led Uncharted, a video game adaptation. Zendaya also received two Emmy Awards for Euphoria on HBO.
Their current commercial success this year places them sixth, though their long-term standing depends on future career paths.
5. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall met during the production of To Have and Have Not, Bacall’s debut film, released in 1944. They married in 1945 and stayed together until Bogart’s passing in 1957. They starred together in The Big Sleep, Dark Passage, and Key Largo. The Academy noted that their “real-life love story” made international headlines, without diminishing their on-screen chemistry.
Bogart won the Academy Award for Best Actor with The African Queen while Bacall continued acting in films and theater for decades, receiving an honorary Oscar in 2009. Their collaboration and association with Hollywood’s Golden Age earn them fifth place.
4. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez began dating after collaborating on the 2003 film Gigli. Their engagement attracted extensive media coverage, leading to the portmanteau Bennifer, one of the first widely used celebrity mixes. They called off their first engagement in 2004, reunited in 2021 and married in 2022. Lopez filed for divorce in August 2024, finalized in 2025.
Affleck won two Academy Awards for co-writing Good Will Hunting and producing Argo. Lopez led films like Selena, Out of Sight, The Wedding Planner, Maid in Manhattan, and Hustlers, alongside a successful music career. Their high rank reflects ongoing public interest in their relationship after nearly two decades.
3. Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones
Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones met in 1998 and married in 2000. They have two children. Douglas won an Academy Award for producing One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and another for his performance in Wall Street. His other films include Romancing the Stone, Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct, and Traffic.
Zeta-Jones gained international fame through The Mask of Zorro, Entrapment, and Traffic. Her Best Supporting Actress win for Chicago added to her acclaim. The couple briefly separated then reconciled in 2013. Their combined awards, box-office achievements, and over 25 years of marriage secure their third place.
2. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie partnered in the 2005 action-comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Their relationship became public after its release, leading to marriage in 2014. Jolie had won an Academy Award for Girl, Interrupted and Pitt later won acting honors for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and as a producer for 12 Years a Slave.
Their public profile extended beyond cinema. Jolie worked with UN agencies over 20 years as a goodwill ambassador and special envoy. They founded the Jolie-Pitt Foundation supporting humanitarian work, health, and conservation. Jolie filed for divorce in 2016. Their prominence across film, humanitarian efforts, and international coverage ranks them second.
1. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton met during Cleopatra, released in 1963. They married in 1964, divorced in 1974, remarried in 1975, and divorced again in 1976. They appeared in 11 films together, such as The V.I.P.s, The Sandpiper, The Taming of the Shrew, and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Taylor garnered two Best Actress Oscars for Butterfield 8 and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Burton received seven nominations but never won. Their performances in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? earned both nominees, with Taylor winning. Their shared films, individual accolades, and global attention from two marriages place them at the top.
For further inquiries, reach out to Newsweek editors Ben Kelly and Gray R. Thomas.
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