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The most important building block to any great on-screen couple is chemistry, that certain intangible energy between two people that makes us, the viewer, get lost in the moment and wrapped up in their storyline. And while great actors can create that chemistry, sometimes it just comes naturally. Sometimes two actors not only hook-up on screen, but that chemistry carries over into their everyday life. Hell, sometimes, like in the case of True Blood's Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer, it even leads to two stars exchanging wedding vows.
From Full House's John Stamos and Lori Loughlin to Revenge's Josh Bowman and Emily VanCamp, check out some of the greatest on-screen pairings that wound up turning into real life couples.
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Vincent Kartheiser and Alexis Bledel of Mad Men
Character names: Pete Cambell & Beth Dawes
Years dated in real life: 6 months
On AMC's award-winning office drama Mad Men, Vincent Kartheiser plays Pete Cambell, a brash young ad man with a penchant for women other than his wife. One of the women with whom Pete has had a tryst with is Beth Dawes, a naughty housewife played by the former Rory Gilmore, Alexis Bledel. In the real world, these two have been dating for a few months, and with one look at Alexis, it's obvious to see why Vincent's not a mad man in real life.
Joshua Jackson and Katie Holmes of Dawson's Creek
Character names: Pacey Witter & Joey Potter
Years dated in real life: 5 months
In a recent post-Tom Cruise interview, Katie Holmes described Joshua Jackson as being her "first love." However, as far as their Dawson's Creek characters go, it was a different story. It took quite a while for Pacey Witter and Joey Potter to wind up together. But after dating a few other guys, including Dawson himself, Joey did wind up with Pacey by the time the series ended in 2003. Now that Katie's once again single, maybe life can imitate art? That is, if Diane Kruger let's Jackson go.
Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson of The O.C.
Character names: Seth Cohen & Summer Roberts
Years dated in real life: 4
Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson's real life romance lasted just about as long as their series, The O.C. It began with nerdy Seth pining after the uber-popular Summer, his childhood crush, and it ended with the two getting married in a flash forward sequence on the show's series finale.
Jerry Ferrara and Jamie-Lynn Sigler of Entourage
Character names: Turtle & Jamie-Lynn Sigler
Years dated in real life: 11 months
On HBO's Entourage, Jerry Ferrara's Turtle met Jamie-Lynn Sigler in the first class section of a flight en route to Los Angeles. When the former Meadow Soprano wound up being into Turtle, Johnny Drama and company couldn't believe it. And when we heard that these two stars were a couple in real life, neither could we! In the series, Jamie-Lynn broke it off with Vinny Chase's little buddy. In real life, while we're not sure who dumped who, the couple parted ways in 2009.
Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin of True Blood
Character names: Bill Compton & Sookie Stackhouse
Years dated in real life: 6
Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin, who play brooding vampire and sexy fairy (respectively) on HBO's mega hit True Blood, aren't just together on Sunday nights. These two, who started dating after filming the series' pilot back in 2007, are now married with twins.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Tiffani Thiessen of Saved by the Bell
Character names: Zack Morris & Kelly Kapowski
Years dated in real life: Unknown
Being that few people read Screech's autobiography besides Dustin Diamond himself, it's not well known that Saved by the Bell's Zack Morris and Kelly Kapowski, Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Tiffani Thiessen, did indeed date in real life. Yes, apparently this romance extended beyond The Maxx. Ol' Screech claims that the two had an on-again, off-again relationship that lasted up until Saved by the Bell: The College Years, where Mark-Paul met his current wife, who played an extra on this short-lived NBC primetime series.
Imagine if Zack and Kelly got married. We bet Jessie Spano would have been so excited! So excited! So…scared.
Penn Badgley and Blake Lively of Gossip Girl
Character names: Dan Humphrey & Serena van der Woodsen
Years dated in real life: 3
For the better part of three years, Blake Lively, who recently wed Ryan Reynolds, was romantically linked to the CW show's "Lonely Boy," Penn Badgley. During that time period, Penn's character, the loser turned hipster writer Dan Humphrey, was also getting it on with Blake's character, New York socialite Serena van der Woodsen. Their characters have been embroiled in a drama-fueled back-and-forth with the likes of Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf for years.
Will Arnett and Amy Poehler of Arrested Development
Character names: God Bluth & The Seal Dealer
Years dated in real life: 12
On Mitch Hurwitz's Arrested Development, Fox's canceled cult sensation that's set for a 2013 revival via Netflix, Will Arnett played, and is set to play again, Gob Bluth, the lazy, self-absorbed, entitled magician of the Bluth family. In the show's second season, after a series of escalating dares, Gob winds up marrying an unnamed dealer of trained seals, played by then-real life wife, Parks & Recreation's Amy Poehler.
Sadly, in this case life wound up imitating art. Much like their ill-fated television marriage, this comedy power couple filed for divorce earlier this year. Much like his character Gob famously said so many times over, apparently Will 'made a huge mistake'.
Charlie Day and Mary Elizabeth Ellis of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
Character names: Charlie Kelly & The Waitress
Years dated in real life: 7
For eight seasons on FX's It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Charlie Kelly, played by the effortlessly hilariously Day, has been infatuated with Mary Elizabeth Ellis' character, who's known simply as The Waitress. Yes, although the gang went to high school with her, and although she hasn't actually been a waitress for the last four seasons, the self-absorbed owners of Paddy's Pub have still failed to learn her name.
In real life, there's no restraining order keeping Charlie away from the one he loves. Charlie Day and Mary Elizabeth Ellis have been married since 2006, and last year, had their first child.
Michael Vartan and Jennifer Garner of Alias
Character names: Michael Vaughn & Sydney Bristow
Years dated in real life: 7 months
Though Jennifer Garner's current alias is Mrs. Ben Affleck, she fell in love with her TV beau, Michael Vartan while she kicked ass on ABC's hit action-drama Alias. Vartan played Michael Vaughn, Syndey Bristow's CIA partner. Unfortunately for Vartan, after Garner met Affleck on the set of Daredevil, her interest in Vartan fizzled.
Josh Bowman and Emily Van Camp of Revenge
Character names: Daniel Grayson & Emily Thorne
Years dated in real life: 1
On ABC's Count of Monte Cristo-esque drama Revenge, Bowman's character, Daniel Grayson, is currently dating Ashley Madekwe's Ashley Davenport. But as anyone who watches the series can attest to, he's blatantly still in love with his former fiancé, Emily Thorne, who's played by the adorable VanCamp. In real life, their relationship is far less dramatic. The two have been happily dating for over a year.
Daniel Sharman and Crystal Reed of Teen Wolf
Character names: Isaac Lahey & Alison Argent
Years dated in real life: 7 months
On MTV's Teen Wolf, Daniel Sharman plays Isaac Lahey, a werewolf lacrosse player at Beacon Hills High. At one point, after she breaks up with her first love, Isaac dates Alison Argent, who just so happens to be the stunning daughter of a werewolf hunter. Allison is played by beautiful newcomer Crystal Reed. In real life, unless they're into some kinky role-play, no one's hunting anyone. Crystal and Daniel have been dating since the show's second season began.
John Stamos and Lori Loughlin of Full House
Character names: Jesse & Becky Katsopolis
Years dated in real life: 4 months
In the late '80s, Uncle Jesse and Aunt Becky were briefly romantically linked in real life. These two stars, who seemingly haven't aged a day since the show's cancellation, dated in late 1988. Though they were happily married and had two twin sons on this sappy sitcom, their real life relationship lasted only four months. It was a quick, whirlwind Hollywood romance. Have mercy!
Glen Howerton and Jill Latiano of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
Character names: Dennis Reynolds & Caylee
Years dated in real life: 4
On one particularly memorable episode of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia entitled "The D.E.N.N.I.S System," Dennis Reynolds, played by the vastly underrated Glen Howerton, describes his six-point foolproof system for seducing women. When the plan works, he refers to it as "Dennising" a woman. In this episode, which is arguably one of the hysterical series' best, the woman that gets "Dennised" is a local Philly pharmacist named Caylee, who's played by the gorgeous Jill Latiano, Glenn Howerton's real life wife of over three years.
Ian Somerhalder and Nina Dobrev of The Vampire Diaries
Character names: Elena Gilbert & Damon Salvatore
Years dated in real life: 2
Though she's 10 years his junior, photos show the 23-year-old Nina Dobrev is getting serious with her co-star Ian Somerhalder. The two met on set, while Ian was playing a bloodsucking vampire who regularly tows the line between protagonist and antagonist. While the show's a hit and their individual star power continues to grow, the couple has somehow maintained a relatively low profile in the press.
Nick Zano and Kat Dennings of 2 Broke Girls
Character names: Johnny & Max Black
Years dated in real life: 11 months
After a 2011 break-up with Haylie Duff, his girlfriend of three years, The Final Destination's Nick Zano began dating his current 2 Broke Girls co-star, Kat Dennings. On the series, much like in real life, Nick and Kat's characters are completely into each other, although in real life they actually seal the deal.
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis of That '70s Show
Character names: Michael Kelso & Jackie Burkhart
Years dated in real life: 3 months
Though they never actually dated while their characters were shacking up on That '70s Show, Ashton Kutcher's recent relationship with the impossibly hot Mila Kunis was a long time coming. The two had obvious on-screen chemistry, stayed friends after the show wrapped, and now, both fresh out of their own long-term relationships, Jackie & Kelso are finally "doing it" in real life.
Chad Michael Murray and Sophia Bush of One Tree Hill
Character names: Lucas Scott & Brooke Davis
Years dated in real life: 2 and a half years
While their characters were having a tumultuous on-again-off-again relationship for nearly nine years on the CW's basketball drama One Tree Hill, Sophia Bush and Chad Michael Murray were having a real life love affair of their own. The young celebs dated for over two years before getting married in 2005.
Sadly, neither their real life relationship nor that of their characters lasted. After just five short months, the marriage was annulled. In the wake of the marriage's collapse, Bush was quoted as saying, "It devastates me now that I have been reduced to a Hollywood statistic—another joke marriage. I never expected to be married more than once...because I knew what I was getting into and will always believe in love."
Sebastian Stan and Leighton Meester of Gossip Girl
Character names: Carter Baizen & Blair Waldorf
Years dated in real life: 2
Between 2008 and 2010, Leighton Meester dated Sebastian Stan, who played Carter Baizen, one of her character's many suitors on the CW series. But as characters on Gossip Girl change romantic partners like most people change socks, the on-screen relationship didn't last long. Carter, Chuck Bass' nemesis, was only a recurring character during the drama's first three seasons.
Brian Austin Green and Tori Spelling of Beverly Hills, 90210
Character names: David Silver & Donna Martin
Years dated in real life: 4 months
Beverly Hills, 90210's Tori Spelling and Brian Austin Green, the current Mr. Megan Fox, were, for a short time, the Hollywood "It" couple of 1990. And though their off-screen relationship fizzled after just a few months, their TV characters eventually exchanged vows during the series' final episode in 2000.