Good chemistry between cast members automatically translates to great performances and, on certain occasions, the bond tends to be so strong that actors find themselves dating off-screen. Well, it’s not unusual for actors to link up once the camera stops rolling. What’s unusual is when actors who have played couples in their respective shows go on to date in real life. Such pairings happen more in soap operas than in shows of other genres.
There’s a good reason why love spills from the screen to the real world for soap opera cast members. Relationship arcs are the main focus in this particular genre, and after weeks and months of pretend flirting, a real connection is likely to develop. Some of the couples that fell in love on set remained together long after their respective shows ended, while others failed to sustain the bond. Whatever the outcome, fans were thrilled with these pairings.
10 Casey Moss and True O’Brien — Days of Our Lives
Casey Moss played Jack Deveraux’s troubled son, J.J. Deveraux in Day of Our Lives. His arcs mainly revolved around drug addiction, family drama, and love. One of the character’s lovers was Paige Larson, played by True O’Brien. The characters were so good together that a romance blossomed between Casey and O’Brien, something fans quickly found out through their respective social media pages.
Their Current Relationship Status
Starring in a soap opera can teach one how to be romantic. This was proven when Casey made a wonderful proposal to O’Brien in 2022. In a video posted on Instagram, Casey went on his knees and proposed while the two were surrounded by the beauty of a blue ocean and clear skies. The lovebirds also shared a montage of the entire process, each with a caption from one of 1997’s most memorable movies, Good Will Hunting. Since then, they have laid low, so it should be presumed that they are doing great.
9 Kassie Wesley and James DePaiva — One Life to Live
As one of the fan-favorite characters, James DePaiva had three different stints as the character Max Holden in One Life to Live. During his second stint, Holden was paired with Blair Cramer (Kassie DePaiva), and even though this was only a short-lived affair, the actors went on to establish a strong relationship away from the cameras.
Their Current Relationship Status
Wesley and DePaiva’s relationship has lasted much longer off-screen. The two have been married for close to 30 years now and have a son named James Quentin. Interestingly, this isn’t DePaiva’s first marriage. Like his screen character, he tried and failed to find love a couple of times before finding the one. Prior to striking up a romance with Wesley, he had been married two times.
8 Kirsten Storms and Brandon Barash — General Hospital
Kirsten Storms and Brandon Barash have each appeared in numerous daytime soap operas in their careers. When they starred in General Hospital, their characters were paired up in chaotic but fun relationship storylines. Storms was the devious Maxie Jones, while Brash was the mean-spirited music lover, Johnny Zacchara.
Their Current Relationship Status
Storms and Barash weren’t together for long on the TV show. After all, the characters they played had a rebellious nature that wasn’t conducive to a long-term romance. Away from the cameras, they were able to sustain things for much longer. After dating for several years, they got married in 2013 and had a daughter. Unfortunately, they ended up divorcing and are now in a co-parenting arrangement.
7 Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos — All My Children
In the ‘90s, Hayley Vaughan and Mateo Santos were one of television’s best couples. In All My Children, the two constantly showed the world how lovers ought to solve their problems and were always there for each other at their lowest times. So strong was the chemistry that it spilled into the real world, with actors Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos going on to marry each other.
Their Current Relationship Status
The actors left the show early in the 2000s, but kept their romance alive. They now have three children, and what counts as very good news for the show’s fans, they are set to star in a spinoff titled Pine Valley. To fans of teen dramas, Consuelos is better known as Riverdale’s most iconic villain, Hiram Lodge. Given how long his marriage has lasted, it appears he isn’t as evil in person as he is on the show.
6 Tina O’Brien and Ryan Thomas and Bruno — Coronation Street
Tina O’Brien’s case is an interesting one, and the kind that has never been replicated anywhere else. In Coronation Street, her character Sarah Platt enjoyed experimenting with love, so she had a relationship with Todd Grimshaw before moving on to his brother, Jason. Interestingly, O’Brien ended up dating the actors who portrayed the respective brothers.
Their Current Relationship Status
O’Brien is no longer together with either of the two men, but she has a daughter with Ryan Thomas, whom she dated more recently. In real life, Thomas is Bruno’s friend, so O’Brien had always known him. Once she broke up with Bruno, she saw no problem in moving on with the friend, a decision that raised eyebrows but made sense, given the kind of chemistry all three of them had on set.
5 Lucy Benjamin and Steve McFadden — Eastenders
Eastenders is one of Britain’s longest-running shows, having premiered in 1985, and it’s still going strong. The soap opera has had several great couples, notably that of Lisa Fowler and the gangster, Phil Mitchell. On-screen, the couple had a lengthy but tempestuous romance arc that included them having a child together. After a while, actors Lucy Benjamin and Steve McFadden also established a romance in the real world.
Their Current Relationship Status
Lucy and Steve broke up in 2003, but the two are proof that a failed relationship shouldn’t necessarily cause people to avoid each other. After their breakup, they continued to work together on-screen and remained great friends. At the moment, Lucy is married to oil entrepreneur Richard Taggart, while Steve was rumored to be dating Karen Cairns. It was never confirmed whether they are married or not.
4 Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes — Days of our Lives
Bill Hayes has been playing the character of Doug Williams on Days of Our Lives since the ‘70s. On-screen, the character began dating Julie Williams (Susan Hayes), and the two got married during the 1976 season. The screen wedding happened two years after Bill and Susan’s nuptials. The two had wedded in 1974.
Their Current Relationship Status
Bill is the definition of longevity, both career-wise and relationship-wise. He has kept both his role and his marriage for all these years with no scandal or difficulty. At the 2018 Daytime Emmy Awards, the couple were awarded a joint Lifetime Achievement Award for their contribution to daytime television. The two are also the only soap opera stars to appear on the cover of Time Magazine, having done so in 1976.
3 Bryton James and Brytni Sarpy — The Young and the Restless
One of the most common soap opera tropes is that of billionaires always being sought after by women. Well, in 2019, actress Brytni Sarpy joined the cast of one of the greatest soap operas of all time, The Young and the Restless, as Elena Dawson, the tycoon Devon Hamilton’s (Bryton James) newest love interest. As the romance between Elena and Devon blossomed, so did the one between Sarpy and James.
Their Current Relationship Status
The actors were proud of their relationship, so fans were always treated to tons of photos. Then, one day it all stopped, and whenever that happens, it’s always a sign that people have gone their separate ways. The couple has never come out to reveal exactly what happened, but given that previous photos were also deleted, it’s safe to assume that they are no longer together.
2 Chad Duell and Kristin Alderson — General Hospital
For shows in the same universe, good characters often have a chance of survival, even when their respective projects get canceled. Such was the case with Kristin Alderson’s character Starr Manning, who was moved to General Hospital after the network pulled the plug on One Life to Live. This turned out to be a blessing for her. Starr began dating mobster Sonny Corinthos’ son, Michael (played by Chad Duell), and the romance diffused to the real world.
Their Current Relationship Status
Duell and Alderson’s relationship ran parallel to those of their fiction characters. Interestingly, Alderson briefly left the show and came back as a totally new character. When this happened, the actors also stopped dating. Duell is currently dating Luana Lucci, while Alderson recently got engaged to her boyfriend, Taylor Crousore.
1 Kristina Wagner and Jack Wagner — General Hospital
A soap opera veteran, Jack Wagner has appeared in shows like Santa Barbara, The Bold and the Beautiful, Melrose Place, and most importantly, General Hospital. In the latter, he portrayed Frisco Jones, and one of the reasons the character became so popular was because of his relationship with Felicia (Kristina Wagner). Thanks to the strong bond, Jack and his co-star began dating and got married.
Their Current Relationship Status
Jack and Kristina divorced a decade after getting married, but they have continued to work together. What’s more fascinating is that Jack has remained a serial co-star dater. After breaking up with Kristina, he briefly dated Melrose Place co-star Heather Locklear. Unfortunately, they had to call off their engagement. Jack then moved on to Ashley Jones, whom he had worked with in The Bold and the Beautiful.
