9 Actors Fell In Love With Their Directors While Filming

Find out which actors started up a romance on set…

In September 2020, Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde met on the set of Don’t Worry Darling, which Olivia was directing. According to on-set sources, the pair started as friends but things “quickly turned romantic” with the pair unable to stay away from each other during filming breaks. By January 2021, things had already gotten serious, and the pair were publicly spotted holding hands for the first time.

While the relationship drew negative attention from fans and the press, the couple kept things as private as possible. Despite criticism, they chose not to speak out about their romance.

“It’s obviously really tempting to correct a false narrative,” Olivia told Vogue. “I think what you realize is that when you’re really happy, it doesn’t matter what strangers think about you. All that matters to you is what’s real, and what you love, and who you love. I’m happier than I’ve ever been. And I’m healthier than I’ve ever been, and it’s just wonderful to feel that.”

Just months after the premiere of Don’t Worry Darling, the couple ended up calling it quits following almost two years of dating.

Director Sam Taylor-Johnson met her husband, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, while he was auditioning for her 2009 film Nowhere Boy. At the time, Aaron was just 19 and Sam was 42 -- creating a 23-year age gap. Sam went on to star in the film, and although things didn’t turn romantic on set, there was an instant connection between the pair. According to the couple, by the end of filming, Aaron knew they were going to get married, even though they had never even kissed.

“We were very professional through the entire film...But everyone on set knew. And as soon as we finished, he told me he was going to marry me. We had never been on a date, or even kissed,” Sam later told Harper’s Bazaar.

Aaron added, “And a year to the minute after we met, exactly one year to the minute, I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me.”

Just months after the film’s premiere, the couple announced they were expecting their first child together. Despite controversy surrounding their age gap, the pair have since tied the knot and welcomed a second child.

Zoë Kravitz and Channing Tatum first connected when Zoë was casting for her movie Blink Twice. She later revealed that he was her first choice for the part and she had actually written the role with him in mind. But it took over two years for the pair to connect as Channing says he saw a first draft of the film, and then the pair lost touch for two years. Around 2020, he was given an updated script and quickly signed on -- and then the pair began spending more quality time together.

While they initially denied rumors about their blossoming relationship, it eventually became clear that there was something going on between the actor and director. By the time filming started in 2022, they were dating, having connected over the script.

“I guess what I’ll say is when you make things with people it’s a very sacred space, and when you’re compatible with somebody creatively it often opens up other channels, because you're kind of sharing all of yourself,” Zoë told The Wall Street Journal. “I’m really grateful that this movie has brought him into my life that way.”

The pair eventually got engaged, but shortly after the film’s premiere in August 2024, they called it off.

Jennifer Lawrence and director Darren Aronofsky fell in love on the set of their film mother! They began dating shortly after filming wrapped in September 2016 -- but tried to keep the early days of their relationship quiet. By the time the press tour began, it was clear the pair were an item and couldn’t stop gushing about one another, despite their 21-year age difference.

While they were serious about their relationship, both on set and in real life, Jennifer admitted it could be hard dating a director.

“Normally, I promote a movie, ask people to go see it, and then it’s just out of your hands. I normally just kind of let it go. Dating the director was different. We’d be on the tour together, I’d come back to the hotel, and the last thing I want to talk about or think about is a movie,” Jennifer shared as part of Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series.

She continued, “He comes back from the tour, and that’s all he wants to talk about and I get it, it's his baby. He wrote it. He conceived it. He directed it. I was doing double duty trying to be a supportive partner, while also being like, ‘Can I please, for the love of God, not think about mother! for one second?”

Shortly after the movie’s premiere, the pair went their separate ways.

Kate Beckinsale and director Len Wiseman met on the set of Underworld -- but they were both involved with other people at the time. Although Kate told Entertainment Weekly it wasn’t a situation where she “ran off with the director,” they did begin dating shortly after they both became single in 2002. They stepped out as a couple just a few months later, and by June 2003, they were engaged. They tied the knot in 2004 and have since worked together on several films.

“The first time we met each other was when we were filming Underworld, and then we worked together again after we’d been married a short while…so I’ve had quite a few different experiences along the way. It’s different each time. We love it,” she told Momtastic.

She continued, “I think one of the things we like least about our jobs is that it can force separation from each other. One of the things that’s so nice about working together is that not only do we enjoy each other professionally, but we actually get to sleep in the same bed at night and hang out with our kid on the weekends, so it’s great.”

The couple were married for 11 years before separating in 2015.

Michelle Williams was starring in the FX limited series Fosse/Verdon when she met director Thomas Kail in the fall of 2018. At the time, they both were involved with other people -- but just a few months later, they had both ended their relationships. Michelle and Thomas sparked their own romance and by the end of 2019, they were engaged and expecting their first child together.

Rosario Dawson met director Danny Boyle while they were working on their 2013 film Trance together. Despite their two-decade age gap, Rosario explained that she made the first move just before filming wrapped because she didn’t want them to go their separate ways without discussing their feelings.

“From the outside it looks like there's a lot of dissimilarities, but we actually have a lot in common. We’re really similar people. He’s a very kind man,” she told Access Hollywood in 2012. “It was just one of those things where we were going to just go our separate ways had someone not said something.”

The couple dated up until just before the film premiered -- allegedly creating some awkward moments during the press tour.

Milla Jovovich met her husband, director Paul W.S. Anderson, while auditioning for his 2002 film, Resident Evil. The pair had a connection from the very beginning, with Paul recounting how his friend Jason Isaacs was there for her audition and could sense the chemistry between them.

“Milla left and Jason turned to me and he said, ‘Well, that’s it then.’ And I said, ‘So you think she’s great for the movie?’ And he said, ‘Oh, forget about the movie. You and her.’ So he felt there was some electricity in the room and he was not wrong,” Paul shared with Us Weekly.

Despite the sparks, their relationship almost didn’t happen because a series of rewrites removed many of Milla’s scenes -- almost driving her to quit. She says their relationship started after they sat down and went through the script together page by page. They began dating and made their red carpet debut just as the movie premiered.

They got engaged in 2003 and have since tied the knot and welcomed three children.

Kristen Stewart ended up having an affair with her Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders. At the time, Kristen was dating Robert Pattinson, and Rupert was married to Liberty Ross. Their romance began on set and they were caught by paparazzi during a makeout session. At the time, both Kristen and Rupert issued public apologies.

“I’m deeply sorry for the hurt and embarrassment I’ve caused to those close to me and everyone this has affected,” Kristen said in a statement. “This momentary indiscretion has jeopardized the most important thing in my life, the person I love and respect the most, Rob. I love him, I love him, I’m so sorry.”

Rupert and Liberty ended up divorcing while Kristen and Rob broke up -- but later briefly rekindled their relationship.