Teen TV costars who became real-life besties

Over the years, teen TV has given us countless on-screen friendships that have taken us on emotional roller coasters, from Beverly Hills, 90210's Brenda and Kelly to The Vampire Diaries' Bonnie and Damon. Here are some costars who took their undeniable chemistry off-screen and are still going strong.

Tyler Posey and Dylan O'Brien

Tyler Posey and Dylan O'Brien perfectly embodied the unbreakable friendship between Scott and Stiles on MTV's Teen Wolf. Their onscreen friendship was more of a brotherhood, rather than a relationship between best friends. The two never let each other down, whether that was Stiles helping Scott control his wolf abilities or Scott refusing to give up on Stiles when he was taken over by the Void kitsune spirit. The duo is still going strong!

Ariana Grande and Elizabeth Gilles

We have Victorious to thank for introducing the world to Ariana Grande, but that's not the only thing that came out of the Nickelodeon show. In addition to Grande's rise to fame, she also came out of the show with a best friend. Elizabeth Gilles (who played Jade) regularly makes appearances on Grande's Instagram, and can even be seen in the "Thank U, Next" music video. The highlight of this friendship has to be when the two took the stage together. They recreated "Give It Up" during Grande's Sweetener tour and the crowd was left speechless.

Lili Reinhart, Madelaine Petsch, and Camila Mendes

Riverdale's Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper, and Cheryl Blossom may not always see eye-to-eye, but the actresses who portray the trio are always supporting one another. On-screen they're put through a lot of unexpected challenges (murderous fathers being the main one), off-screen they make it known they can take on anything. A bonus factor from this trio is getting to see the halloween costumes they come up with and the endless YouTube content they bring fans.

Alisha Boe and Brandon Flynn

Justin Foley and Jessica Davis didn't have an instant friendship in 13 Reasons Why, but that didn't stop fans from loving the evolution of their individual character arcs, as well as their joint story. Though their friendship (and romantic relationship) had countless troubles, there was an inexplicable amount of love at its core. Alisha Boe and Brandon Flynn brought that love into real life, with Flynn declaring Boe "one of the closest people in [his] life" in this touching Instagram post.

Busy Philipps and Michelle Williams

On Dawson's Creek, Busy Philipps' Audrey and Michelle Williams' Jen made quick and close friends and the same can be said for the actresses in real life. Whether it's hitting the red carpet together or supporting each other's careers, Philipps and Williams always have each other's back. During EW's reunion with the Dawson's Creek cast in 2018, Philipps revealed that she once almost got into a bar fight while defending Williams' honor, and the rest is history.

Tori Spelling and Jennie Garth

Jennie Garth's Beverly Hills, 90210 character Kelly had her ups and downs when it came to friendships. (We don't need to relive the Kelly-Brenda-Dylan drama.) However, that didn't stop Garth from gaining a life-long friendship. Garth and Tori Spelling hang out regularly and often refer to each other as their "partner in crime for life." Without this friendship, we may not have ever gotten the short-lived Beverly Hills, 90210 reboot.

Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder

The Vampire Diaries fandom was constantly plagued with the question: Team Stefan or Team Damon? Lucky for us there's no need to pick between the two in real life. Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder played brothers in the CW show, now they are business partners. In 2021, the two officially released their bourbon line, Brother's Bond Bourbon, proving their bond will last a lifetime.

Shay Mitchell and Ashley Benson

Emily Fields and Hanna Marin always had an extremely close friendship on Pretty Little Liars, and that relationship continued offscreen into Shay Mitchell and Ashley Benson's life. They were not only best friends, but partners in crime and it showed, from helping Hanna with her dance moves to Emily confiding in Hanna when it came to her sexuality. If you're ever looking for some Mitchell/Benson content, just look at Mitchell's TikTok account and you're sure to find something good.

James Lafferty and Stephen Colletti

Stephen Colletti made his first One Tree Hill appearance as Chase Adams in season 4 and quickly won the heart of Sophia Bush's Brooke Davis. However, it turns out that off-screen he won the real heart of James Lafferty. Not only are the two still friends but they are also co-collaborators. The duo's latest project, the series Everyone Is Doing Great, is currently streaming on Hulu.

KJ Apa and Charles Melton

Archie and Reggie have had their fair share of arguments (including fist fights) on screen. But when KJ Apa and Charles Melton aren't on the job, they're hanging out with smiles on their faces. Not only does Melton carry Apa across red carpets, but he also called Apa "roommate" for a time being. Is "Uncle Charles" in Melton's future?

Claire Holt and Phoebe Tonkin

Whether they're playing mermaids in H20 or vampires/werewolves/hybrids in The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, one thing is for sure: Claire Holt and Phoebe Tonkin's friendship always takes over the screen. By the end of The Originals Hayley and Rebekah were more like family than anything. The development of that relationship came naturally due to Holt and Tonkin's chemistry that was simply unmatched. Even though their friendship was made in their early teens, they're still going strong. The duo even goes on vacations together.

Tracy Nelson and Claudette Wells

Tracy Nelson and Claudette Wells didn't just play best friends on Square Pegs, they became besties in real life and have been since the show's end. Nelson and Wells attribute their mutual hatred for their show wigs as their bonding moment on set. For these two, forming a connection through hate led to a decade long friendship.

Read more from I Want My Teen TV, EW's summerlong celebration of teen shows past and present.

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