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    Life With Derek Star Says Actors “Leaned Into” Stepsibling Romance

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    Watch: Brenda Song Says Suite Life of Zack & Cody Cast Was “Underpaid and Overworked” at Disney

    Michael Seater was a Dasey shipper, too. 

    Nearly 15 years after Life With Derek concluded, the actor behind the titular Derek Venturi in show admitted he and onscreen stepsister Ashley Leggat—a.k.a. Casey McDonald—leaned into their characters’ flirty tension while filming the blended family comedy. 

    “We had an undeniable chemistry that the fans loved,” Seater recalled during a recent appearance on the Back to the Best podcast. “Enemies to lovers? Whatever the trope is? So, fans wanted that and we were like, ‘Well they’re step siblings so technically…’”

    Seater and Leggat played not only stepsiblings, but characters who were always at odds with each other. However, while the Canadian sitcom was airing—it aired from 2005 to 2009 on the Family Channel in Canada in the Disney Channel in the U.S. before ending with a 2010 movie—many fans picked up on how the constant fire between their characters could easily burn into a romance. 

    And the actors didn’t let that speculation go unnoticed. 

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    Brenda Song Says Suite Life of Zack & Cody Cast Was “Underpaid and Overworked” at Disney

    “In these early days of the internet, our producers don’t know there’s like forums online where people are talking but we do,” the 39-year-old explained. “So, we saw that the fans were talking about it. We knew that the fans liked it, so we leaned into it without letting the writers or producers know that we were leaning into it.”

    And while Seater and Leggat, 40, were never actually romantically involved on the show, the showrunners and writers had to step in to keep them apart. As he shared of one take, “We’d be like sitting on a couch and they’d be like, ‘Can you maybe separate yourselves a little on the couch?’” 

    George Pimentel/WireImage

    Of course, Seater stressed that while he loved the ‘will they, won’t they?’ that existed between Derek and Casey, the duo didn’t want the stepsiblings to canonically be together. 

    “The thing is, won’t they,” Seater continued, “but we’d tease them a little.”

    Case in point: Remember that final scene in the finale where Derek appears to seduce Casey by emphasizing their stepsibling status? Seater teased, “I know what I’m doing there.”

    Behind the camera, however, Seater and Leggat—who reprised their roles in the 2023 TV movie Life with Luca—have never been anything but great friends and scene partners. 

    “Ashley’s always my favorite scene partner honestly because I could always do anything,” he mused. “You felt so safe. In comedy, you want to be able to try stuff and play around and it’s not always going to land and if you have a scene partner that’s like, ‘Ew I don’t know about that. That wasn’t great.’ It makes you afraid to try things. It makes you self-conscious.”

    As he put it, “We just always had each other’s backs and we were always just going with it.”

    For more costars who never actually dated, keep reading… 

    John Lamparski/WireImage

    Glen Powell and Sydney SweeneyThe Anyone But You costars may have found love onscreen, but that’s where it stayed. Despite the onslaught of dating rumors amid their 2023 press tour, the pair emphasized that their relationship was strictly platonic.”The two things that you have to sell a rom-com are fun and chemistry,” Powell told the New York Times in April 2024. “Sydney and I have a ton of fun together, and we have a ton of effortless chemistry. That’s people wanting what’s on the screen off the screen, and sometimes you just have to lean into it a bit—and it worked wonderfully. Sydney is very smart.”Meanwhile, Sweeney—who was engaged to businessman Jonathan Davino at the time, though they split in March 2025 after seven years together—asserted that she and Powell didn’t play up their chemistry ahead of the rom-com’s release.”Honestly, the press did it themselves. There was no leaning in, per se,” she told Variety in October 2025. “Truly, the tabloids and journalists just created it and kept going.” “Glen and I genuinely care for each other and have a love and respect for one another,” the actress emphasized. “I love being with him. And I think people just truly saw a really beautiful pairing.”

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    Emma Watson and Tom FeltonHermione Granger and Draco Malfoy?! If Watson had it her way, the Harry Potter franchise would have had a Hogwarts House-crossed romance going down off-screen. The actress has admitted to nursing a serious crush on her bleached blonde costar.During the Harry Potter 20th anniversary special, Watson shared that as a child she “fell in love” with Felton while on the set of their first film together, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. “I used to come in every day and look for his number on the call sheet, it was No. 7, and if his name was on the call sheet, it was an extra exciting day,” she said during the reunion. “He was three years above me and so for him he was like, ‘You’re like my little sister.'”Shortly after the special premiered, fans of the series quickly took to the Internet to share their wish for the longtime friends to become something more.However, in an interview with British Vogue, Watson addressed the online reaction and put any potential dating rumors to rest. “We speak most weeks,” she said, “and we just think it’s sweet.”

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    Jennifer Aniston and David SchwimmerThe one where Ross and Rachel were almost each other’s lobsters in real-life.During HBO Max’s Friends reunion, Aniston and Schwimmer—who played one of TV’s most beloved couples—explained that art reflected real life a bit during the show’s first season. “At some point, we were both crushing hard on each other, but it was like two ships passing because one of us was always in a relationship, and we never crossed that boundary,” Schwimmer said. “We respected that.”Aniston added, “Honestly, I remember saying one time to David, ‘It’s going to be such a bummer if the first time you and I actually kiss is going to be on national television.’ And sure enough, the first time we kissed was in that coffee shop.”So, instead of having a romance IRL, she explained that they “just channeled all of our adoration and love for each other into Ross and Rachel.”

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    Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate WinsletArguably one of the most iconic pairings in movie history, fans have shipped Leo and Kate together since 1996’s Titanic (even though she didn’t make room for him on that door). Still, they never let go of their friendship, with Winslet telling The Guardian that they are “bonded for life.” From walking the red carpet together at the 1998 Golden Globes to watching DiCaprio blow kisses to Winslet during her emotional 2009 Golden Globes speech, it’s so evident that the feelings between the besties have only continued to grow over the past two decades, iceberg be damned.

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    Lady Gaga and Bradley CooperThe unexpected pairing’s chemistry in 2019’s A Star Is Born and its ensuing press tour made fans blind to the fact that the actor was dating Irina Shayk and the “Bad Romance” singer was engaged to Christian Carano at the time.Still, it was clear that the costars had a close bond, with Gaga revealing that she had an “instant connection” with Cooper that came “the second that I saw him.”Of course, that closeness was on full display when the pair took to the Oscars stage in 2019, hand-in-hand, to perform their Best Song-winning number, “Shallow,” just days after Gaga ended her engagement. But the House of Gucci star quickly shut down romance rumors following the performance, telling Jimmy Kimmel, “Yes, people saw love and—guess what—that’s what we wanted you to see.”Cooper, whose romance with Shayk ended later that year, never addressed the speculation until November 2021, telling The Hollywood Reporter they were acting during the Oscar performance.”They kind of fall in love in that scene in the film,” he explained. “It’s that explosive moment that happens to them on a stage in front of thousands of people…It would have been so weird if we were both on stools facing the audience.”

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    Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley CooperGaga isn’t the first costar Cooper has been romantically linked to in the press, with his onscreen dynamic with Lawrence in movies such as Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle sparking rumors for years. In fact, Cooper was asked by Howard Stern in 2015, “When are you two gonna have sex? Everyone is waiting for that.” The actor was quick to respond, “Never. It’s just not the way we are together.”And, at the 2013 Golden Globes, when he was asked by Entertainment Tonight if they were were dating, Cooper responded, “Oh my god. That’s very funny. No, my God, no.”

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    Sandra Bullock and Keanu ReevesSince starring in Speed together in 1994, rumors have raced over the decades that Bullock and Reeves had an off-screen romance. Alas, it was never meant to me, with Sandra denying the two were ever a couple in an interview with Esquire magazine.”Nope…but who knows?,” she said. “Keanu’s a guy who, I feel like, is friends with every woman he’s ever dated. I don’t think there’s anyone who has something horrible to say about him. So maybe we could have survived. I don’t know. But we didn’t have to survive anything. We just get to grow up together on parallel roads and tip our hats and meet for a dinner and try to work together. And the longer time goes on, the more in awe I am of the human being. Would I have been able to say that if he had dumped me and made me angry? Probably not.”Still, the duo, who also costarred in 2006’s The Lake House, are close friends, with Bullock citing Reeves’s listening skills as one of his best attributes. The Miss Congeniality star recalled that about a year after filming Speed, she casually mentioned to her costar that she’d never had champagne and truffles. A few days later, she told the outlet, Reeves hand-delivered those two items (and flowers), explaining, “I just thought you might want to try champagne and truffles, to see what it’s like.”

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    Ryan Gosling and Emma StoneMoviegoers have Crazy, Stupid, Love for this pairing after they’ve played romantic interests in three films, including La La Land.Though they never dated in real life, working together forged a bond between the two actors. During a Q&A session at the 2018 Telluride Film Festival, the Cruella star revealed how much Gosling meant to her and his impact on her life and career. Calling him a “dear, wonderful friend,” Stone said, “I can’t even imagine what my life would be without Ryan. She then added, “He’s so special. It makes me emotional.”And before La La Land debuted in 2016, Stone joked around about the number of films she’s done with Gosling, telling E! News, “He has a restraining order against me now.””Restraining order” aside, Gosling said it was “great to work” with Emma, explaining, “I think it brings the best out of [us] because you know one another, and you are able to help each other in a way that you can’t if you’re strangers.”

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    John Krasinski and Jenna FischerJim and Pam on The Office are one of the most beloved TV couples of all-time, with fans rooting for the Dunder Mifflin employees to be together throughout the NBC hit’s nine-year run. Jam’s chemistry never transitioned into an off-screen romance between John and Jenna, though she did admit to the pair having “real chemistry” during a 2016 appearance on Watch What Happens Live when a caller asked how close they were.”There’s like a real part of me that is Pam and a real part of him that’s Jim and those parts of us were genuinely in love with one another,” Fischer explained. “But in real life we aren’t totally Pam and totally Jim, so in real life we’re not the perfect match…he was like a type of spouse that I had for a long time, he was my partner and we will always be close because of it.”Krasinski later weighed in on his costar’s headline-making comments, telling The Daily Beast, “I think we both feel it’s such an honor to be a part of that relationship. As far as how she was quoted about saying we were ‘genuinely in love,’ I think that was taken wildly out of context and I feel bad for her.”We’ll always have the teapot. 

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    Matthew McConaughey and Kate HudsonThey may have costarred in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, but the pair gained a rapid number of fans rooting for them to find each other IRL after the 2006 rom-com. But it never happened.In an interview withHoward Stern on his SiriusXM show in October 2020, McConaughey revealed it simply never appealed to him to date one of his famous costars.”I’ve always tried to keep it professional and the people I worked with, I must say, did it well,” he shared. “Maybe we had certain crushes on each other at certain times but we always just kept it professional.”And with that, the chance for their love to blossom died, just like that love fern.

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    George Clooney and Julia RobertsThese A-list best friends have off-the-charts on-screen chemistry (Ocean’s Eleven, anyone?) that has extended offscreen in a purely platonic way. Just look at their giggle-filled interviews, gushing public speeches and the fact that George has lent out his coveted Lake Como home to the Roberts-Moder family for anniversary celebrations. NBD!

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    Anderson Cooper and Andy CohenAlong with the ball dropping on New Year’s Eve, you can always count on people wondering if the best friends and CNN’s Live From Times Square co-hosts have ever dated. When Cohen appeared on Howard Stern’s radio show, he was asked, “What is it about Anderson Cooper that keeps you from falling in love with him?” The Watch What Happens Live host replied, “I just think it’s not what our relationship is based on. We’re just friends. That’s not a part of it. I think, at this point, we know each other too well. We’re not attracted to each other in that way.”Funnily enough, the pair first met when they were set up on a blind date over 25 years ago. “You know when straight people know two gay guys, they’re like, ‘Oh, you guys should meet,'” Cooper said on The Tonight Show in 2017, adding that when the two had a phone call to schedule the date, he “knew within 45 seconds I was never going on a date with Andy Cohen.”He explained that Cohen “violated” a cardinal rule” when it comes to dating the CNN host: He asked about Anderson’s mother, Gloria Vanderbilt. “I wanted to date the Vanderbilt boy!” Cohen admitted. “I was excited!” 

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    Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-LevittWhile Deschanel said the pair had “so much fun” making the 2009 indie rom-com (500) Days of Summer, Gordon-Levitt admitted dating his costar and longtime friend would be “awkward” in a 2012 interview with Playboy.“Zooey and I just think it’s funny,” he said of fans wanting them to be together. “It is funny. We’ve been friends for 10 years.”

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    Zac Efron and Ashley TisdaleBefore it was confirmed that the High School Musical heartthrob was dating his costar Vanessa Hudgens, there was speculation that he was involved with their mutual best friend Tisdale. His 2006 guest appearance as her love interest on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody only fueled the rumors.Efron and Tisdale still remain close to this day, with the latter calling him her “brother/best friend,” though she did pick him as her worst onscreen kiss in an interview with Elle. “It was the worst because he is like my brother,” Tisdale explained. “At the time, he was used to acting on Warner Brothers, which is CW, and we were on Disney Channel.”She then called him out for trying to kiss her “with his tongue,” prompting her to tell him, “‘Get away from me!'””I closed my mouth so fast. I was like, ‘This is Disney Channel, we don’t kiss like that on Disney Channel!'” Tisdale recalled. “It’s just weird when you’re so close to somebody, we’d already done a movie, I’d known him for years before,'” she said. “‘That is why it was the worst, it’s just we’re too close.'”

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    Corbin Bleu and Monique ColemanWhile their High School Musical characters Chad and Taylor were teen sweethearts, Bleu and Coleman left the Disney franchise with a lifelong friendship. The duo reunited onscreen in the 2021 Lifetime Christmas movie, A Christmas Dance Reunion, with Bleu writing on Instagram, “After 13 years it felt like coming home working and dancing with [Monique] again. Starring in a [Lifetime] Christmas movie has always been a dream of mine, but never in a million years did I think I’d get to share the screen with one of my favorite people.”And Coleman is hoping to continue working with “one of her best friends,” telling People, “I honestly pray that we get to do more things together because we have that sort of spark that Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan had, and Leo and Kate, and Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, and all of these different couples that we’ve seen in movie after movie together. I really feel like we have that potential as well and I’d like to see that happen.”

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    David Duchovny and Gillian AndersonThey may have played one of TV’s most iconic will-they-or-won’t-they couples on The X-Files, but the costars actually didn’t get along while filming their hit Fox show. In a 2008 interview with Metro UK, Duchovny admitted that he often fought with Anderson during the series’ initial eight-year run because, “Familiarity breeds contempt. It’s nothing to do with the other person. We used to argue about nothing. We couldn’t stand the sight of each other.”That didn’t stop fans from wanting Mulder and Scully to get together, both on-screen and off, with a photo from their May 2021 lunch date going viral, much to Duchovny’s amusement. “As I was leaving she was like, ‘Let’s take a photo,'” he told People. “I was told there was a big reaction to it! I never get that stuff, but it’s really cool that people are interested after all these years.”

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    Chris Evans and Scarlett JohanssonAvengers shippers, assemble!While they’ve appeared in nine movies together since first collaborating on 2004’s The Perfect Score, the superhero costars have never hooked up IRL. But Evans and Johansson have developed a deep comfort level with each other over the years. “It’s really a result of 10 years of knowing somebody,” Johansson explained of their chemistry to Entertainment Weekly in March 2020, “and being able to have a kind of intimacy with them that I think you get from just spending a lot of time with somebody and knowing their soft underbelly.”

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