It hasn't been the easiest of years—do we win a prize for Understatement of 2020 and 2021?—and at times, when the daily grind was a bit much, you've just got to have some proof that everything's going to turn out alright.
No such thing is guaranteed, of course, but there are certain people you can watch, in movies or on TV, who are clinically proven to help you believe in all the good stuff again. You know, things like love, devotion, soul mates—the whole romantic ball of wax.
For instance, there was a reason why viewers were cheering for Netflix's The Christmas Chronicles 2 back in November—and it wasn't just because it meant the Yuletide season was officially in full swing. Rather, it was because Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn play Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus!
The partners of 37 years met on the set of 1984's Swing Shift, and starred in the 1988 rom-com Overboard, but that marked the first time the two had really acted together since. (Hawn as Santa's wife was introduced in a surprise cameo at the end of 2018's The Christmas Chronicles, but that was just an extra little gift to up the holiday cheer.)
Asked their secret for working well with each other, Russell quipped to E! News, "Do it every 33 years, first of all!"
It's not as if these two have been in hiding all this time—their tips on relationship longevity in Hollywood are always highly sought after—but it was simply heartwarming to see them doing video interviews side-by-side from home during their stationary press tour, as well as decked out in their North Pole finery onscreen.
But these are far from the only two real-life companions whose chemistry has been captured for posterity on camera.
Films and TV featuring people who were together at least for awhile is practically all the film and TV. But you can re-watch Mr. and Mrs. Smith on your own time. Whether they only worked together once or frequently, whether they have plans to do more or have consciously decided that they should keep their day jobs separate from their private lives, here are a host of enduring real-life couples who've shared screen time:
This story was originally published on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020 at 7 a.m. PT.