41 Celebrities Who Were Roommates Before Making It Big In Hollywood

From housemates to Hollywood!

1. Anthony Mackie and Lee Pace

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Before entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Anthony and Lee were roommates in both high school and college. They both attended Juilliard School's Drama Division as members of Group 30 (1997–2001) and ultimately graduated with a BFA.

Lee once told the Cut, "​I would say I learned the majority of how to do my job from watching my classmates. It was such a great time for me to be in this little incubator and watch all these incredibly talented people.”

2. Ilana Glazer and Rachel Bloom

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Not only did Ilana and Rachel both graduate from NYU in 2009 — Ilana majored in psychology, while Rachel majored in drama — but they also roomed together right after college. For over a year, the two stayed together in a Brooklyn apartment. Bonding over their love of comedy and acting, Ilana and Rachel were also both members of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater.

After posting this adorable collage on Instagram back in 2016, Rachel wrote, "6 years ago we were roommates in Brooklyn and now we have tv shows. @ilanusglazer is just the best."

3. John Cusack and Jeremy Piven

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Before hitting it big in Hollywood, John and Jeremy were actually childhood friends living in Illinois. After graduating from Evanston Township High School, they gave college a shot — attending different universities — but ultimately, they both decided they'd rather focus on kick-starting careers. So John and Jeremy eventually chose to live together while trying to make it big.

John and Jeremy have starred in several movies together, including Serendipity and Grosse Point Blank. Unfortunately, John and Jeremy drifted apart — it's rumored to have happened after Jeremy's Entourage success. When asked how John was handling Jeremy's success during a 2007 interview, Jeremy replied, "No comment."

4. Vanessa Morgan and Madelaine Petsch

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These real-life besties met during the initial Riverdale audition process. Vanessa, who joined the show in Season 2 as Toni Topaz, originally went out for the part of Josie McCoy. The two immediately clicked and became close friends before Season 1 even aired. Vanessa and Madelaine actually lived together for a month after Madelaine shot the pilot episode.

5. Bridgit Mendler and Samantha Boscarino

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You might remember seeing these two star alongside each other on the popular Disney Channel show Good Luck Charlie, as well as the 2008 film The Clique, but their friendship went way beyond the screen. In fact, Bridgit and Samantha detailed a lot of their fun moments on Instagram, including their one-year roommate anniversary in 2015, year two in 2016, and year three in 2017.

6. Tyler Hoechlin, Tyler Posey, and Dylan O' Brien

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Yep, that's right! The men of Teen Wolf — Tyler H., Tyler P., and Dylan — also made the transition from friends to roomies. While filming the first season of the supernatural series in Atlanta, Tyler H., Tyler P., and Dylan lived together in an apartment.

Tyler P. and Dylan became so close, they even vowed to be each other's best man when they get married.

7. Liz Gillies and Ariana Grande

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While many think Ariana and Liz met on the set of Victorious, their worlds actually collided while they were working on the Broadway adaptation of 13. But they definitely strengthened their bond when they both landed on Nickelodeon. During their time on the show, not only did Liz and Ariana live together, but they also got their driver's licenses together. And they've remained the best of friends ever since.

Ariana told Teen Vogue, "I lived with Liz for a while. She lived in my mom's house with me. It was so much fun!"

8. Brad Pitt and Jason Priestley

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Before these '90s heartthrobs took Hollywood by storm, Brad and Jason were just two struggling actors looking for their big break. In an attempt to save cash while auditioning for gigs in LA, Brad and Jason became roomies. According to Jason's memoir, the two were so close, they would even have contests to see who could go the longest without showering. 

9. Jax Taylor and Channing Tatum

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Former Vanderpump Rules star Jax Taylor shocked fans back in 2013 on an episode of Watch What Happens Live when he revealed he used to live with Channing. "He was my first roommate in New York when I first started modeling," admitted Jax.

10. Daniel Franzese and Shenae Grimes

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Remember Daniel (Mean Girls) and Shenae (Degrassi, 90210)? Like most of the celebrities on this list, these real-life friends ended up sharing an apartment together to adjust to LA living. Shenae moved to LA in 2008 to film 90210 and decided to move in with Daniel after meeting him through mutual friends — one of them being Andy Milonakis.

11. Avril Lavigne and Ryan Cabrera

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Having great friends can truly come in handy, especially if you're going through a hard time, and that's just what Avril and Ryan were for each other. After calling it quits with his ex-girlfriend Katie Krause, whom he also lived with, Ryan called up his longtime friend Avril. Despite rumors swirling around about Ryan and Avril dating after being seen together multiple times, it turns out that Ryan just needed a place to crash until he got back on his feet.

12. Glen Powell and Chord Overstreet

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Ryan Murphy didn't have to look far when it came to scouting actors for his show Scream Queens. While having a conversation with co-creator Ian Brennan, Ian told Ryan, “I know this guy Glen Powell, who's roommates with Chord Overstreet, and I've been out with him and I've seen him do sort of improv stuff. I think he would be great.”

13. Ali Larter and Amy Smart

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It's amazing how work can bring about some of the best friendships, and Amy and Ali are a perfect example. The two met while they were both modeling in Italy and quickly formed a friendship. Ali and Amy later decided to move to LA together to pursue acting. They're still best friends to this day, and Ali even served as one of Amy's bridesmaids when she got married in 2011.

14. Holly Hunter and Frances McDormand

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You can't discuss long-term Hollywood friendships without bringing up Holly and Frances. The two met back in the early '80s after being introduced by their then-boyfriends. Holly and Frances immediately became friends and eventually decided to live together in the Bronx as they began their acting careers.

Holly told Vulture in 2018, "The four of us hit it off, and we all moved to the North Bronx. We got two apartments, one for each couple. Then we broke up with our boyfriends and Fran moved in with me." Holly and Fran are still best friends to this day!

15. Jude Law and Ewan McGregor

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Before going into business together and founding their own British film-and-theater production company in 1997 called Natural Nylon, Jude and Ewan were strangers who met at an audition. After the director gave them $30 to get drunk together at a bar to get to know each other better, they quickly hit it off and eventually began bunking together. The rest is history!

16. Sienna Miller and Poppy Delevingne

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Poppy was a huge fan of Sienna before the two became roommates while modeling in New York. Poppy told British Vogue, "She was totally my heroine at the time; I just wanted to emulate her. And now of course we're friends, and I'm always telling her how I wanted to be just like her — she probably finds it quite scary." 

17. Ashley Newbrough and Lucy Hale

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You may have seen Ashley and Lucy starring alongside each other in the 2008 CW series Privileged, where they played twins, but did you know they were also roommates? That's right, the two were roommates for a few years and remain close friends today.

"We actually are roommates now," Ashley said. "We get along very well. We go shopping all the time — we do a lot together — so it’s very easy to play twins on camera.”

18. Jensen Ackles and Ryan Seacrest

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Back in 2017, Jensen was a guest star on Live With Kelly and Ryan, and it was revealed that the two were roommates in California back in the day. At the time, Ryan was working on a radio show, while Jensen worked on a daytime soap opera. The photo above is from one of their house parties.

19. Dan Stevens and Rebecca Hall

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Dan and Rebecca were once flatmates at the University of Cambridge, where they hung out with a few other famous Brits/Cambridge alums, like Eddie Redmayne and Tom Hiddleston. Dan and Rebecca would later star in the 2017 rom-com Permission together and even become Brooklyn neighbors. But their friendship doesn't stop there — Rebecca is also the godmother of Dan's eldest daughter, Willow.

20. And Lastly, Jason Segel and Chris O'Dowd

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Chris crashed at Jason's LA home for a month while shooting a film, and the two got really close. He revealed that they would get lunch together a lot and even joked about taking baths together to save water.