30 Acting Duos (And One Trio) Whose Chemistry On TV Was So Incredible, It Was Simply The Best Of The Year
We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which TV acting duos in 2021 had the greatest chemistry. Here are some of the best responses:
There are some pretty big spoilers ahead!
1.First, Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany as Wanda Maximoff and Vision on WandaVision
"Those two have such chemistry, their characters feel like soulmates. Watching them interact was not only wholesome, but soothing to my soul. I cried my heart out when they had to say goodbye. Thank god they started out the television era of the MCU."
2.Brett Goldstein and Juno Temple as Roy Kent and Keeley Jones on Ted Lasso
"It weirdly upsets me that Roy and Keely aren’t a real-life couple."
3.Danielle Savre and Stefania Spampinato as Maya and Carina DeLuca-Bishop on Station 19
"Danielle and Stefania are magic on screen. The chemistry they have is a joy to watch and it is an honor to witness each week. One of the best Shondaland couples of all time, fate laid its hand in putting these two together."
4.Barrett Doss and Okieriete Onaodowan as Vic Hughes and Dean Miller on Station 19
"I get they played the will they won’t they card with them, but I’m so sad with what happened to Dean!"
5.Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan as Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
"They bring buddy comedy chemistry to a whole new level! And it doesn’t hurt that they have a hilarious bromance chemistry in real life, too. Precious!"
6.Penn Badgley and Victoria Pedretti as Joe Goldberg and Love Quinn on You
Suggested by: faeriepup
7.Noel Fisher and Cameron Monaghan as Mickey and Ian on Shameless
"The way they echoed each other's body language so often and the deleted scenes?! That's a decade of working together closely, paying off, right there."
8.Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez as Charles-Haden Savage, Oliver Putnam, and Mabel Mora on Only Murders In the Building
"I'm cheating because this is three people, but I was so surprised by the amazing chemistry between Martin, Steve, and Selena on Only Murders In the Building. Selena kept up with the legendary comedians so well and complimented their comedic timing perfectly!"
9.Asa Butterfield and Ncuti Gatwa as Otis Milburn and Eric Effiong on Sex Education
Suggested by: jharperkd
10.Emma Mackey and Aimee Lou Wood as Maeve Wiley and Aimee Gibbs on Sex Education
"All of the friendships on Sex Education. All of them. Every single one."
11.Oliver Stark and Ryan Guzman as Buck Buckley and Eddie Díaz on 9-1-1
"They always have great chemistry. This year has brought some not great 9-1-1 episodes, but it also brought the shooting episodes, and the amount of chemistry they had without even speaking was unreal. I know of a lot of people that are only still watching the show because of Buck and Eddie."
12.Christina Hendricks and Manny Montana as Beth Boland and Rio on Good Girls
"As always Beth and Rio had great chemistry on Good Girls this year. It SUCKS that we never got to see their relationship play out. They had so much potential."
13.Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson as Loki and Mobius on Loki
"Loki and Mobius had impeccable chemistry whether you shipped them romantically or only wanted the friendship."
14.Kelli Giddish and Peter Scanavino as Amanda Rollins and Dominick Carisi Jr. on Law and Order: SVU
"Rollins and Carisi have long had a special spark and to finally see that develop into a relationship has been a delight."
15.Hailee Steinfeld and Jeremy Renner as Kate Bishop and Clint Barton on Hawkeye
"Based on just the first four episodes of Hawkeye, Hailee and Jeremy work so well together and their partnership jumps off the screen. That might just be because Hailee oozes charisma in general, but regardless, they make an iconic duo."
16.Hailee Steinfeld and Florence Pugh as Kate Bishop and Yelena Belova on Hawkeye
"I mean, did you see Hawkeye Episode 5?! The dinner scene between Yelena and Kate was so flawless and Hailee and Florence's chemistry is so perfect. I really hope we get to see more of them together in the MCU after this show ends."
17.Hailee Steinfeld and Ella Hunt as Emily Dickinson and Sue Gilbert on Dickinson
"The pattern here is basically that Hailee Steinfeld has chemistry with everyone, but there is something special about Hailee and Ella. This show is an underrated gem and the two of them have brought to life such an honest and romantic couple. I just know the real Emily and Sue would be proud."
18.Nicholas Holt and Elle Fanning as Peter and Catherine on The Great
"Such an underrated show and they have brilliant chemistry."
19.Indya Moore and Angel Bismark Curiel as Angel and Papi on Pose.
"They are so unbelievably sweet together."
20.Annie Murphy and Mary Hollis Inboden as Allison McRoberts and Patty O'Connor on Kevin Can F**k Himself
"I loved their characters so much and they had such a good chemistry together. I can't wait to see more of them."
21.Jessie Mei Li and Ben Barnes as Alina Starkov and General Kirigan/The Darkling on Shadow and Bone
"Kirigan and Alina’s (and Inej and Kaz's) relationship chemistry is unmatched. I will be comparing every other fictional couple to them. The only couple that I think can beat that chemistry in the Shadow and Bone universe is Jesper and Wylan."
22.Amita Suman and Freddy Carter as Inej and Kaz on Shadow and Bone
"Honestly, all of the actors on this show have incredible chemistry and the chemistry between friends was also amazing, but I think its especially impressive how much chemistry and connection Amita and Freddy were able to convey in a notoriously slow burning relationship. The books end with them finally managing to barely hold hands and yet the sparks and connection between the characters jumped off the screen so much that you didn’t even notice the physical distance."
23.Melissa Benoist and Katie McGrath as Kara Danvers and Lena Luthor on Supergirl.
"I think they invented onscreen chemistry."
24.Kennedy McMann and Alex Saxon as Nancy Drew and Ace on Nancy Drew
"A slow burn pairing from an underrated show! They're both very different, Ace being the coolheaded one while Nancy has a fierce and admirable temper, but they both understand and want what's best for each other. Everyone I know who watches the show was practically screaming at their TV for them to finally kiss in the Season 2 finale. They weren't originally supposed to be a couple but the writers saw the chemistry between the two actors, along with the audience and wrote it in beautifully."
25.Natasia Demetriou and Matt Berry as Laszlo and Nadja on What We Do in the Shadows
"They have great chemistry (even after hundreds of years of marriage) and are very funny together — the best vampire couple on TV right now!"
26.Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Maggie Rhee and Negan on The Walking Dead
"Does enemy chemistry count too? Because Maggie and Negan's interactions are the main thing that have kept me watching The Walking Dead this season. Every scene between them is fraught with tension."
27.Madelaine Petsch and Vanessa Morgan as Cheryl Blossom and Toni Topaz (and other versions of their characters) on Riverdale
"Everyone who saw Season 6, Episode 4 will agree that their chemistry is breathtaking."
28.Lili Reinhart and KJ Apa as Betty Cooper and Archie Andrews on Riverdale
"They always had some of the best chemistry on the show and this year the writer finally decided to explore it. Their friends with benefits plot was pure electricity and seeing how they would be as a long term couple in the first episode of Season 6 was PERFECT. Cute little giggles, gushing over the other, and supporting each other?! We LOVE to see that."
29.Rob McElhenney and Charlotte Nicdao as Ian Grimm and Poppy Li on Mythic Quest
"They had such a wonderful 'love-hate' friendship during Season 1, and then their bond became stronger than ever after that beautiful pandemic episode moment. But in Season 2, Rob and Charlotte really went above and beyond. Ian and Poppy have such a complex friendship — one minute they absolutely loathe one another and the next minute they are each other's biggest fans. As much as they'd hate to admit it, they always bring out the best in one another. During this season, we saw them at their absolute best (and unfortunately their absolute worst) and it only made me fall in love with their dynamic even more. I've never seen actors portray such an intricate and real friendship the way Rob and Charlotte do. And I genuinely mean this when I say it, but the glorious gem that is Mythic Quest couldn't exist without Ian and Poppy's unconditional, platonic love."
30.Matt Ryan and Tala Ashe as Constantine and Zari Tarazi on Legends of Tomorrow
"Those two are scorching hot as a couple in love, and absolutely brilliant on the rocks as well. On top of which, when they're both playing different characters with no romantic connection, who barely know each other, they still have this brilliant chemistry that works so well. They're super underrated."
31.And finally, Tom Payne and Michael Sheen as Malcolm Bright and Martin Whitly on Prodigal Son
"Their father-son dynamic was flawless."
We can't fit everyone into one post, so which other actors do you think had outstanding chemistry in 2021? Tell us in the comments below!
The year is almost over and we're looking back on 2021. Check out more from the year here!
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
