Real vs. reel romance

How famous on-screen couples fare in love off camera

By S. James Snyder, Special to Metromix

Chemistry’s a tricky thing. In the “reel” world of Hollywood, it means finding two charismatic movie stars who are believable as a couple—even if that defies their real world romances.

Take “The Proposal,” opening June 19, where Sandra Bullock falls for Ryan Reynolds. In reality, Bullock has dated polished Hollywood actors (including Ryan Gosling and Matthew McConaughey), but she went on to marry “Monster Garage” host Jesse James. Reynolds, meanwhile, married actress Scarlett Johansson. So Bullock prefers biker dudes and Reynolds prefers blondes, but in “The Proposal” they’re destined for each other.

Here’s a quick look back at some of Hollywood’s hottest on-screen couples, and what their romances were like off camera.