Hollywood Bromances You Didn't Know Existed

There once was a time when the notion of "bromance" was scoffed at. Due to pervasive homophobia, men exhibiting affection for one another was largely subject to ridicule within the mainstream media. "The more homophobic a society is, the more distant, stoic, and aggressive men become," gender role expert Stefan Robinson told Men's Journal. "For men's friendships, this meant that self-disclosure and emotional openness ... were completely lacking." The bromance phenomenon is, therefore, largely attributable to a recent re-evaluation of gender roles, as well as changes in attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community. Thanks to efforts focused on highlighting the dangers of toxic masculinity and a sudden succession of bromantic comedies such as "I Love You, Man" and "Pineapple Express" in the late 2000s, innumerable men are now proud to embrace the powers of an almighty bromance.

When we think of Hollywood bromances, we usually conjure images of Sirs Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart loving it up on the red carpet (the venerated thespians even got married — well, sort of). Or perhaps we are reminded of somewhat less wholesome incarnations of the bromance via the self-styled, ahem, "p***y posse," Tobey Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio. But there are many man-crushes blossoming behind the scenes and evading public scrutiny.

These bromantic heroes have managed to keep their friendships largely under wraps. Keep reading to discover the Hollywood bromances you didn't know existed.

Dubbed the most bizarre friendship in Hollywood, A-listers Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill are reportedly super close. The pair have worked together on "Moneyball" and, of course, "Megamind" and thus began a beautiful bromance.

During an appearance on "The Daily Show" (via Us Weekly) in 2011, Hill revealed the extent of his closeness with Pitt. In fact, the elder actor let his bud crash at his pad for several months. "It sucks because he's so handsome... You don't wanna like him so much!" Hill gushed. "I was shooting in New Orleans, and he let me live in his house," Hill continued. "He said, 'Go live there!' I said, 'I'm there for three-and-a-half, four months,' and he said, 'That's cool. Live at my house.'" That's certainly some Southern hospitality from the erstwhile Mr. Jolie-Pitt (Angie didn't appear to be entirely on board with Hill's months-long stay).

Among the many perks of Hill being pals with Pitt is that the aspiring wunderkind learnt some valuable lessons from the older, perhaps wiser star. In a 2011 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, a then 27-year-old Hill said that Pitt inspired him when they were making "Moneyball," divulging that the Hollywood icon's shift into increasingly serious roles also led to him having his own epiphany regarding his career. "I learned a tremendous amount from Brad ... just his advice about making interesting choices as an actor. That's really been the most inspiring thing Brad's done for me," he stated.

We can certainly understand what pals Tom Holland and Jake Gyllenhaal see in each other. The former is the unthreatening pretty boy heartthrob of today; the latter was the blue-eyed dreamboat of yesteryear. With Holland's MCU stardom and Gyllenhaal's wealth of experience in the industry (not to mention their joint good looks to boot), there's no stopping these besties, even if they do play arch-nemeses on screen.

In 2020, Holland challenged his "Spider-Man" co-star to a "shirtless handstand" challenge on Instagram, per Independent. Inevitably, stans got super thirsty watching the hunks attempt to put shirts on while doing the maneuver, though Gyllenhaal was clearly more adept at the task than his BFF.  But the pair's bromance isn't confined to sizzling social media stunts. 

Both actors have a mutual respect for each other, which is evident from the gushing praise they have heaped onto one another in interviews. During an appearance on "Good Morning Britain," Gyllenhaal fanboyed over Holland. "It's straight romance, let's be honest," he said when asked about his chemistry with Holland. "It's not even a bromance; it's straight romance ... I adore him." Meanwhile, Holland referred to Gyllenhaal as his "husband" in an Instagram post and reposted his pal's birthday tribute, complete with three drooling emojis. Now that's a bromance for the ages. As Holland once said, "Get someone that looks at you the way @jakegyllenhaal looks at me." With Mysterio's steely blue peepers, we can't blame Holland for this epic man-crush.

Speaking of the 2022 Oscars slap, don't expect Will Smith to appear among Adam Sandler's increasingly lengthy ensemble casts any time soon. The comedy vet is firmly on the side of Chris Rock. Why? Because these two have been BFFs for decades. Shortly after the now-infamous incident, Sandler offered his support to Rock, promoting his stand-up show on Twitter underneath the caption, "Can't wait for this. Love you buddy!"

Rock and Sandler have worked together on screen for years, from "The Longest Yard" to the "Grown Ups" franchise. In an interview on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," the Sandman opened up about how he and Rock first became friends, revealing that they'd been besties since they were 17. "We just became really tight immediately," he said. "I was like 'Oh man, this guy is funny.'" Meanwhile, Rock had similar praise for his BFF in an interview with Esquire. Reminiscing about the early days of the rib-tickling twosome's friendship, the comedian declared, "He's so funny. I just fell in love with him. Then he got off stage and we talked and we hung out."

Moreover, Rock told ExtraTV that Sandler is his inspiration for taking on a serious role in "Fargo," admitting that it was the comedic actor's revelatory turn in drama film "Uncut Gems" that motivated him to do the show. "I'm like, 'Wow this guy is amazing. Oh, he's your best friend!'" he joked. "And now I'm doing a dramatic role because I copy everything he does."

British character actor Tim Roth man-crushing on hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur? Some things are stranger than pulp fiction. Not only did Roth and Shakur enjoy a blossoming bromance, but they totally loved each other. After acting alongside one another in underappreciated '90s indie gem "Gridlock'd," Roth and his rap co-star became tight. "I loved him ... His nickname for me was Free S***, because I'd take anything that was free," he recalled to The Guardian. Perhaps their bromance would have bloomed more were it not for the tragedy that soon befell the rapper. Tupac was shot dead in 1996, aged just 25; the murder remains unsolved to this day. Sadly, Shakur never got to see the premiere of "Gridlock'd," having been killed just months before its release, per EW.

During a Reddit AMA, Roth reflected on the moment his friend died. "We had our fingers crossed that he would survive in the hospital, but it was the surgery that got him in the end," he said. "He was young and rash but also brilliant and I adored him." Following the rapper's death, Roth helped pay for his funeral, as his mom was struggling to foot the cost.

In an interview with James Corden, Roth revealed that he and the rap icon even recorded music together at Death Row Records. "Which was hilarious, [because a] little pasty-faced London boy walking into Death Row Records," Roth joked, noting that whatever he and Shakur recorded together is hidden away in a vault somewhere.

Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder and A-lister Bradley Cooper admittedly have a lot in common. For a start, they're both open to expanding beyond their traditional medium. Indeed, Vedder has been a Hollywood player since his band's inception, appearing in Cameron Crowe's grunge flick "Singles" and collabing with Tim Robbins on his anti-death penalty film, "Dead Man Walking." Meanwhile, Cooper is as famed for his acting chops as he is for those epic pipes, having showcased his singing skills with Lady Gaga. Thus, Vedder and Cooper bonded and a superstar friendship was born.

It must be said, Cooper's gravelly singing voice in "A Star is Born" is more than a little reminiscent of the Pearl Jam frontman's famous drawl. This was no coincidence after all; in fact, Vedder's unique singing style inspired Cooper's performance. "I went up to Seattle and spent four or five days with him and I asked him 9,000 questions," Cooper told Yahoo! Entertainment. "And he gave me minor, little things that only musicians know about what to do, just aesthetically and the inner workings." Although Vedder initially thought his friend was "crazy" to take on the role, he eventually warmed to the idea.

Meanwhile, Vedder had his own unique advice for Cooper: "Make sure your guitar covers your balls at all times," he quipped in an interview with Howard Stern, continuing, "I think sometimes when the guitar gets a little bit high it looks more like a bib."

We all know that Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro are tight AF, but one of Marty's lesser publicized friendships is with fellow film director Spike Lee. Scorsese went from being Lee's mentor and inspiration to his friend and hero, per USA Today. In an interview with GQ, Lee discussed the origins of the creative twosome's friendship. "I remember the first time I met Marty. I was at NYU. He had a screening of 'After Hours.' And afterwards, I went up to him and I told him the story," he explained. "He still remembers it ... I made an impact on him just by talking to him, telling him how much I liked the film. And we've been friends ever since."

Lee may be fanboying over the elder filmmaker, but Scorsese is just as keen to heap praise on his long time friend. Following the release of Lee's 2018 film "BlacKKKlansman," which drew parallels between the Ku Klux Klan in the '70s and the Trump presidency, Scorsese had nothing but commendation for his buddy, per Deadline. Accordingly, after Marty gushed about the film, Lee sweetly yelled out, "My man!"

In a feature for Interview Magazine, the filmmakers speculated that their bond may be attributable to some of the shared experiences of African-Americans and Italian-Americans living in New York. "There is a similarity, culturally. There is a similarity especially in the way the two groups live near each other and interweave cultures," Scorsese mused.

Matthew McConaughey and Guy Fieri are no ordinary bromance; but then, these two are no ordinary guys. The Oscar-winner and the Mayor of Flavortown have been friends for almost two decades, their bromance initiated by McConaughey's love of the celeb chef's show, "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives."

Per Variety, McConaughey paid an adoring tribute to Fieri when the restaurateur was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2019. Describing the moment he first discovered Fieri, McConaughey recalled, "15 or so years ago, I was living in an Airstream traveling across America ... I lived on the road. And I came across this show 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives' and it quickly became my favorite show." Subsequently, he decided to call Fieri and the pair quickly bonded over food, as McConaughey would frequently call the cook for restaurant recommendations. Thereafter, they met in person and hit it off immediately. "We ate a lot of food. We drank a lot of spirits. We talked about life, and we talked about being authentic to who you are," McConaughey continued. "And that's the night that I met you, Guy Fieri."

When the Southern gent married his long term girlfriend, Camila Alves, in 2012, there was only one man up for the job of cooking the wedding feast: Guy Fieri, per Us Magazine. McConaughey even appeared on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" where he and Fieri tried out Tex-Mex casserole. Ever since they first met, these two have been getting on alright, alright, alright.