9 celebrity duos who were childhood BFFs: Blackpink’s Lisa and Got7’s BamBam met in their native Thailand, while Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire went to the same audition at age 12
- Before co-starring in Hollywood film The Great Gatsby, DiCaprio and Maguire got up to plenty of mischief, like sneaking into Victoria’s Secret events
- Naomi Watts supported Nicole Kidman through her divorce from Tom Cruise, while K-drama’s Lee Min-ho and Jung Il-woo had mutual friends in high school
Celebrity friendships are nothing new. Considering that stars often work together and rub shoulders in the same glittering social circles, of course they’d end up forming some closer connections along the way.
But what about celebrities who became friends before they were famous? Meet the Hollywood actors and K-pop idols who were childhood schoolmates together, who encouraged each other’s acting dreams – and who got up to some serious mischief along the way.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire
On screen pals Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway actually first met off screen – at an audition when they were both 12 years old. Later, recognising Maguire on the way home from school, DiCaprio “literally jumped out of his mother’s car” to talk with him because “when I wanted someone to be my friend, I just made them my friend”, he told Esquire.
Although DiCaprio beat out Maguire for leading roles in some films like Critters 3 and This Boy’s Life, they stayed friends rather than becoming rivals: they were neighbours, played basketball together, and went on to become part of a group of young Hollywood actors known for their shenanigans. Think sneaking into Victoria’s Secret events, playing pranks in fancy bars and taking impromptu trips to Vegas, according to Complex.
They also support each other’s work. “We’ve had endless conversations about certain projects and argued with one another and supported one another along the way,” DiCaprio told The Nation.
Maguire even named DiCaprio the godfather of his first child, and DiCaprio often hangs out and plays with Maguire’s kids, according to People.
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck