Famous BFFs

“We'll be Friends Forever, won't we, Pooh?' asked Piglet.
Even longer,' Pooh answered.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

 

 “What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies.”
― Aristotle

 

 “A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.”
― William Shakespeare

 This past week I got to do something I have not done in a long time: watch movies. I absolutely love watching movies. You can watch a movie and enter a magical world, go to any country on the planet, make a trip to New York City, go under the sea, or explore outer space! You can be inspired by a true story, entertained by magic spells, get intense over an adventure, get the sh*t scared out of you by a horror, or cry over a love story. And I can always go for a good story. And sometimes we get so invested in the characters of a story as if they were real people!

One of the greatest stories of our time come from the Harry Potter books. I grew up reading these books and they have a plethora of fantastic principles and themes which I will save for another blog. But one theme I will discuss that the movies do a fantastic job with is capturing the unparalleled friendship between Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The movies truly capture the phenomenal display of what a true best friend is. 

There are so many times throughout all the movies where seeing the best friends in the finest moments. They laughed, they fought, they protected, they argued, they comforted, they even hexed LOL. But they loved each other more than anything. They were brutally honest with each other when one was flying off the handle, they knew exactly the right things to say to cheer each other up, they wanted to be with each other more than anything, and they shared all the things important to each other in their lives. And what was important to one was important for the other.

Sometimes we may think, only true friendships like that exist in movies and stories. But growing up, I always was able to identify and appreciate the famous BFFs of our royalty in Hollywood from back in the day to present time. As a collective captive audience, we always enjoyed and felt the magic of seeing these famous BFFs together. Because they enjoyed and entertained each other in company, we were all happy and entertained by seeing them together, like these following BFFs of the famous:

Lucille Ball and Bob Hope

Here are the king and queen of comedy themselves! Everyone knows how much I LOVE the legendary Lucille Ball. What may have been just as legendary was her friendship with the great Bob Hope. The two of these big stars made four movies together, guest starred on each others shows, and had done a number of specials on television together. Whenever they were on the screen together, all you could see was the deep love and respect these two had for each other. They did nothing but laugh, praise each other, support each other, and I would love watching them on old television shows together and seeing the beautiful magic between the two. There was once an old clip of Bob Hope surprising Lucy on the Merv Griffin show and the surprised smile and jumping up and down in excitement was so beautiful to see. They would not only work on screen together, but spend time off screen with each other, vacationing in Palms Springs, it was a true and beautiful friendship. It was only fitting that Lucy's last public appearance on television was with her best friend Bob Hope at the Academy Awards before she passed.

Abbot and Costello

My favorite comedy duo of all time was Budd Abbott and Lou Costello! I grew up watching these two men and memorizing their routines and doing them all the time. The chemistry between the two men was amazing. They were quick, sharp, and didn't miss a beat with each other. But not only on screen but off! People in their company were entertained and laughed, but a team like that doesn't get that successful without having a true and strong friendship underneath the surface. They would have swimming parties with each others families, work together and Abbott was there to support Costello when tragedy struck his family when his son drowned. Even in the darkest times, his best friend was there to offer comfort and laughs when he was ready.

Carol Burnett and Julie Andrews

Amongst the most famous best friends of all time would be between Carol Burnett and Julie Andrews. They did three huge television specials together. Their first at Carnegie Hall in the early 1960s, another in the early 1970s, and in the late 1980s. The two of them had no competition between each other and every time they were together, you could just see the way they looked at each other how much they loved each other. They each presented to each other when they each was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors and would have the term of endearment "chum" for each other. Both would say about the other that they made each other felt as if they belonged in the world and it was nice to have a fellow "nut" to enjoy life with. Their friendship has been going strong for over 50 years. This video displays absolutely wonderfully the magical friendship of the two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK4ukabJ9N0

Courteney Cox-Arquette and Jennifer Aniston

On television for ten years Monica, played by Courteney Cox-Arquette, and Rachel, played by Jennifer Anitson, were the best of friends and since high school. But even off television, for the last twenty years these two have been the best of friends and inseparable. They have been there for their weddings, birthdays, vacations, shopping, and even hard divorces. The friendship these two women have in real life I think was very evident in their work that made the friendship on television even more believable, like this video from Friends:

 

Brad Pitt and George Clooney

Then there is the famous bromance of two Hollywood stars between Brad Pitt and George Clooney. It is even reported how these two BFFs act like two teenage pranksters when they get together. Whether it was working on their movie Ocean's Eleven or vacationing at Clooney's Como home, these two are supportive of each other and are always seen laughing. They motorcycle together, travel, even started a charity together. In joking about their bromance, in an interview when asked when he would marry Angelina, Brad Pitt said he would marry again when he could legally marry George Clooney. The bromance never stops!

Oprah and Gale

Who doesn't know about the friendship between Oprah and Gale. Everyone knows Oprah is probably the most successful and influential television star of our time, and I think Gale's claim to fame is simply being Oprah's best friend. But for over a quarter of a century, we always heard about Gale! Gale got to be a part of every good thing Oprah ever did, in every part of her life. Whether it would be a wine tasting episode on her show, a trip to meeting a celebrity, starting her book club, having her pick out things for her trip to Africa, everyone knows of the strong friendship and great love these two women have for each other.

Toby McGuire and Leonardo DiCaprio

I actually have known about the childhood friendship between Toby McGuire and Leonardo DiCaprio for a long time. Now many know that these two actors have known each other since the old Nintendo days. Both simultaneously took different paths to achieve the same goal of making it in Hollywood. Both very successful. So when recently The Great Gatsby came out in movies theaters, I doubly understood the importance and big news of how these two long time BFFs were actually filming a movie together. But besides work and fame, these two men still make time to just be BFFs like going to catch a basketball game.

Kid Leo and Kid Toby

 It has always been entertaining to watch real life famous BFFs from our Hollywood royalty, mostly because you can sense the great fun they have being in each other's presence, the blast they have, and the chemistry is just magic. And who doesn't want to see magic! I don't throw around the word Best Friend very easily, the same as I don't with the word "master", as a position in my life. A best friend is someone who absolutely loves you for everything you are, good and bad. They accept, respect, and enjoy you. When you're wrong, they still are behind you. They are brutally honest with you, they make you feel appreciated, they make you feel like you belong, they never make you doubt yourself, and you feel happy, protected, and secure with them. Values and interests go a long way, but as as much as the respect and understanding of each other, and knowing you will always have that one person to count on even in the darkest times. My late grandfather used to say that you only need one good friend in life to enjoy it with and live it with. And nothing will ever get between you. Hold on to your BFFs and keep them strong. Look at the example of the famous BFFs. They're not just fantasies like Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They exist. Make it your reality as well!

Yours in service,
MASTER TRENTO