- 4 months ago
Love knows no borders! Join us as we count down our picks for the most admirable on-screen couples who come from different cultures. Our list spans decades of film and television, celebrating relationships that overcame racial, ethnic, and cultural barriers. From classic Hollywood to modern streaming hits, these couples prove that love truly conquers all!
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00:05Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most
00:09admirable on-screen couples who come from different cultures.
00:13I want you to feel that I'm near.
00:15Well, I'd like to feel that you're near too.
00:19Number 30, Carla Espinosa and Christopher Turk, scrubs.
00:24Then we're gonna hop on the plane of the Bahamas,
00:26where you and I can get married tomorrow amongst the fishes and mermaids and whatnot.
00:29Turk, for the last time, mermaids aren't real.
00:32I know, but I saw them.
00:33Together through almost the entirety of Scrubs' run,
00:36both the Latina Carla Espinosa and the Black Christopher Turk were proud of their heritages.
00:42However, their relationship was not without its fair share of troubles,
00:46including Turk referring to Carla as Mexican or Puerto Rican,
00:50despite the fact that she was born in the Dominican Republic.
00:54Don't make a big to-do, I was simply testing you.
00:57Then why'd you tell JT our baby's black-sickin?
01:00Nevertheless, the pair acted to balance each other out and bring out the best in each other.
01:05They also helped bring diversity to Scrubs, showing two people of color excelling,
01:10sometimes together but often independently, in the medical community.
01:14That's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me.
01:17It is?
01:19Number 29, Dr. Camille Soroyan and Dr. Aristu Vaziri.
01:24Bones.
01:25Played by Tamara Taylor and Pej Vadat,
01:28this couple went through several ups and downs before getting their happy ending.
01:32I'm a scientist, okay? Just like the rest of you. I can deal,
01:35so please just back off and let me do my job like anyone else.
01:39Wow.
01:42I apologize for my outburst.
01:44Camille Soroyan is an African-American woman who grew up in the Bronx.
01:48Aristu Vaziri, on the other hand, hails from Iran and is a practicing Muslim.
01:53His background is thoroughly explored in the show,
01:55and his commitment to his faith is one of his defining traits.
01:58There's no conflict between Allah and science. Allah created the mystery of the world,
02:03and science struggles and mostly fails to explain it.
02:06But the search for truth is honorable, and I honor Allah through the search for truth.
02:10At one point, Vaziri's family becomes a point of contention in their relationship,
02:14though the couple eventually gets through to them.
02:16On a sweeter note, moments like his Farsi love poem for her
02:20and her proposal to him make this couple utterly swoon-worthy.
02:38The entire premise of this show revolves around the central characters overcoming cultural
02:44differences and choosing each other above all else.
02:47Isn't it crazy that we never kissed this whole time? Like, how did that happen?
02:52Yeah, I'm very aware we haven't kissed yet.
02:55Yet.
02:55Kristen Bell plays Joanne, an agnostic woman with enough opinions about romance to make a podcast out of it.
03:01As fate would have it, she falls in love with a hot rabbi named Noah Roklov,
03:06played by Adam Brody. And the pair's chemistry is off the charts.
03:22The fact that he's expected to marry a woman of his faith naturally causes some tension between the
03:27two. A major conflict comes up when Noah and Joanne start talking about her converting to
03:32Judaism. However, as we're reminded time and time again, they're a team, and together they'll get
03:38through anything.
03:39So how does this work?
03:42Well, you were right. I can't have both.
03:53Number 27. Alex Hitch Hitchens and Sarah Milos.
03:57Hitch.
03:57So look, what you do with these babies is...
03:59Yeah, what I do with these babies is kick your ass!
04:03African American Alex Hitchens is a different kind of ladies' man.
04:07He's an expert at setting couples up, earning the nickname of the date doctor.
04:11I'd like to see the areas where I can afford to take some risks.
04:14Check my schedule.
04:17Great! Let me give you my number.
04:19When it comes to his own love life though, Alex isn't always as smooth as you might think.
04:23My name is Alex Hitchens and I'm a consultant,
04:26but she wouldn't be interested in that because she'd probably be just counting the seconds until he left.
04:30Thinking he was like every other guy.
04:33Alex is attracted to a Latina woman named Sarah, but their first couple of dates aren't without
04:38some awkward hiccups.
04:39Benadryl.
04:41A lot of Benadryl.
04:42A lot, a lot of Benadryl.
04:43What? What?
04:44What do you mean?
04:49Oh!
04:50Even then, the chemistry between actors Will Smith and Eva Mendes is undeniable.
04:55A misunderstanding leads Sarah to believe that Alex helped a pig,
04:59but she eventually finds that Hitch is in the business of true love.
05:02I want everybody to take a good look at this right now, because this right here,
05:06this is exactly why falling in love is so goddamn hard.
05:11While Sarah's perception of romance has always been on the cynical side,
05:14Alex helps her to see that love is full of surprises.
05:29Number 26. Mindy Lahiri and Danny Castellano.
05:33The Mindy Project.
05:34You look nice.
05:36Go to hell.
05:37Mindy Lahiri, played by Mindy Kaling, was an OB-GYN who tried to balance her work and her dating life.
05:43The most frequently recurring character in her love life over six seasons was her on-again,
05:48off-again main squeeze, Danny.
05:50Following a traditional rom-com formula, Mindy and Danny started off as enemies before becoming closer,
05:57eventually developing a relationship, breaking up, but ending up together in the end.
06:01Of course, the Mindy Project brought a modern sensibility and updated many classic rom-com tropes,
06:08swapping the traditionally homogeneously racial couple with the Indian-American Mindy
06:12and Caucasian Danny.
06:14I never stopped loving you and I don't think I ever will.
06:21Number 25. Thomas Tom and Helen Willis. The Jeffersons.
06:25Tom, you've got the wrong poster.
06:27No, I haven't.
06:28But you're for Pomeroy.
06:30No, Helen. You just assumed I was for Pomeroy.
06:32Perhaps one of the best examples of how many prejudices a couple in a mixed-race marriage can face,
06:38particularly in the 70s and 80s, was Tom and Helen Willis, the neighbors of the titular Jeffersons.
06:45Both the white Tom and the black Helen faced judgment and disapproval at every turn for their relationship,
06:52from their black and white neighbors alike.
06:54The sitcom showed George Jefferson and his disapproval of the union by having him harass them relentlessly,
07:00and frequently using insulting terms to refer to their mixed-race children.
07:05The portrayal helped show viewers the issues that mixed-race couples have had to deal with throughout history.
07:10How about this? No arguments, no insults. Isn't this nice, Helen?
07:14Well, it's different.
07:16Number 24. Jake Peralta and Amy Santiago. Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
07:21No matter what happens, you're not allowed to fall in love with me.
07:26Won't be a problem.
07:27There are a number of great intercultural romances featured on this hilarious sitcom,
07:31and we have to mention Captain Holt, who fought against discrimination for years as a black gay cop,
07:37and who has a white husband. However, the OTP in the Nine-Nine is without question the pairing of Jake
07:43Peralta and Amy Santiago.
07:45Their budding romance was filled with friendly competition and one-upmanship, as well as a lot of dorky flirting.
07:52While there have been some difficulties, including Amy's uptight traditional Cuban father not approving of Jake,
07:58the couple continues to overcome adversity.
08:04Number 23. Simon Spear and Blue, aka Abraham Bram Greenfeld. Love, Simon.
08:12Love, Simon was celebrated for its portrayal of LGBTQ plus characters and all-around diverse cast.
08:18Hey! Morning! It's Simon! I live right here! I like your boots!
08:26While we know that the titular Simon is white, we're unable to put a face to the mysterious blue for
08:30most of the runtime.
08:32Well, I've never told anyone about my Daniel Radcliffe phase, so now we're even.
08:36And for the record, I think Jon Snow is an excellent choice for your sexual awakening.
08:40Simon has a few suspects, including Bram, an African-American classmate, Cal, a Caucasian classmate,
08:46and Lyle, a Caucasian server, all of whom he finds attractive.
08:50Were you in bio when they did that identifying leaves test?
08:54Yes, and Joel Winslow ate that poison ivy.
08:56Appearances aside, it's Blue's personality that won Simon over.
09:00In the climax, we learn that Simon's digital pen pal is Bram.
09:03Upon revealing himself, it's addressed that Bram is Jewish and black, but Simon isn't at all disappointed.
09:09Are you disappointed that it's me?
09:15No.
09:18He's just happy that he can finally kiss the boy he's been thinking about for months,
09:22making for an unforgettable Ferris wheel ride.
09:25Number 22, Derek Reynolds and Sarah Johnson, Save the Last Dance.
09:30Steps ain't no square dance.
09:32That's alright, I dance in circles, probably around you.
09:34This 90s teen power couple feels like people you might know in real life,
09:38making them one of the most relatable on our list.
09:41They start off as rivals of sorts,
09:43but they come together after he promises to teach her how to dance hip-hop,
09:46so that she'll fit in better at her predominantly black school.
09:49Take this out, come on.
09:53Uh.
09:55Wait, you sitting down for tea or something?
09:58Get out of here.
09:59Dance lessons lead to more, and it's a pleasure to watch this couple fight for their relationship,
10:04despite the haters trying to keep them apart.
10:06White girls like you,
10:09creeping up, taking on men.
10:11The whole world ain't enough, you gotta conquer ours, too.
10:15Whatever, Nikki.
10:16You know what, Derek and I like each other,
10:17and if you have a problem with that, screw you.
10:19Derek and Sarah are great together because they push each other to strive for their dreams,
10:23even if those dreams seemed far out of reach.
10:26Oh, that judge hates me.
10:27Forget him.
10:30You're nobody watching you with me.
10:33All right?
10:37Now show me some attitude.
10:39Number 21.
10:40Penny Lou Pingleton and Seaweed Jay Stubbs – Hairspray
10:44While not this musical's central romance,
10:47Penny's relationship with Seaweed does tie into the overarching theme of acceptance,
10:51and their chemistry is adorable to boot.
10:53Penny, this is Seaweed.
10:54Seaweed, this is Penny.
10:57Taking place in 1962 Baltimore, integration is on the horizon,
11:01but many ignorant people wish to keep things segregated.
11:08This includes Penny's mother, who ties her daughter up for helping the outspoken Tracy.
11:14You will never leave this room again.
11:17Seaweed comes to Penny's rescue, however.
11:19Penny is willing to defy her mother and the police in order to help Seaweed,
11:23as well as their black friends.
11:32What's more, they're ready to face the challenges of being an interracial couple
11:36during such a prejudiced time.
11:38On live television, Penny announces to the world that she's a checkerboard chick.
11:42I am now a checkerboard chick!
11:48Number 20, Lane Kim and Zach Van Gerbig – Gilmore Girls
11:53I like you, Zach.
11:56Despite her strict Christian upbringing, Rory's best friend,
12:00Lane Kim, had a deep love of rock and roll music.
12:03This led her to keep a secret stash of rock CDs and memorabilia,
12:06and even to keep her garage band a secret from her Korean mother,
12:10who disapproved of American culture.
12:13This, however, did not stop Lane from falling in love with more than one of her bandmates.
12:17First, it's Dave, then it's Zach, who could not have been more different than Lane.
12:22Okay, well, I had a really good time.
12:24Me too.
12:26The couple disproved the doubters and became one of the show's most adorable couplings,
12:31getting married and having twins, with Zach even winning over Mrs. Kim by writing a hit song.
12:37Number 19, Kenya Denise McQueen and Brian Kelly – Something New
12:42Kenya is married to her work, but if she were to ever settle down,
12:46she always imagined herself with someone who understands the African-American experience.
12:50You wouldn't be waiting for someone by any chance, someone named Brian.
12:55Why?
12:57I'm him. I'm Brian, actually.
12:59So when her blind date Brian turns out to be white, she runs in the other direction.
13:04Ever date a black girl?
13:05What kinds of girls?
13:06Mm.
13:06So you're a player.
13:07Fate brings them back together, and to Kenya's surprise,
13:10she falls for the chisel-jawed landscape architect.
13:13Yet her friends, family, and personal hang-ups constantly steer Kenya away.
13:18You know what? You oughta feel real, real blessed that you even invited to this Negro spiritual.
13:22I am welcome.
13:23You know what I'm saying?
13:24Hey, boo-boo.
13:25Talk to you later.
13:26Brian, meanwhile, doesn't think about skin color, which Kenya sees as part of the problem.
13:31Even when she meets the perfect guy, however, Kenya can't get Brian out of her head.
13:35Something New isn't afraid to tackle race relations and traditional family values head-on,
13:40which is what makes the sensual romance feel so honest.
13:43You're the one I want, Brian.
13:48I love you.
13:51I love you, Kenya.
13:53Number 18, Ian Miller and Fethullah Tula Portakalas, My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
14:00Hi.
14:02Hi.
14:09Did you want to see some brochures?
14:12Talk about relationship goals.
14:15Ian and Tula are one of the most well-known romantic comedy pairings due to their wacky love story.
14:20Throughout the film, they have to endure Tula's overbearing Greek family,
14:24who are skeptical of her marrying Ian, a non-Greek wasp.
14:28May I please date your daughter?
14:33No!
14:34Despite the meddling from her father, Tula and Ian are able to make it work.
14:38Because I came alive when I met you.
14:42But my family...
14:46You're a part of your family.
14:49And I'll do anything.
14:53Whatever it takes to get them to accept me.
14:55They're two people that compliment one another, and their chemistry is off the charts.
15:00Audiences found their story relatable, and the small indie flick was a sleeper hit,
15:04going on to become the highest grossing romantic comedy of all time,
15:07even though it never topped the box office.
15:10Here tonight, we have apple and orange.
15:17We're all different, but in the end, we're all fruit.
15:25Number 17, Lara Jean Covey and Peter Kavinsky.
15:29To all the boys I've loved before franchise.
15:32This romantic comedy established Vietnamese-born American actress Lana Condor
15:37as a certified leading lady.
15:39I write a letter when I have a crush so intense that I don't know what else to do.
15:44Rereading my letters reminds me of how powerful my emotions can be.
15:48How all-consuming.
15:50And Margot would say I'm being dramatic, but I think drama can be fun.
15:54Condor shines as Lara Jean, an awkward high school girl
15:57whose unmailed love letters to her past crushes are suddenly sent out.
16:01Oh my god.
16:06Oh my god.
16:11One letter was for her sister's ex-boyfriend Josh, and another was for the hunky Peter.
16:16To prevent things from getting uncomfortable with Josh,
16:19Lara Jean and Peter engage in a fake relationship that just might be the real deal.
16:23Hi.
16:26There's no one like you, Covey.
16:30The romance that ensues is at times sweet, at times steamy, and always spellbinding.
16:41Their relationship isn't without hurdles, especially when Lara Jean is reunited with
16:45John Ambrose, who's played by African American Jordan Fisher in the sequel.
16:49There was one letter that I remember being a little more intense than the others.
16:54It was mine.
16:55Right?
16:56It was me.
16:58Okay?
16:59In the end, however, Peter is the only boy for Lara Jean.
17:03How do we do this?
17:04What do you mean?
17:06Well, what do you put into a contract for a real relationship?
17:09Nothing.
17:12You gotta trust.
17:13Number 16, Caligero C. Anello and Jane Williams.
17:18A Bronx Tale.
17:19She was tall, she was beautiful, and she was classy.
17:24But she was black.
17:28And that was a no-no in my neighborhood.
17:30Based on the life of actor Chaz Palminteri, and adapted from his stage play of the same name,
17:36the movie introduces the audience to Caligero, a young Italian-American man who falls in love with
17:41Jane, an African-American girl. Set in 1960s Brooklyn, the story is one in which race plays
17:47a huge factor in keeping this couple apart, despite their natural attraction to each other.
17:51Their respective friends and family try to keep them away from one another,
17:55especially after Caligero is accused of beating up Jane's brother.
17:59Willie, are you sure it was him?
18:00I'm positive it was him.
18:01Please, don't believe him. I swear to God.
18:03I didn't touch him.
18:03Oh, you were there.
18:04Yeah, I was there, but I didn't do anything, Jane. Believe me.
18:07Caligero and Jane are a great example of first love, and especially since the couple
18:11experiences hardships that move them from childhood to adulthood.
18:14I want to be with you, and I don't care what anybody says.
18:18Can I have a kiss?
18:21Sure.
18:26Number 15. Jay and Gloria Pritchett, Modern Family.
18:31Any reason I can't take them?
18:32I'm surprised you're up.
18:34As its name would imply, Modern Family focuses on a complex contemporary family.
18:39The Pritchetts, who have Jay as their patriarch.
18:42While Jay might have seemed like a stubborn and old-fashioned man,
18:46he was mostly accepting of his diverse family, including his Colombian wife, Gloria.
18:50Despite his own children being fully grown and roughly the same age as Gloria,
18:55Jay has been a loving stepfather for her son, Manny.
18:58Even if his parenting methods tend to differ from hers.
19:01I'm 11 years old. What am I going to do with money?
19:03Each taking the best parts of their own generations and cultures,
19:07they've rubbed off on each other and made one another into better people.
19:11I want to say that I love you in all the languages you know.
19:20Oh, Jay, I love it!
19:22Number 14. Cece Perique and Schmidt, New Girl.
19:26Who's the Cece? Cecilia? Cecilia?
19:30As they came from different heritages, religious backgrounds, and even political beliefs,
19:35the decks seemed stacked against this couple.
19:38But seemingly against all odds, they ended up together in the end.
19:41I don't want you sleeping with anyone!
19:46Because I like you.
19:47Starting out as friends with benefits, Cece and Schmidt got together officially,
19:51but quickly broke up.
19:53Each bounced between a number of other partners, including an arranged wedding for Cece.
19:57Cece. Despite this and a number of other difficulties, such as Cece's mom not approving of the pairing,
20:03they never were able to forget about each other.
20:05Their love story culminated in a beautiful wedding ceremony
20:08that honored both their Hindu and Jewish traditions.
20:12Number 13. Jessica Jones and Luke Cage.
20:15Jessica Jones.
20:16Last call.
20:19Still ladies night?
20:24Make it a double.
20:25Two individuals with superpowers and tragic pasts came together in the first season of Jessica Jones,
20:32with the title character, a super strong sleuth, hooking up with the bulletproof Luke Cage.
20:37While they had very different backgrounds, with Jessica being adopted by a single mom
20:41after the loss of her biological parents, and Luke being the son of a southern black pastor,
20:46the pair were still easily able to find common ground.
20:49Their relationship became even more intense after they discovered each other's abilities,
20:54and how well they complement one another, particularly in the bedroom.
20:58Sadly, their traumas, which involved the death of Luke's wife, led to the end of the relationship.
21:03When you wake up,
21:08I'm not going to be around to screw up your life anymore.
21:11Number 12. Eleanor Shellstrop and Chidi Anagonie.
21:15The good place.
21:16These two are the definition of opposites attract.
21:19She's objectively considered to be not that great of a person,
21:22while he is an authority on ethics and even taught the subject alongside moral philosophy at the university level.
21:29You still thinking about what's on the other side of that door?
21:32Not really, no. Because you're here with me.
21:35Another difference between them is that of background. Eleanor, played by Kristen Bell,
21:40is American and speaks English, while Chidi, portrayed by William Jackson Harper,
21:45is Nigerian Senegalese and speaks French. Although that gets translated to English for our protagonist.
21:51Nice work, bud. Did you mean everything you said, or did you just say it because the world was ending?
22:01I really want to play this cool, but I'm afraid that I'm going to ruin it if I try to
22:07be sexy.
22:08They had completely different upbringings too. He averted his parents' divorce with a presentation
22:13when he was eight, while she cut ties with her folks at a young age. Despite their diametrically
22:18opposed personalities, they are soulmates who heal each other.
22:22I love you. And you don't need to respond because
22:26I know you have trouble saying how you feel. I love you too.
22:29Number 11. Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gardner. The Big Sick.
22:34Her dad just called and said that the contracts were her
22:39because the infection has reached her heart.
22:42In a screenplay that scored them an Oscar nomination, real-life husband and wife Kumail Nanjiani
22:47and Emily V. Gordon loosely based The Big Sick on their romance.
22:51Are you funny? You're kind of just phoning it in a little bit.
22:53Again with the comedy, the comedy, all the time with the comedy.
22:57Nanjiani essentially plays himself a Pakistani-American comedian.
23:02Really? You're not from Pakistan? I would have noticed you.
23:07Expected to commit to an arranged marriage, Kumail instead falls for a white student named Emily.
23:12What's your name in order to do? Oh.
23:18Does this mood work? I've had some minor success with it.
23:22The two break up shortly before Emily goes into a medically induced coma,
23:26putting Kumail in an unusual position. Taking care of Emily and getting to know her parents,
23:31Kumail only falls deeper in love.
23:33I don't know if you can hear me or not, but it would be really good if you go through.
23:42This makes things complicated when Emily finally wakes up, and with the added pressure from his
23:47family, Kumail isn't sure how to make things work. By following his dreams of stand-up though,
23:52Kumail eventually finds his way back to Emily.
23:54Heckling doesn't have to be negative.
23:56So if I was like, oh my god, you're amazing in bed, that would be a heckle?
24:01Yeah, and now you're getting more laughs than me.
24:09Sandra Oh and Isaiah Washington bring these characters to life with such conviction in
24:14Shonda Rhimes' beloved medical drama that we just can't get enough of them.
24:18Thanks for the coffee.
24:27Dr. Yang is Korean-American and has atheistic views.
24:31Although she grew up with a Jewish stepdad, Dr. Burke is African-American and a devout Christian.
24:37Theirs was an intense and complex romance.
24:40I am Preston Burke, and you, you are the most competitive, most guarded,
24:44most stubborn, most challenging person I have ever met.
24:49And I love you.
24:50Her fierce independence and sense of self clashed with his traditional values,
24:55so much so that they parted ways on their wedding day when he realized he had been trying
24:59to change her. Still, these two will always be a legendary power couple.
25:03If I loved you, not the woman that I'm trying to make you be, not the woman that I hope
25:09you'll become,
25:11but you. If I did, I wouldn't be up there waiting for you.
25:18Number 9. Anthony and Kate Bridgerton
25:21Bridgerton This couple had such sizzling chemistry
25:25that watching them romance each other felt like an intrusion on their privacy.
25:39Anthony and Kate were yearners of the highest order. He was initially set to marry her half-sister
25:44Edwina, which gave their love story a forbidden edge. Add to that a tasteful layer of enemies to
25:49lovers, and the culmination of their longing becomes even sweeter.
26:04Their cultural difference, he's an Englishman and a Viscount, while she hails from India,
26:09is not a hurdle they have to get over in Bridgerton. In fact, they embrace each other's culture, and the
26:15couple even travels to India, where Kate gives birth to their son, Edmund Bridgerton II.
26:21Canthony is truly the gold standard for healthy portrayals of intercultural relationships in media.
26:32Number 8. Demetrius Williams and Meena
26:35Mississippi Masala
26:37I never thought I would fall in love with you.
26:39It's not that common to see a pairing of an African-American man and an Indian woman on screen,
26:44but that's exactly what we get in this underrated romantic drama. The film tells the story of Meena,
26:50a young Indian woman who relocates from Uganda to the United States. In Mississippi, she meets Demetrius,
26:55played by Denzel Washington, and the two fall in love despite the disapproval of their two families.
27:01I'm sorry I'm in love with him. Who is he?
27:05What do you know about him? What about his family? This is America, Ma!
27:10What's fascinating about this movie is the fact that it's an intimate portrait of two
27:14marginalized groups that inflict that same racism they've experienced onto the couple.
27:19I know you and your folks can come down here from God knows where and be about as black as
27:23the ace of
27:23spades, and as soon as you get here you start acting white and treating us like we your doormats.
27:28I know that you and your daughter ain't but a few shades from this right here.
27:32That I know.
27:33However, the lovebirds are able to overcome the prejudice and drama and choose each other,
27:38which makes them a stronger couple.
27:42We've always said goodbye to other people.
27:507. Frank Farmer and Rachel Marin
27:53The Bodyguard
27:54This interracial romance was originally conceived in the 1970s with Diana Ross and Steve McQueen in mind.
28:00The film was ultimately made in the 90s, starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Kosner.
28:05You want to come in here with me? Just to be safe?
28:08Even in 1992, there was some controversy about an on-screen romance between a black woman and a
28:14white man. But Houston and Kosner defended the casting.
28:17You afraid I might get picked off of my snazzy running suit?
28:20No, I'm afraid that I'm gonna have to jog with you.
28:23Rachel's a singer-slash-actress-slash-diva, and Frank is her stone-faced bodyguard.
28:28And you're ready to die for me?
28:31It's the job.
28:32Although they come from very different backgrounds, the two come to respect and care for one another.
28:37While multiple love scenes were cut from this finished film,
28:40it accumulates to one of the most iconic goodbye kisses in cinematic history.
28:44Wait!
28:57They may not fly off together, but as the theme song goes, they'll always love each other.
29:07A few couples on this list were based on real-life figures, but Richard and Mildred
29:12Loving may have the most profound love story.
29:14I'm gonna build you a house.
29:18Right here.
29:23Our house.
29:24Prior to this movie's release, it's possible that you'd never heard of the Loving vs.
29:28Virginia civil rights case, making it all the more shocking to learn what they went through.
29:39Due to Virginia's anti-miscegenation laws in 1958, the white Richard and black Mildred
29:45got married in Washington, D.C. Even then, Virginia refused to recognize the marriage,
29:50forcing them to leave their other loved ones.
29:53You knew what you was doing, taking her up there.
29:55After years of persecution and multiple arrests, the Lovings took their case to the Supreme Court.
30:00Tell the judge I love my wife.
30:02The court's unanimous decision allowed the Lovings to build their dream home,
30:06and for more interracial romances to flourish.
30:09Number 5. Joe and Jasminda Carr, Jess Bomra.
30:14Bend it like Beckham.
30:15I've never seen an Indian girl into football.
30:17I didn't even know that a girl's teammate.
30:19In this comedy drama, soccer brings together Jasminda,
30:22a young British woman of Indian descent, and Joe, an Irish bloke.
30:27Jasminda's overprotective parents forbid the football-obsessed teen from playing this sport,
30:31since they deem it inappropriate.
30:33That's not fair, he selected me.
30:35He?
30:37She said it was girls.
30:38The coach, Joe.
30:40See how she lies?
30:42I don't want you running around half-naked in front of men.
30:45But Jasminda is headstrong and joins the team that Joe coaches,
30:49after which they ultimately fall in love.
30:51I don't need you to feel sorry for me.
31:01You bitch!
31:02As a couple, they're strong-willed, but it's their love of soccer that really connects them,
31:06showing that a common bond is a strong foundation for a relationship.
31:10The twosome is also so relatable and cute together that it's hard not to root for them.
31:15That even with the distance, and it concerns your family,
31:20we might still have something.
31:23Don't you think?
31:24Don't you think?
31:33Number 4.
31:34Sean Hunter and Angela Moore.
31:36Boy Meets World.
31:37Sean, why are you looking at me like that?
31:42Because I never have before.
31:44Amazingly, one of the most mature and realistic representations of an interracial couple was
31:50on a show for kids and young adults.
31:52Both Sean and Angela were proud of where they came from, with Angela being a proud black woman,
31:57and Sean growing up as quote, trailer trash.
32:00But neither character was ever a stereotype.
32:03Unlike many characters from older generations, their different ethnicities were never a source of
32:08jokes, and like the characters themselves, their relationship was fleshed out and three-dimensional.
32:13Things just got weird.
32:14I mean, I got weird.
32:16But I don't want us to ever stop talking.
32:18Sean and Angela's relationship was always a realistic depiction of two young people trying
32:23to navigate being in love for the first time, and dealing with adult issues.
32:28I love you.
32:32Thank you so much.
32:36Number three, Tony and Maria, West Side Story.
32:40Did you see he's one of them?
32:41No, I saw only he.
32:42There's only one thing they want from a Puerto Rican girl.
32:44That's a lie.
32:45Later, Tony.
32:46Get away.
32:47Don't listen to her brother before she listens to you.
32:49Perhaps one of the most tragic couples in pop culture,
32:52Tony and Maria are the 20th century version of Romeo and Juliet.
32:56They literally come from warring gangs, with Maria being from the Puerto Rican Sharks,
33:00and Tony being aligned with the Caucasian-American Jets.
33:03But like Romeo and Juliet before them,
33:06their love was faded when Tony first laid eyes on Maria at the local dance.
33:10From there, their relationship progresses at lightning pace,
33:13with them symbolically marrying each other before Tony's ultimate downfall.
33:19Even death won't fight a smile.
33:31Their hope and love for each other are perfectly captured in their duets Tonight and Somewhere,
33:36which are two of the film's most iconic songs.
33:39Hold my hand and we're halfway there.
33:43Hold my hand and I'll take you there.
33:47Number two, Lucille Esmeralda Lucy McGillicuddy Ricardo and Enrique Alberto Fernando Ricardo
33:55Ideacha III, aka Ricky Ricardo.
33:58I love Lucy.
34:00Oh, you great big Latin lover, you.
34:04This is one of the original intercultural TV couples and was a true pioneer,
34:10coming long before anything else on this list and dating back to the days of black and white TV.
34:15The relationship between Lucy and Ricky Ricardo felt real because it was.
34:19Actors Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were a married couple in real life,
34:24and having both of them as stars was a sticking point for the show,
34:28despite network objections because of the Cuban-American Arnaz.
34:32The show ended up being one of the most popular sitcoms of the 50s,
34:36if not all time, and gave many Americans their first glimpse of an intercultural marriage.
34:41Tell me what you really think of me.
34:44I think you are the most handsome, the most wonderful,
34:47the cleverest and the most talented man in the whole world.
34:54Number one, Dr. John Wade Prentiss Jr. and Joanna Joey Drayton.
34:59Guess who's coming to dinner?
35:01Drayton, I'm medically qualified, so I hope you wouldn't think it presumptuous
35:05if I say you ought to sit down before you fall down.
35:08Controversial from its inception, this film was produced at a time when interracial marriage
35:12was still illegal in 17 U.S. states.
35:15Caucasian and upper-class Joanna brings home John, a widowed black man,
35:19which makes her liberal parents question their prejudices and their beliefs on race.
35:24I love your daughter.
35:25There is nothing I wouldn't do to try to keep her as happy as she was the day I met
35:29her.
35:29But it seems to me, without your approval, we will make no sense at all.
35:33It's hard to find faults with John, however,
35:35since he's a doctor who has done work in Africa
35:37and has refused to have sex with Joanna before they're married.
35:40How deeply are you and John involved?
35:43No, no, I have no right to...
35:45How deeply involved?
35:46Do you mean have we been to bed together?
35:48I don't mind you asking me that. We haven't.
35:52He wouldn't.
35:53This means that her parents' only true objection to him is his race.
35:57Sidney Poitier's character broke stereotypes,
35:59and the loving relationship he has with Joanna pushed audiences to examine their own views.
36:04As for you two and the problems you're going to have, they seem almost unimaginable.
36:10But you'll have no problem with me.
36:12The film also inspired a more comedic update in 2005 with Guess Who,
36:16which reverses the roles and sees a black woman bringing a white man home to her parents.
36:21So what, they don't have any available young black men in New York anymore?
36:24Well, you know, they just ran out last week, Grandpa.
36:27I'm just trying to figure out why you chose to go this way.
36:29Which of these couples would you take relationship tips from?
36:33Let us know in the comments.
36:34Let us know in the comments.
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