Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper share everything from identical initials to similar professions, which makes it easy to see why the twosome are best friend goals.
Cohen and Cooper met in the early ’90s when they were almost set up on a blind date. However, the pair’s dynamic never became romantic because Cohen broke Cooper’s “cardinal rule” of dating — mentioning his socialite mother, Gloria Vanderbilt.
Although the duo never went on a date, they forged a friendship that developed into an equally strong working relationship. Cohen and Cooper have hit the road together every year since 2016 for their conversational stage tour, “AC2: An Intimate Evening with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen.” The pair have also cohosted CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live together since 2017.
Cohen revealed via Instagram in May 2020 that he hopes their sons will “be best friends” when they get older — just like their dads. He and Cooper have since welcomed daughter Lucy and son Sebastian, respectively.
Scroll down to see Cohen and Cooper’s sweetest BFF moments:
Cooper revealed the most annoying thing about working with Cohen on New Year's Eve after being asked by a fan on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen in December 2024. “Just who he’s going to insult and what the cleanup on aisle 3 is going to be in the morning,” Cooper joked, while Cohen replied, “Fair.”
While traveling together on the subway, Cohen poked fun at Cooper. “AC was NOT. HAVING. IT. on the A train tonight!” Cohen wrote via Instagram in November 2024, alongside a selfie of the twosome.
"Hanging out with @bravoandy and the little ones. No better way to spend the day," Cooper captioned an April 2024 photo of the duo, each with a kid sitting on their shoulders.
"I just wanted to say, you are such a great dad," Cohen told Cooper while hosting CNN's New Year's Eve special in December 2023 as the pair shared their hopes for 2024. "You're such an attentive [father]. I really marvel [at] watching you with the kids. You're so present, it's really great."
The duo shared a social media video from their dressing room in December 2022 as they prepared for a joint appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
“Uncle Anderson, keeping Lucy honest!” Cohen wrote via Instagram in May 2022 after his BFF bonded with his daughter, whom he welcomed via surrogate one month prior.
“Today we met our new pal Sebastian Maisani-Cooper! He’s a peaceful beauty,” the Real Housewives producer wrote via Instagram in February 2022. “Ben calls him ‘Wheels’! Mazel to Anderson & Benjamin ♥️.”
“It’s not what our relationship is based on. We’re just friends. That’s not a part of it,” Cohen explained of their bond during a January 2022 interview on the Howard Stern Show. “At this point, we know each other too well. We’re not attracted to each other in that way. … He’s a handsome guy. We’re not in that place.”
“I was a hair over-served last night, but man did I have fun! I hope you did too,” Cohen playfully captioned a series of Instagram photos in January 2022 from his and Cooper’s CNN New Year’s Eve Live 2021-22 broadcast, referring to their shots shenanigans. “Happy New Year everybody.”
"Gemini Twins: ACTIVATE!" Cohen captioned a sweet video of the besties blowing out candles on a birthday cake in June 2021 via Instagram. "Happy Birthday to my friend, AC2 partner, and brilliant Daddy. Our lives are all better with you in them, Anderson. (Thanks to the Consuelos' for the cakes; and to SJ, Liza, & Bruce for the surprise party!)"
The duo's birthdays are separated by just one day. "Happy Birthday @bravoandy! So proud of all you've done, the person you are, and the dad you’ve become!" Cooper wrote in an Instagram tribute that month.
Cohen matched Cooper’s son while celebrating the little one’s 1st birthday in April 2021. “I love twinning with you,” he captioned the Instagram photo. “XO Uncle Andy."
Cooper described one of their kids' playdates, telling Jimmy Kimmel in April 2021 that Benjamin put Wyatt’s teddy bear in the microwave and turned it on. “I mean, he baked the bear,” the New York native said. “It was in there for, like, 10 seconds. And literally, there was smoke coming out. Kids do the darnedest things.”
Cooper and Cohen called John Mayer on New Year’s Day. The Bravo personality captioned the January 2021 screenshot: “Lots of gratitude this morning and hope that we can reset into 2021.”
Anderson, Cohen and the Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen host's son, Ben, spent some time together ahead of their New Year's Eve hosting gig in early December 2020. An Instagram video from their bonding moment showed the CNN correspondent mimicking a clapping stuffed monkey while his BFF's baby boy looked on in amazement.
Although COVID-19 canceled Cohen's usual summer travel plans, the TV personality still took a stroll down memory lane in September 2020. He shared a few throwback Instagram pics of his best pal Cooper sans a shirt. "If it were a normal year, I'd be on vacation with my pal...threatening to post shirtless pics of him. Well, it's 2020 and I'm sitting on my deck so I figured I'd just post without asking and piss him off!" Cohen's caption read.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! @bravoandy. So proud of all you’ve done, and for you and Baby Benjamin, it’s just the beginning," Cooper captioned a June 2019 photo of himself holding Cohen's son, Benjamin.
Cohen revealed on Watch What Happens Live in 2018 that he and Cooper are "eskimo brothers," a slang term that refers to two people who have been intimate with the same person.
The weather outside is frightful, but watching Christmas TV episodes is so delightful!
December is the most festive month of the year and plenty of TV shows — both new and old — have Christmas-themed episodes ready to rewatch. These heartwarming stories usually include at least one of the following components: Santa Claus, a holiday party, a Christmas miracle or a lesson on the spirit of Christmas.
New holidays have also been created during Christmas episodes. Chrismukkah, a mix of Christmas and Hanukkah, became a staple on The O.C.after it was introduced in season 1 in 2003. “The Best Chrismukkuh Ever” kicked off the holiday with a bang and featured a classic Christmas mall montage, Summer’s (Rachel Bilson) epic Wonder Woman costume and a drunk off-the-rails Marissa (Mischa Barton).
The memorable holiday was revisited in the season 4 episode “The Chrismukk-huh?” and featured Ryan (Ben McKenzie) falling off a roof and learning how all of the characters’ lives would have been different if he never showed up in Newport.
Another classic holiday invention was Festivus from a 1997 episode of Seinfeld, “The Strike.” Festivus, which is celebrated on December 23, includes practices such as the Airing of Grievances and Feats of Strength, a Festivus dinner and an aluminum Festivus pole (in lieu of a tree). The holiday is described as “a Festivus for the rest of us” by the day’s inventor, Frank Costanza (Jerry Stiller).
Scroll down for more episodes to watch over the holiday season.
During season 7 of Friends, Ross (David Schwimmer) tries to teach his son (Cole Sprouse) about Hannukah and dresses up as the "holiday armadillo."
Homer gets a job as a mall Santa after the family spends all their money getting Bart's tattoo removed. Homer and Bart try to win some money at the dog-racing track on Christmas Eve but instead end up adopting a greyhound named Santa's Little Helper.
Seth Cohen (Adam Brody) fused together all the best parts of Christmas and Hanukkah to create the ultimate holiday — Chrismukkah. The episode is filled with holiday cheer as Seth teaches the spirit of Christmukkah to Ryan, who finds himself dealing with an emotionally unstable Marissa. Meanwhile, Seth is trapped in a love triangle between Anna (Samaire Armstrong) and Summer who both compete for his affection with their best gifts.
The employees of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company's holiday party takes a turn when an iPod Michael (Steve Carrell) brought Ryan (B. J. Novak) for a game of Yankee Swap becomes the most coveted gift. Meanwhile, Jim agonizes over his Secret Santa gift for Pam.
The Ricardos and Mertzes decorate Lucy (Lucille Ball) and Ricky's (Desi Arnaz) Christmas tree while they reminiscence about how the gang prepared for the birth of Little Ricky.
When Cory (Ben Savage) discovers his girlfriend, Topanga (Danielle Fishel), has different Christmas traditions than his family, he finds it hard to adjust. Topanga likes to drink cider instead of eggnog, open presents on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas morning and likes her pancakes with sugar not syrup. Cory regrets inviting Topanga until he's visited by the Ghost of Christmas Future, who happens to look like Mr. Feeny (William Daniels). Cory gets a glimpse at what life would be like without Topanga and learns that maybe it's worth making a few compromises.
Ross (David Schwimmer) tries to introduce Hanukkah into his son Ben's life but Ben isn't happy that Santa Claus won't be coming to town. Ross tries to rent a Santa costume but when they're all sold-out he settles for an Armadillo costume instead and tries to share the story of Hanukkah. Chandler (Matthew Perry), however, is able to find a Santa costume and shows up at the last minute to support Ross.
This Christmas special features Black Mirror's typical bleak plots instead of a heartwarming holiday tale. Matt (Jon Hamm) and Joe (Rafe Spall) are trapped inside a remote cabin during a snowstorm. As they pass the time, the pair trade stories about their lives, which ultimately give clues to their current predicament.
Matt Smith stars as the Eleventh Doctor for a reimagining of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol with a science fiction twist. The Doctor lands on a crashing space liner where he meets a miser, Kazran Sardick (Michael Gambon), who refuses to help the people onboard. The Doctor attempts to use time travel to alter Kazran's past and make him a kinder person willing to save the spaceship.
Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Dee (Kaitlin Olson), Mac (Rob McElhenney), Charlie (Charlie Day) and Frank (Danny Devito) embark on holiday misadventures including robbery, naked elves and a fight with Santa Claus at the mall.
Five years in the future, Uncle Phil (James Avery) tells the story of Nicky's (Ross Bagley) Christmas Eve christening. After Will (Will Smith) discovers the rest of his family has splurged on expensive gifts, he tries to get Boyz II Men to perform. The plan takes a turn when it's revealed Will stole the girlfriend of the group's Nathan Morris back in Philadelphia.
Move over, Home Alone! There’s no shortage of films to watch over the Christmas season, but there are more movies to add to the queue beyond It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street or A Christmas Story.
In the film, New York City cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) reunites with his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) in Los Angeles at her office’s Christmas Eve party. John must rescue the employees after a gang of terrorists take them hostage.
Die Hard director John McTiernan might not have intended for the action film to become a Christmas classic. Author Larry Taylor detailed McTiernan’s initial intentions for the movie in his book John McTiernan: Rise and Fall of An Action Movie Icon.
“He didn’t consciously make it a Christmas movie, but he made sure to weave certain elements of it into the tapestry of the film,” Taylor explained. “It would keep the holiday season right behind the action, and it would help alleviate some of the stress of the intense action.”
New York City cop John McClane (Willis) travels to Los Angeles to visit his estranged wife at her company's holiday office party on Christmas Eve. However, hijinks ensue when a group of criminals take the guests hostage, and John is forced to save the day.
A group of struggling artists in New York City battle love, capitalism and the AIDS epidemic in the early '90s. The film — which is based on the Tony-Award winning musical — starts on Christmas Eve and wraps on the holiday one year later.
Tim Burton reimagines Gotham City in the Batman sequel, which follows Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) as he tries to prevent Oswald Cobblepot (Danny DeVito) from killing Gotham's first-born sons. Bruce also finds himself falling for Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer) amid the background of Christmastime.
Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) receives a small, furry creature from his father as a Christmas present. When he fails to follow the rules for taking care of it, Billy's new pet wreaks havoc on his town on Christmas Eve.
Suicidal cop Martin Riggs (Gibson) is partnered up with reluctant detective Roger Murtagh (Glover) during the holiday season. The buddy-cop film follows the duo as they uncover a massive drug-trafficking ring and form an unexpected bond.
The popular film franchise features numerous Christmas scenes, but Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is arguably the most festive one with the Yule Ball.
The 2004 comedy follows Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) throughout the entire school year as she infiltrates the popular girl clique. At the Winter Talent Show, Cady saves the Plastics' "Jingle Bell Rock" dance routine by singing the holiday tune after their boom box gets kicked off stage.
Joe Fox (Tom Hanks), the owner of a corporate bookstore, begins an unexpected online romance with his rival and small bookstore owner, Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan). Although most of the movie takes place the rest of the year, some of the most poignant scenes are set against a Christmas backdrop.
The 1997 crime film follows a group of LAPD officers in 1953 as they attempt to solve a murder at a Los Angeles coffee shop. The three protagonists — Detective Lieutenant Exley (Guy Pearce), Officer White (Russell Crowe) and Sergeant Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) — all have their own motives for uncovering the case, which kicks off on Christmas Eve.
Executive Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd) and hustler Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy) switch places around Christmas as part of a bet to see how each man will handle their new circumstances. The 1983 comedy features Aykroyd in a dirty Santa Claus suit for a portion of the film.
The Stanley Kubrick-directed erotic thriller begins with Bill Harford (Tom Cruise) and his wife Alice (Nicole Kidman) attending a Christmas party where other guests flirt with them. After learning that Alice once considered having an affair, Bill finds himself invading a masked orgy of an unnamed secret society.
After single mom Samantha Caine (Geena Davis) suffers a concussion during the holidays, she begins to have unexplained violent memories. Samantha hires private detective Mitch Hennessey (Samuel L. Jackson) to look into her past and learns she's a government assassin.
This 2021 movie is technically a rom-com, but since it's set at Christmastime, there are plenty of scenes filled with stealthy holiday cheer. Based on the novel of the same name by Sally Thorne, the film follows assistants Lucy (Lucy Hale) and Joshua (Austin Stowell) as they compete for the same job at the publishing house where they both work. Their animosity, however, starts to fade once they get to know one another — especially after they attend a picturesque winter wedding together.
Based on Patricia Highsmith's novel The Price of Salt, this 2015 period drama tells the story of Carol Aird (Cate Blanchett) and Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara), who begin an affair after meeting at a department store during the Christmas season. Set in 1952, their romance is made all the more complicated by the fact that Carol is in the midst of a messy divorce from her husband, Harge (Kyle Chandler), who's threatening to take their daughter away.
