Joey King Reunites with Kissing Booth Costar Taylor Zakhar Perez at 2025 SAG Awards

Mar. 15, 2025

Joey King and Taylor Zakhar Perez.Photo:Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty

Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty

Joey KingandTaylor Zakhar Perez’s friendship continues to warm our hearts.TheKissing Boothcostars attended the 2025Screen Actors Guild Awardsin Los Angeles together on Sunday, Feb. 23. The pair have been best friends ever since meeting on the set of the 2020 Netflix hit, and King toldVarietyduring the red carpet that she is grateful to have him in her life.“Last year I was his plus one, and so this year he’s mine,” she said. “I think it’s really nice because we communicate in a way of like, we lift each other up, we’re he cut each other’s great hype men, which is nice. Like having each other at something like this, where I’m presenting tonight, I’m a little bit nervous and he’s so sweet.”“He’s just the sweetest, most wonderful person,” she continued. “And also, we have the same sense of humor, which is very helpful, and I just love him.”On their way to the annual ceremony, King shared a clip of Perez in the car with the caption, “My date.”They later posed together on the carpet for the second consecutive year.Taylor Zakhar Perez.Joey King/InstagramAfter King and Perez played lovers inThe Kissing Boothmovies, they maintained a close friendship in real life (Perez even attended King’s 2023wedding to Steven Piet). In June 2024, they opened up toVarietyabout how their friendship developed.“If you don’t know much aboutThe Kissing Booth2and3, Taylor and I have some elaborate dance numbers, so we really got to know each other while doing rehearsals,” King recalled. “I remember you asked me a question in the middle of filming — ‘Do you normally stay friends with people that you work with? Or do you get really close to them on set, and then you just don’t talk to them very much afterwards?’”“It was a sweet question because I felt like the subtext was like, ‘Are we going to be friends after this?’” she noted. “And I told you, ‘It depends.’”Taylor Zakhar Perez and Joey King.Frazer Harrison/WireImagePerez chimed in to say that it wasn’t until they went to South Africa to film that he realized how special King was.“Kissing Boothwas my first major project, with an incredible No. 1 on the call sheet. I’m going to say it: You lead a set in a way that makes everybody feel comfortable,” he gushed. “You raise the energy levels, and people want to come to work. You were my intensive on how to lead. You’ve become a sister to me, but also, you’re a role model and a mentor on how I want to be. I take it with me on every set I go to. It sounds corny, but you totally inspired me.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.SeePEOPLE’s full coverage of the 31st annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, airing on Netflix.

Joey KingandTaylor Zakhar Perez’s friendship continues to warm our hearts.

TheKissing Boothcostars attended the 2025Screen Actors Guild Awardsin Los Angeles together on Sunday, Feb. 23. The pair have been best friends ever since meeting on the set of the 2020 Netflix hit, and King toldVarietyduring the red carpet that she is grateful to have him in her life.

“Last year I was his plus one, and so this year he’s mine,” she said. “I think it’s really nice because we communicate in a way of like, we lift each other up, we’re he cut each other’s great hype men, which is nice. Like having each other at something like this, where I’m presenting tonight, I’m a little bit nervous and he’s so sweet.”

“He’s just the sweetest, most wonderful person,” she continued. “And also, we have the same sense of humor, which is very helpful, and I just love him.”

On their way to the annual ceremony, King shared a clip of Perez in the car with the caption, “My date.”

They later posed together on the carpet for the second consecutive year.

Taylor Zakhar Perez.Joey King/Instagram

Joey King/Instagram

After King and Perez played lovers inThe Kissing Boothmovies, they maintained a close friendship in real life (Perez even attended King’s 2023wedding to Steven Piet). In June 2024, they opened up toVarietyabout how their friendship developed.

“If you don’t know much aboutThe Kissing Booth2and3, Taylor and I have some elaborate dance numbers, so we really got to know each other while doing rehearsals,” King recalled. “I remember you asked me a question in the middle of filming — ‘Do you normally stay friends with people that you work with? Or do you get really close to them on set, and then you just don’t talk to them very much afterwards?’”

“It was a sweet question because I felt like the subtext was like, ‘Are we going to be friends after this?’” she noted. “And I told you, ‘It depends.’”

Taylor Zakhar Perez and Joey King.Frazer Harrison/WireImage

Frazer Harrison/WireImage

Perez chimed in to say that it wasn’t until they went to South Africa to film that he realized how special King was.

“Kissing Boothwas my first major project, with an incredible No. 1 on the call sheet. I’m going to say it: You lead a set in a way that makes everybody feel comfortable,” he gushed. “You raise the energy levels, and people want to come to work. You were my intensive on how to lead. You’ve become a sister to me, but also, you’re a role model and a mentor on how I want to be. I take it with me on every set I go to. It sounds corny, but you totally inspired me.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

SeePEOPLE’s full coverage of the 31st annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, airing on Netflix.

source: people.com