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Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus -

Imagine if Dolly Parton was your actual godmother? Miley Cyrus is the luckiest person alive! Not only do they have that close bond, the music legend has also guided and supported Cyrus through the ups and downs of her career. Parton understands what it's like to grow and evolve as a woman in the spotlight, so her approach to mentoring Cyrus is that she's always ready to advise but never discourages her creative choices.

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Stevie Nicks and Harry Styles -

Like much of the rest of the world, Harry Styles is a huge Stevie Nicks fan. He let her know it by sending her a carrot cake backstage at one of her shows in 2015. They developed a friendship, and Nicks even calls Styles the son she never had.

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Stevie Nicks and Harry Styles -

Styles had looked up to Nicks since childhood, and her guidance as a fellow musician was invaluable. “If you’re lucky enough to know her, she’s always there for you. She knows what you need, advice, a little wisdom, a blouse, a shawl. She’s got you covered," he once said.

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Maya Angelou and Oprah Winfrey -

Maya Angelou is one of the most famous poets and writers in American history. Oprah Winfrey was a huge fan of her work and reached out to her in the 1970s at the beginning of her own career. They developed a strong bond and loving relationship that would continue for decades, until Angelou's death in 2014.

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Maya Angelou and Oprah Winfrey -

In 2011, Winfrey conducted an interview with Angelou, who was then 83 years old. In her introduction speech, she referred back to their first meeting: "I couldn’t have guessed what the next few decades would bring—or that she would be there for me every step of the way, a wise, loving presence and the greatest mentor I’ve ever known."

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Denzel Washington and Chadwick Boseman -

While Chadwick Boseman was studying under actress Phylicia Rashad at Howard University, he was offered a place in the prestigious British American Drama Academy's Midsummer program, but couldn't afford to attend. Rashad got on the phone with her old friend Denzel Washington, who agreed to sponsor Boseman within five minutes. A decade later, Boseman was being lauded as "the next Denzel Washington." Washington was given an American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019, and it was Boseman who delivered a heartfelt speech honoring his mentor. Sadly, Boseman would pass away not long after, in August 2020.

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Steven Spielberg and J.J. Abrams -

Steven Spielberg became one of the most accomplished directors in the industry back in the 1980s, and still holds that title today. He met J.J. Abrams when Abrams was just a teenager and had been given the job of transferring some of Spielberg's childhood movies to tapes. Spielberg saw potential in the young Abrams, who says he's "been a friend and mentor ever since."

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Steven Spielberg and Matt Reeves -

Spielberg met and became a mentor to 'The Batman' (2022) director Matt Reeves under similar circumstances!

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Elton John and Ed Sheeran -

Ed Sheeran first made it big in 2011 after signing with Elton John's management company, Rocket Music. The same year, he released his hit song 'The A Team.' Now a record-breaking success himself, Sheeran says he learned how to be a good mentor to up-and-coming artists from Elton John.

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Elton John and Ed Sheeran -

Sheeran said he's seen experienced musicians become jaded when they see a new artist with potential coming on the scene, but he learned not the be that way from John. “You can let yourself get jaded or you can actually just put your arm around the person and be like, ‘Hey, anything you need, any advice, I’m here to call. Not even just on a business sense, just on a personal sense.'”

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Elton John and Eminem -

Ed Sheeran isn't the only star Elton John has supported over the years. A more surprising mentee of his is rapper Eminem. John had condemned Eminem's past homophobic comments, but the two still struck up a friendship at the Grammys in 2001. In the end, it was John who Eminem turned to for support and advice when he was struggling with addiction, knowing that John had gone through similar issues.

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Katharine Hepburn and Jane Fonda -

Jane Fonda has always said that Katharine Hepburn was her role model in acting, and she finally had the chance to work with her on the 1981 movie 'On Golden Pond,' as well as her father, Henry Fonda. She later said, "I think the only actor who ever taught me much about life, more than acting, was Katharine Hepburn."

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Jane Fonda and Meryl Streep -

Fonda says that she's never seen herself as a mentor, but many of her protégés would beg to differ! Meryl Streep first met Fonda when they worked together on the 1977 movie 'Julia.' Streep says that Fonda gave her guidance and inspiration, and even helped her career afterward by recommending her for roles. In a speech dedicated to Fonda when she received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014, Streep said she tries to pass on Fonda's lessons and kindness to other young actors.

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Meryl Streep and Viola Davis -

The chain reaction of mentorship continued as Meryl Streep met Viola Davis in 2008. The two women developed a strong friendship, and Davis credits Streep with having given her valuable advice about both her career and her personal life over the years, constantly showing her how to trust herself and find confidence.

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Usher and Justin Bieber -

Usher first met Justin Bieber in a parking lot outside a recording studio! Bieber wanted to sing for the Grammy-winning star, and Usher was impressed by what he heard. Bieber was just 14 years old at the time, and Usher decided to take the little heartbreaker under his wing.

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Usher and Justin Bieber -

Along with music producer Scooter Braun, Usher launched Justin Bieber into superstardom. He mentored him and collaborated with him to give him even more momentum. The two developed a close relationship and still hang out to this day.

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David Bowie and Iggy Pop -

David Bowie and Iggy Pop are both considered to be music legends and were both born the same year, but Iggy Pop says that Bowie was "more of a benefactor than a friend." They became friends in 1971, and Bowie invited Iggy to join him on his tour in 1976. After that, Bowie produced Iggy's debut album, 'The Idiot.'

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David Bowie and Iggy Pop -

Not only did David Bowie help launch Iggy Pop's career, he lifted him up during a particularly dark moment in the rock star's life. "The friendship was basically that this guy salvaged me from certain professional and maybe personal annihilation—simple as that," Iggy once admitted. You can imagine his sadness when Bowie passed away in 2016.

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Alan Rickman and Colin Firth -

The late Alan Rickman is best known for his portrayal of Professor Snape in the 'Harry Potter' series, but was also a respected stage actor of great talent. Following his death in 2016, Colin Firth revealed that Rickman had taken him under his wing at a young age. He said that Rickman had guided him not only in his acting but also "offered personal wisdom." Their friendship lasted 30 years. 

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Ray Charles and Quincy Jones -

Ray Charles had a divine talent that won him 18 Grammys over the years. When he was 16 years old, he met a 14-year-old Quincy Jones and taught him how to write and compose music. The two become close friends for life, and Charles continued to share his talents with Jones.

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Ray Charles and Quincy Jones -

Jones recalled the most important advice his mentor ever gave him: "Quincy, play the music the way it was originally conceived because that’s the original soul of the music, and every music has its own soul."

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Amy Poehler and Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson -

Amy Poehler has earned her stripes as a comedian, actor, writer, director, and producer. She's often used her success to lift up other female creators in the early stages of their careers, like Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson.

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Amy Poehler and Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson -

Poehler was a fan of their web series 'Broad City,' and agreed to do a guest spot when they reached out to her. When the season ended, they told her they were hoping to turn it into a TV show and Poehler agreed to be an executive producer. Poehler stayed on as a producer and guided the comedic duo throughout the show's successful five-season run.

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Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent -

Christian Dior was perhaps the most important designer of the 20th century, revolutionizing women's fashion with "The New Look" in 1947. In the 1950s, he took a teenage Yves Saint Laurent under his wing and began to train him.

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Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent -

When Dior designed his last collection before his death, he said that Saint Laurent was the creator of 34 out of 180 of the designs. He informed his business partner that Saint Laurent was an immense talent and named him his successor. The 21-year-old took over as head designer of Dior when his mentor passed away in 1957.

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Nora Ephron and Lena Dunham -

Nora Ephron is known for her classic rom-coms like 'When Harry Met Sally' (1989) and 'Sleepless in Seattle' (1993). Her work was quite different from that of 'Girls' creator Lena Dunham, but they both shared a passion for telling love stories from a female perspective.

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Nora Ephron and Lena Dunham -

Ephron reached out to Dunham after seeing her film 'Tiny Furniture' in 2010, and became a beloved mentor and friend to the young star. Ephron gave Dunham the most important advice of her career: "You cannot wait around for someone to give you permission to tell your stories.” Sadly, their friendship was cut short when Ephron passed away in 2012.

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Joan Rivers and Margaret Cho -

The incomparable Joan Rivers was a trailblazing female comedian of the 20th century. She was the first woman to host a late-night talk show, and her impressive career spanned seven decades. She took comedian Margaret Cho (left) under her wing when Cho started touring at just 17 years of age. Cho recalled that Rivers took care of all the young comedians like a mother, except for her filthy sense of humor! Following Rivers' death in 2014, Cho had this to say about her: "She lived very lavishly, but she was also very lavish with gifts and with her time and with her affection and with her advice. She was so present and there for you.”

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Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg -

Although they only crossed paths for a few short years before Jobs sadly passed away, the Apple founder and Facebook founder had similar visions. Looking back, Zuckerberg says that some of the most important advice he ever received was from Jobs. The late genius also backed him up when he made the decision not to sell Facebook after it became monumentally valuable.

Sources: (BuzzFeed) (The Cut) (Marie Claire) (Belfast Telegraph) (PushFar)

See also: The women who changed Hollywood forever

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