Everybody knows the best part of the movie is getting to witness the long-awaited kiss between love interests. However, behind the scenes, these Hollywood stars were lacking some serious chemistry…
Jason Segel and Alyson Hannigan
Lily and Marshall may have been an iconic couple on How I Met Your Mother, but at first, Alyson Hannigan refused to lock lips with her costar, stating that she didn’t want to kiss an ashtray. Hannigan introduced a “no-kiss” policy until Segel dropped his smoking habit. At first, Segel gave Hannigan $10 for every cigarette he smoked, but when the money began to add up, he finally called it quits.
Ryan Gosling Tried to Get Rachel McAdams Fired
Even though the whole debacle culminated in a two-year relationship between Gosling and McAdams, the intensity of their chemistry wasn’t always a good thing. Gosling and McAdams simply could not get along on the set of The Notebook, allegedly refusing to be in the same room, much less kiss. Gosling wouldn’t even read lines for Rachel if he wasn’t in the shot. At the height of their rivalry, Gosling tried to get McAdams fired and replaced. Thankfully, this didn’t happen, and the two ended up falling for one another anyway.
Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth
These two best buds may have made for some on-screen chemistry, but Lawrence always made their kissing scenes in The Hunger Games as strange and uncomfortable as she could. “She’s one of my best friends, I love her, but if we had a kissing scene, she would make a point of eating garlic or tuna fish or something that was disgusting,” Hemsworth said.
Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley
Apparently, a case of halitosis affected both Teller and Woodley on the set of The Spectacular Now. Woodley was reportedly consuming alternative herbal supplements that made her breath reek, grossing out Teller to the point where he went out of his way to avoid kissing the actress. Teller, on the other hand, was said by Woodley to have some nasty breath himself because of all the Gatorade he was guzzling.
Rupert Grint and Emma Watson
Breaking out of the friendzone can be difficult, especially when you spend all your formative years with the same person. Actors Rupert Grint and Emma Watson felt more like siblings than lovers by the time they actually had to kiss in the Harry Potter film franchise. Watson said, “We were both giggling. We were like 12-year-olds. We were like giggling children where you just couldn’t keep it together.”
Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett
While it seems odd that veteran actor Brad Pitt refused to kiss Cate Blanchett in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, he reportedly declined to kiss her out of respect for his wife at the time, Angelina Jolie, with whom he was having marriage troubles. Director David Fincher was shocked by the decision.
Charlie Sheen Got Selma Blair Fired
After Sheen was fired from Two and a Half Men from being a terrible jerk, he moved onto Anger Management opposite romantic lead Selma Blair. When Blair complained about Sheen’s behavior on set, Sheen gave the producers an ultimatum: Blair was fired, or he walked. In the end, Sheen sent Blair a nasty text laying her off from the show.
Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan
Even though 50 Shades of Grey was supposed to depict the fiery unraveling of Anastasia Steele and Dorian Grey’s relationship, Dakota Johnson had an impossibly hard time dealing with Jamie Dornan on set. The two couldn’t stand one another. Their serious lack of chemistry might be why the movies ended up being such flops.
Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler
Modern Family may be one of the first primetime shows to feature an LGBTQ couple, but straight actor Eric Stonestreet reportedly refused to kiss his male counterpart for the entire first season of the show.
Tobey Maguire Almost Suffocated
The upside-down, rain-soaked smooch between Spidey and Mary Jane is truly one of the most iconic kisses in cinema history. However, it wasn’t so glamorous in real life. Kissing Kirsten Dunst in upside-down in the pouring rain made it almost impossible for him to breathe. Movie magic may have made the kiss seem magical, but in real life, Maguire was gasping for air.
Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner
During the filming of Twilight, Stewart was actually involved with Robert Pattinson in real life, which made it difficult for Stewart to separate feelings from reality. Stewart’s character Bella Swan was caught in a love triangle between the two men. “Taylor [and I] have so much fun with this stuff because our intimate moments are so few and far between—and weird,” she said.
Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze
Dirty Dancing was the iconic ’80s film that appeared to capture the immense on-screen chemistry between Grey and Swayze, but in reality, this was far from the case. Grey said she had no fireworks whatsoever with the actor: “It’s a weird thing, though. It doesn’t have to do with whether you like someone or not. It’s just you either have it or you don’t.”
Lindsay Lohan and Charlie Sheen
Lohan refused to kiss Sheen in Scary Movie 5, despite what audiences may believe. The kiss was actually performed by her body double. Lohan made it abundantly clear she wasn’t interested in puckering up for Sheen due to his colorful reputation.
Sienna Miller and James Franco
Sienna Miller starred alongside James Franco in the independent film Camille, but she seemed quite cold and distant for someone playing a newlywed. In reality, this was because Miller was suffering from a severe toothache. In the end, a dentist even had to be brought to set.
Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts
It may come as a surprise that Washington wouldn’t lock lips with one of the most gorgeous women in Hollywood, but in The Pelican Brief, Washington requested to have all the kissing scenes removed. Roberts was unhappy with the decision, but Washington explained his reasoning: “Black women are not often seen as objects of desire on film. And they have always been my core audience.”
Carey Mulligan and Johnny Depp
Carey Mulligan was so starstruck by Johnny Depp on the set of Public Enemy that she couldn’t bring herself to relax while filming their kiss. Mulligan revealed that the director ended up cutting the scene after 16 separate takes in which Mulligan looks equally uncomfortable.
James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie
This wasn’t so much a case of repulsion so much as shyness. Jolie and McAvoy starred together in Wanted, and McAvoy felt overwhelmed by the idea. Jolie, a veteran pro, was unfazed by the idea, and the two eventually managed to pull it off without any hiccups.
Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio
We already know these two have incredible chemistry as seen in Titanic, but the actors refused to kiss on the set of Revolutionary Road because director Sam Mendes was Winslet’s husband at the time.
Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt
Jennifer Lawrence apparently felt so guilty about kissing a married man in Passengers that she downed some liquid courage just to do the scene. Pratt was still married to Anna Faris at the time, and Lawrence was friendly with the two of them. Before the scene was shot, Lawrence dialed up her mom because she needed encouragement from someone she trusted.
Harrison Ford and Sean Young’s “Hate Scene”
Blade Runner has become a cult classic, but it turns out Rick Deckard and Rachael weren’t quite so fond of one another IRL. Ford and Young could hardly stand to be in the same room, much less kiss. Young constantly complained of Ford’s facial stubble, which she said scratched her face. The cast and crew recalled their love scene was more of a “hate scene.”
Julia Roberts and Nick Nolte
Julia Roberts’ role in I Love Trouble wasn’t exactly memorable, but that might be because Roberts and Nolte had such an intense lack of chemistry on-screen. Julia once called Nolte “completely disgusting,” saying he “seems to go out of his way to repel people.” Shooting was a nightmare because the two refused to even be in the same room. When they were finally pressured into doing a kissing scene, it didn’t look like either of them enjoyed it very much.
Sadie Sink and Caleb McLaughlin
When Sink told Ross Duffer, the co-creator and director of Stranger Things, that she didn’t want to have her first on-screen kiss with Caleb McLaughlin during the Snow Ball, Duffer played a cruel prank on the 15-year-old and wrote a kiss into the scene without her knowledge or consent. Even though Sink claimed she wasn’t “forced into” the kiss, she still expressed her discomfort over the situation.
Vanessa Hudgens and James Franco
The former High School Musical star got more than she bargained for when she took on a lead role in Spring Breakers. Even if Hudgens was looking to deviate from her good-girl image, the movie featured many intimate scenes between herself and Franco as well as a threesome in a swimming pool. Hudgens said of the kiss, “It was very nerve-racking for me. I told my agent that I never want to do it ever again.”
Luke Grimes and Nelsan Ellis
The idea that someone would sacrifice their role on a successful series and a huge paycheck just to get out of some same-sex kissing seems ludicrous, right? Well, that’s exactly what Luke Grimes did. Grimes left True Blood once he found out his character was going to develop a relationship with Nelsan Ellis. Nelsan addressed the rumors, saying, “You quit your job because… really? I’m just… I’m over him. You quit your job because you don’t want to play a gay part? As if it’s… You know what? I’m going to stop talking.”
Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson
While Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson’s kiss may have seemed quite tender in Water for Elephants, the actress was actually trying to avoid locking lips with Pattinson at all costs. However, it was for a good reason: “Rob possibly had the most hideous horrible cold of any costar I’ve ever had to do a love scene with ever in my entire life. He was literally snorting and snotting through every second of it—and it was not appealing. I’m talking green, infectious, disgusting.” Gross!
Steve Carell and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
Dwayne Johnson and Steve Carrell had to share a small kiss while filming Get Smart, but Johnson wasn’t happy about it. At first, it seemed funny, but afterward, Johnson admitted he really didn’t want to kiss Carell. Johnson said Carell’s mouth felt like a cat’s tongue. “That’s the physical experience,” he said.
Virginie Ledoyen and Leonardo DiCaprio
French actress Virginie Ledoyen was unimpressed with Leonardo DiCaprio on the set of The Beach, a thriller from 2000. Ledoyen claimed she felt zero passion for DiCaprio, who apparently lacked any sort of sensitivity during their love scenes. This seems strange because at the time DiCaprio was at the height of his heartthrob era. Still, Ledoyen said it was difficult to get into character due to their lack of chemistry.
Candace Cameron and… Everyone
Like her devout Christian brother Kirk, the Fuller House actress avoids performing kissing or intimate scenes with her costars due to her religious beliefs. Cameron is only interested in laying one on her husband. “I’m getting more uncomfortable with it the older I’m getting,” she said. “I’m like, ‘I don’t want to keep doing this!'”
Will Smith Refused to Kiss Another Man
While the original script for Six Degrees of Separation contained a scene in which Smith, who played a gay con artist, was directed to kiss another man, the actor was so uncomfortable with the idea that he approached Denzel Washington for advice. Ultimately, he refused to do the kiss, but he later stated that it was “very immature” and that he “wasn’t emotionally stable enough to artistically commit to that aspect of the film.”
Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman
While filming Australia, a movie that took place on the brink of WWII, Jackman and Kidman had some difficulties filming romantic scenes. Jackman said it was difficult to be intimate with his costar on set: “It’s never particularly comfortable making out with someone in front of 70 people. That’s really not something that turns me on.”
Katie Holmes and Christian Bale
Batman is a lone wolf (or lone bat), and in the 2005 blockbuster Batman Begins, it maybe should have stayed this way. Christian Bale and Rachel Dawes starred alongside one another, but audiences were stunned by Dawes’ seeming lack of feelings for the caped crusader. Luckily, Dawes was replaced by Maggie Gyllenhaal in later movies, and their chemistry was spectacular.
The World vs. Ben Affleck
Word on the street is that all Ben Affleck had to do was open his mouth on the set of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice to take down the bad guy. Affleck’s bad breath dates back to Forces of Nature when costar Sandra Bullock complained of his halitosis. Apparently, multiple female costars have complained about Affleck’s breath, but they were still forced to kiss him as part of their contract. Gross.
Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif
Bollywood actors Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif were once an item, but post-breakup, Ranbir decided he would no longer lock lips with his ex, even if it was just for the silver screen. The actors were supposedly uncooperative and hostile on the set of Jagga Jasoos, demanding to be kept as far apart as possible. Lesson learned: date your coworkers.
Justin Bieber Refused to Kiss a Male Dancer
Rumors surrounding why Justin Bieber dropped from Uber Girl came to a head when the film’s co-writer said Bieber wouldn’t take the lead “unless the sex scene with him and one of the male backup dancers is taken out of the final script.” Allegedly, Bieber refused to even kiss the dancer, but Bieber’s representatives deny he was ever connected to Uber Girl in the first place.
Tiger Shroff’s “No Kissing” Contract
This Indian actor had a “no kissing clause” added to his contract after only five movies. The demand was made with his girlfriend and costar, Disha Patani, in mind. Tiger believes in Salman Khan’s philosophy that on-screen kisses are not suitable in Indian culture.
Neal McDonough and Virginia Madsen
Due to McDonough’s religious commitment, the veteran actor refuses to be intimate with women on-screen who aren’t his wife. His strict moral code even led him to lose the lead in Scoundrels when he denied performing love scenes with Virginia Madsen. “I don’t like that kind of stuff,” he said. “Especially now with kids, I don’t want to have my kids say, ‘Hey, Dad, what are you doing with that lady on screen?”
Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder
These Vampire Diaries stars know how to have a classy breakup. Dobrev is still friends with Somerhalder and has even become acquainted with his wife, Nikki Reed. When their relationship drew to a close, so did all the steamy kissing scenes between Elena and Damon. There was one final kiss in the series finale. Otherwise, the set became a kiss-free zone.
Priyanka Chopra and Annu Kapoor
Annu Kapoor claims the newest member of the Jonas family refused to do love scenes with him in Saat Khoon Maaf due to their tremendous age difference of 26 years. Chopra stated that out of her seven husbands in the film, she would choose to have Kapoor killed. It seems like these two didn’t get along regardless of age.
Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper
According to Bradley Cooper, J-Law didn’t want to kiss him in Silver Linings Playbook. Apparently, Bradley’s skills in the kissing department were severely lacking. Cooper admitted that Lawrence even gave him a few pointers after their first few kisses because he was a bit of a slobberer.
Kevin Hart Won’t Kiss Other Men
Comedian Kevin Hart may have shared one iconic kiss with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in Central Intelligence, but the comedian notoriously refuses to play gay characters. He turned down the Tropic Thunder role of Alpa Chino, a closeted gay rapper. He called the character “real flagrant.” Although Hart claims to respect the LGBT community, he says he “can’t [play a gay character] because I don’t think I’m really going to dive into that role 100 percent.”
Janet Jackson and Tupac
Apparently, the drama in Poetic Justice extended beyond the screen. Janet was reluctant to film romantic scenes with Tupac because he was known as a “player,” but eventually she agreed to pucker up.
Kimberly McCollough Refused to Kiss an Older Man
Kim McCollough was only 14-year-old when she was asked to kiss a 22-year-old actor on General Hospital. The anonymous actor supposedly made sexual jokes about his underage costar and Kim was unaware of the actor’s age until the day they met on set. When Kim complained, a producer told her she would have to do the scene, but thankfully she stood her ground, and the producers settled for a kiss on the cheek.
Kirsten Dunst and Brad Pitt
Poor 11-year-old Dunst was scarred by her experience of kissing Brad Pitt, a man old enough to be her father, in 1994’s Interview with the Vampire. “Everyone at the time was like, ‘You’re so lucky you kissed Brad Pitt,’ but I thought it was disgusting,” she said. “I didn’t kiss anyone else until I was 16, I think. I was a late bloomer.”
Jewel and Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe may be an undeniable charmer, but he claims that actress and singer Jewel refused to kiss him on The Lyon’s Den. Lowe was the one who rallied for Jewel to be cast as the romantic lead in the first place, but she was so averse to kissing him that she even brought her boyfriend to set whenever the two had to do a scene together. Rob said the experience was a “parade of indignities” with the final blow being when Jewel refused to kiss him in the love scene.
Molly Ringwald and Michael Schoeffling
In Sixteen Candles, Molly Ringwald was finally given the chance to lock lips with the hottest guy in school, Jake Ryan. The whole movie was building up to that singular kiss, but when it finally happened, the scene was a bust. Ringwald was hoping to kiss Viggo Mortensen, but instead, she shared the moment with Michael Schoeffling, who said it was the worst part of the role.
Tisha Campbell and Martin Lawrence
Even though Martin and Gina’s relationship on the classic ’90s sitcom Martin seemed cool from the outside, things were actually pretty tense behind the scenes. By the fifth season, Tisha Campbell not only refused to kiss Martin, but she wouldn’t shoot episodes with him, either. Eventually, their feud culminated in a sexual harassment suit against Martin, who was described as “increasingly manic and volatile” in his pursuit of Tisha.
Kate Hudson and Dane Cook
Even though one might suspect Dane Cook would be the prankster on set, in reality, it was Kate Hudson. While filming My Best Friend’s Girl, Kate Hudson tried as hard as she could to gross out her costar. Cook said their kiss was the “worst on-screen kiss ever.”
Kirk Cameron and Erin Bethea
Since born-again Christian Kirk Cameron married Grown Pains love interest Chelsea Noble, he made a promise that he would only lock lips with her from that day forward. When a kissing scene was supposed to take place on Fireproof, Cameron described the way he snuck around breaking the vow: “Because I have a commitment not to kiss any other woman, my wife Chelsea came into the set and wore the dress my character’s wife wore. We shot the scene in silhouette, so when I kiss my wife, I’m actually kissing my wife and honoring our marriage.”
Fawad Khan and Alia Bhatt
The famous Pakistani actor, singer, and model refused to share a kiss with costar Alia Bhatt due to his vow of chastity. While the director accepted Khan’s limits, the two were instructed to perform a fake kiss, which was somehow more of a disaster than if the kiss had been nixed altogether. “Every time I would go near his face, he would flinch,” said Alia. “I had to keep reassuring him I wouldn’t compromise his chastity.”
Herizen Guardiola and Justice Smith
Despite the series’ title, Herizen Guardiola didn’t really consider the intimate moments that would take place on the show. Justice Smith, her on-screen love interest, explained that Baz Luhrmann asked for an impromptu kissing scene between the two of them, which caught Guardiola off guard. She said of the incident, “I didn’t want to kiss him. I didn’t know him. I don’t just kiss people I don’t know. I don’t care what the situation is.”
Leona Lewis and Chace Crawford
Leona Lewis’ loyalty outweighed any desire to kiss notorious Gossip Girl hunk, Chace Crawford. She hired the actor to star in the “I Will Be” music video, but refused to kiss Crawford because she thought her then-boyfriend Lou Al-Chamaa would get jealous.
Sunny Leone Has a “No-Kissing Clause”
Bollywood adult film star Sunny Leone added a no-kiss clause in her contract after shooting Ragini MMS 2 in 2014. Oddly enough, despite refusing to kiss her costars, Leone is fine with doing more graphic sex scenes.
Thandie Newton and Gerard Butler
When Thandie Newton was asked to lock lips with Gerard Butler during the filming of RocknRolla, but her reason made sense: the actor had come down with a nasty cold. On the day their love scene was supposed to be shot, Newton asked director Guy Ritchie to come up with a way Newton could avoid laying one on the germy Butler. “Gerry was very unwell indeed,” she said. “So I wouldn’t kiss him. Guy had to improvise. I don’t know how he coped with those problems, but it ended up being one of the most brilliant scenes.”
Samuel L. Jackson
When Samuel L. Jackson signed onto the film adaptation of Stephen King’s Cell, he apparently didn’t know the character was gay. The actor informed Playboy magazine that he would never kiss a man for a part.
Pat Boone and Shirley Jones
Boone refused to kiss his costar out of respect for his wife. In April Love, there were no kissing or love scenes in the script, but Boone still wanted approval from his wife in the event that he was going to start working on more romantic films. When the director asked him to lay one on Shirley Jones without warning, Boone said, “Well Henry, this sounds crazy, I know, but I’ve never talked to my wife Shirley about this because kissing in the movies hasn’t come up yet.”
Thandie Newton and Tom Cruise
When it came to kissing Tom Cruise on the set of Mission Impossible 2, Thandie Newton was disgusted by Cruise’s tongue action. “I’d really go home at the end of the day actually moaning about how hot it was and how many times we had to do it,” said Newton.
Woody Allen and Helena Bonham Carter
Bonham-Carter and Woody Allen starred alongside one another in Mighty Aphrodite. Despite the title, Bonham Carter felt very uncomfortable kissing Allen. Allen, who was also the director, wanted the kissing to go down in a very specific way. “Allen tells you upfront the certain ways of kissing he does not want. No exchange of liquid is permitted,” said Bonham Carter. “It can be a bit offensive because he makes no effort at all. It’s like kissing the Berlin Wall.”
Charlie Hunnam and Maggie Siff
The fall of Sons of Anarchy might have been attributed to the lack of chemistry between Jax and Tara. As the seasons moved forward, the passion between them was visibly dwindling. Audiences were disappointed in the unfolding of their relationship.
Damien Lewis and Claire Danes
Homeland is a heated show for a number of reasons, but one of the most exciting arcs is the cat and mouse game between Carrie and Brodie. It seemed like the two were better off at a distance. The show seemed to lose all passion once the actors got a little too close, proving that sometimes, fantasy is better than reality.
Jessica Alba and Ioan Gruffudd
The nail in the 2005 Fantastic Four movie’s coffin was the lack of passion between Reed and Sue. Their chemistry was so poor that there was virtually zero magnetism between the two on-screen. It looked more like they were siblings than lovers.