There are so many movies with elements of romance, even if that’s not the leading theme in the film. We see people kiss onscreen all the time, and sometimes it’s more believable than others, but you don’t usually think twice about how the actors felt when making the scene.
Emily Blunt has starred in many films which featured an onscreen kiss, many times opposite big name actors, and as it turns out, not all of her experiences were great.
During a recent appearance on The Howard Stern Show (via People), Blunt opened up about how she’s had to fake chemistry over the years with certain co-stars she struggled to connect with on set.
Blunt has acted opposite many high-profile leading men throughout her career, from Matt Damon (The Adjustment Bureau) to Tom Cruise (Edge of Tomorrow), Dwayne Johnson (Jungle Cruise), Ryan Gosling (The Fall Guy) and Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer).
“Have you wanted to throw up?” Stern asked Blunt about kissing some of her male co-stars during filming. The Oscar-nominated actor responded: “Absolutely. Absolutely. I wouldn’t say it’s sort of extreme loathing, but I’ve definitely not enjoyed some of it.”
Blunt declined to name any co-star she couldn’t generate chemistry with, but she did say: “I have had chemistry with people who… I have not had a good time working with them.” She continued:
“Sometimes it’s a strange thing. Sometimes you could have a rapport that’s really effortless, but it doesn’t translate onscreen. Chemistry is this strange thing. It’s an ethereal thing that you can’t really bottle up and buy or sell. It’s like there or it’s not…It’s just easier when you have a natural rapport with someone.”
Blunt has been acting for so long that at this point she has a formula down for how to build chemistry, saying:
“I’ve got to find something I love about everybody. I have to find something … Even if it’s one thing. It might be that they have a nice laugh or I like how they speak to people. They’re polite. I mean, it might be something random. But find something you love about that person or something you love about them as the character and then kind of lean into that.”
Emily Blunt is a great actress, and she has done a wonderful job of making us feel like she truly was the character she portrayed in each project, even if that meant faking the enjoyment of kissing someone who made her want to hurl.
