Top Amazing Hollywood Onscreen Kisses That Were So Magical But You Would Never Have Guessed Were Improvised
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It is not rare for romantic scenes to be included in a movie script. However, there are times when the actors simply let the chemistry guide their actions while on set. You would never have guessed that these on-screen kisses were not supposed to happen, but they eventually became one of the most iconic moments in cinema. You will be surprised to hear that these kissing scenes were delivered off the cuff. On the flip side, we also have romantic scenes that simply did not do anything for the viewers. Perhaps the most important lesson you will see here is the fact that making a good movie takes a lot of teamwork from the actors, the directors, the editors, and everyone else on the crew.
Top Gun
In Top Gun, we have Kelly McGillis playing Charlie and Tom Cruise playing Maverick. She was telling him that she wants to keep her feelings for him a secret when he interrupts her with a kiss! This sweet moment defined the relationship between the characters, but it was not in the original script.
The truth is that their conversation was meant to serve as a conclusion of sorts. However, the actor forgot the lines he was supposed to deliver. Instead of starting over, he simply went in for a kiss! In the end, the director liked this more than the original plan. This was the reason it made it to the final edit.
Stranger Things
In the second season of Stranger Things, we were introduced to a teen romance between Lucas and Max, played by Caleb McLaughlin and Sadie Sink respectively. Towards the end of the season, the rowdy teenagers affirm their feelings for each other by sharing a sweet little smooch.
Sadly, the story is not that simple. Even though the original script did not call for a kiss between the two actors, the showrunners suggested that they have a kiss. Apparently, the thought of this was making Sink so stressed out that they added it. According to the showrunners, it was her fault that they added the kiss. As you can imagine, fans did not approve of this. However, Sink eventually said that even though she felt uncomfortable, she did not feel pushed into doing it.
Lost In Translation
Lost in Translation stars an aging Hollywood star called Bob Harris and a young woman called Charlotte. We watched as Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson brought these characters to life in Tokyo! At the end of the movie, he bids her goodbye in a touching moment that came with a kiss.
In reality, the actress did not have any idea that her costar was going to lean in for a kiss. After all, it was not part of the script! Bill Murray, out of the blue, decided to add the peck. Sofia Coppola, the director, loved this addition. One might even say that the reaction of Scarlett Johansson only made it better.
The Office
It is not a secret that there are plenty of improvised scenes in The Office. However, one of the most shocking moments in the sitcom would be the kiss between Michael Scott and Oscar Martinez! After learning that Oscar is a gay man, Michael wanted to show that he was a very tolerant person.
In an attempt to show that he was an ally, actor Scott Carrell kissed Oscar Nunez on the lips. According to Nunez, they were only meant to share an embrace in that scene. However, Carrell wanted to step it up a notch. When Nunez realized that his costar was going in for a kiss, he did his best to remain in character throughout the funny smooch!
Edge Of Tomorrow
We have Tom Cruise on the list yet again! He was Major William Cage in Edge of Tomorrow. In the film, he was trapped in a time loop and had to experience the day before his death on the battlefield over and over. As he tried to figure out how to save the world from aliens, he asks for the help of a Special Forces fighter by the name of Rita Vrataski, who was played by Emily Blunt.
It was true that the filmmakers wanted a kiss between the two characters. However, they had a hard time finding a scene that would be appropriate for a lip-lock. They must have been relieved when Emily Blunt decided to take things into her hands by planting a kiss on her costar! Even though it came as a surprise to everyone else, it worked out for the best.
Game Of Thrones
Even though the seventh season of Game of Thrones disappointed many fans, there were things that promised excitement. We are talking about the kiss between Ellaria Sand and Yara Greyjoy, played by Indira Varma and Gemma Whelan respectively. While powerful, it was actually improvised.
Even though the scene was written to have light flirting, the situation escalated quickly. The two ladies decided to just roll with it. When they worked out the kiss, Indira Varma had to kiss a stunt double as well. This made the scene flow much more smoothly in the upcoming fight against Euron Greyjoy.
New Girl
Just like The Office, there are plenty of improvised scenes in New Girl. In the same vein, one kissing scene was performed off-the-cuff! It was the one between Schmidt, played by Max Greenfield, and Nick, played by Jake Johnson.
According to Johnson, Greenfield usually kisses him. As a matter of fact, his costar does it more than any girl he has ever dated! During the first season, one such improvised kiss was added to the final edit. After learning that Nick was suffering from a medical condition, Schmidt flies into a frenzy and then kisses his friend on the mouth! Greenfield has said that Johnson did not always like these impromptu kisses but learned that he should expect them.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Do you remember the scene in which Luke had to say goodbye to Leia Fisher in Star Wars: The Last Jedi? Before Mark Hamill walks away, he leaves a kiss on the forehead of Carrie Fisher. The actor said that this was actually a genuine gesture that he acted on at the right moment.
As Mark Hamill was thinking about how Luke was biding her goodbye forever, he felt a surge of emotion. After all, he had been playing this character for a long time already. The actress died prior to the release of the film, which is the reason the actor could no longer watch this scene thanks to the strength of his emotions.
Teen Wolf
Teen Wolf is an MTV series that follows a bunch of high schoolers living in a small town plagued by the paranormal. Stiles Stilinski, played by Dylan O’Brien, is an awkward geek in the show. His storyline came with romantic tension with a lovely classmate called Lydia Martin, who is portrayed by Holland Roden.
If O’Brien did not take the initiative, it turned out that their romance would not have developed as it did. There was a moment early in the series in which O’Brien kissed his costar on the cheek. As you might have guessed, it was not in the script! After that sweet moment, falls were smitten with the pair. In the end, the showrunners agreed to turn their romance into a major plot point.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
Do you remember the sweet kiss shared by Effie Trinket and Haymitch Abernathy in the last installment of the Hunger Games? Apparently, the kiss was not in the original script! It was nothing more than the result of Woody Harrelson’s feelings for Elizabeth Banks.
When they were done shooting the film, Woody Harrelson admitted that he was crushing on Elizabeth Banks. He admitted that he might have used the part to make his dreams come true! Yes, it meant that the actress had no idea what was about to happen. It was a good thing that the kiss worked in the film.
Jurassic World
If you watched Jurassic World, you must recall the smooth between Owen Grady and Claire Dearing. Even though the script did not call for a kiss between Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, it was planned out beforehand. The only person who was surprised by this was the actress.
On the last day of taping, the director asked Chris Pratt to maybe kiss his costar for the final take. However, they did not give Howard a heads up about it. As a matter of fact, the plan was to surprise her with a kiss! The kiss was performed in front of 200 audience members and made it to the final cut of the film.
Room With A View
A long time before Helena Bonham Carter brought Princess Margaret to life in The Crown, she first played Lucy Honeychurch in a film called Room With A View. As the character was talking to a new friend called George, they share a kiss. The actor was portrayed by Julian Sands.
At the age of 18, the actress did not have a lot of kissing experience under her belt. Even though she was surprised to hear this suggestion from the production crew, she rolled with it. If you watch the film, you should know that the kiss was totally improvised. According to Carter, it was also a bit awkward.
ER
Even though there are many scenes that were not in the script and happened naturally, some planned ones still shocked viewers. There was a scene like this in ER. Throughout the show, many viewers could sense the palpable romantic tension between Doug Ross and Carol Hathaway. Respectively, the characters were played by George Clooney and Juliana Margulies. Sadly, the actor eventually left the show and dashed the hopes that the fans had for this relationship.
A couple of seasons later, the actress also chose to leave the medical drama series. During the final scenes, the writers wanted Clooney to come back so that fans can enjoy a kiss between the characters! Even though fans always wanted this to happen, they were shocked to see it actually play out onscreen.
The Good Wife
There is no denying that the ER kiss was notable, but Julia Margulies also gave fans a surprise smooch on The Good Wife. When her character begins working for her old law school flame, fans kept their fingers crossed for a kiss between her and Josh Charles! How did it happen?
After waiting for two years for this to happen, fans were starting to feel hopeless that the romantic tension was going to come to fruition. At long last, Charles and Margulies shared a passionate kiss in the elevator during the finale of the second season. Of course, this came as a nice surprise to their fans!
Orange Is The New Black
Orange Is The New Black is a hit Netflix show that follows the story of Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) who winds up in jail with her ex. While the flashbacks always show a clear connection between them, Piper ends up in jail thanks to the criminal activities of Alex (Taylor Schilling). Even though the reunion felt inevitable, there was no certainty thanks to the history shared by the characters.
There was a steamy scene in which the two women share a kiss in the chapel. Even though fans were excited for this to finally happen, it felt like there were too many obstacles for them to overcome. As you can imagine, the passionate reunion was shocking but well-received.
Cheers
During the first season, Sam and Diane had an angry and bitter relationship. Even though they were usually at odds, it was clear that there was chemistry between actors Ted Danson and Shelley Long. Many felt that it was a hint towards a future relationship between the characters. This was exactly what took place as the show went on. However, no one saw the big kiss coming!
Sam and Diane were having an awful argument at the end of the first season. There was reason to assume that there was no way they would reconcile. All of a sudden, they embraced and shared a passionate smooch! It was totally unexpected, but this only made the scene that much more exciting.
Gilmore Girls
Even though a lot of fans felt more concerned about the romantic prospects of Rory, we were more excited about the relationship between Luke and Lorelai! While they were best friends at the beginning of the show, many felt the romantic tension between stars Scott Patterson and Lauren Graham grow over the course of the show. Did they eventually end up together?
It took some time, but fans got to see the much-awaited season at the finale of the fourth season. Luke and Lorelai had a passionate smooch that many did not see coming! Even though their romance had a lot of ups and downs, there was nothing quite like that first kiss.
The X-Files
Back in the ‘90s, we got to meet Fox and Scully while they investigated various supernal phenomena together. A lot of fans were keeping their fingers crossed for a romance between them. Even though there was amazing chemistry between David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, the creator of the show said that he did not like the thought of a kiss in the relationship.
This was the reason so many viewers were surprised by the kiss between the main characters in the seventh season. Fox and Scully had been in an alternate universe when they shared the much-awaited kiss between them. At last, fans got what they wanted from this relationship. Even though it took a long time for them to officially become a couple, this first surprise kiss helped the romantic tension stay alive.
Frasier
When it comes to Frasier, there is no denying that some people stayed on to keep an eye on the relationship between Daphne and Niles. Only three episodes into the show, Niles already falls in love with her! Despite this, their romance did not blossom until years later.
At first, Niles does not let her know about his feelings. In the beginning, he does this since he is married. After that, it is because she is seeing other guys. Even though it was obvious, Daphne turned a blind eye. During the seventh season, we finally understood just how strong his feelings are for her! His confession results in an amazing kiss between the couple. You might have expected it, but it was still very satisfying.
American Hustle
American Hustle is the story of a con artist by the name of Irving Rosenfeld, his partner Sydney Prosser, and his spouse Rosalyn Rosenfeld. Respectively, these characters were brought to life by Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Jennifer Lawrence. Even though the focus of the film was his scams and relationship with the ladies, there was a powerful scene between Mrs. Rosenfeld and Sydney Prosser.
We are talking about the way Mrs. Rosenfeld angrily kisses Prosser before breaking away and laughing maniacally. Amy Adams came up with this and let the director know about it. However, the acting of the other actress was genuine. At any rate, we definitely think that it played out perfectly in the movie.
Love Actually
Most love stories and romantic scenes come as a surprise but let us not forget that some are also infuriating, plain and simple. A scene might want you to believe in love, but there is no guarantee that it would work. As a matter of fact, one such scene in Love Actually had the opposite effect!
One of the most iconic scenes in the film has to be the time when actor Andrew Lincoln went to his best friend’s house and confesses to his pal’s wife. At first, you might think that this cue card scene was sweet, although it is actually disturbing on second thought. According to the actor, he thought that the character had a bit of a “stalker” vibe as well. Even though it was meant to be the end of the obsession, we think it would have been better if the character proved his loyalty to his best mate by staying away!
Gigli
If you ask us, Gigli simply was not the best film out there. The same could be said about the romance between the characters played by Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. Overall, it is a violent and tasteless film. The filmmakers added a sappy romance to the mess as well. Sadly, it did not really work.
Gigli follows a mobster that ended up kidnapping a child with a mental disability. We are not surprised to hear that it was not easy to add romance to this plot. However, the good news was that the actors ended up falling in love for real! Sadly, the chemistry simply did not translate on the silver screen.
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
One of the biggest elements in the Star Wars franchise would be the love story of Padme and Anakin. This is especially true for the prequels, but it affected the plot in the rest of the series too. We saw them fall in love in Attack of the Clones even though the odds were against them.
Sadly, it was pretty painful to watch the romance unravel. How tragic was it that there was no chemistry between Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen? On top of that, the dialogue sounded awkward and forced. The “romantic” lines do not make a lot of sense and only give us goosebumps! A lot of people could not help but wonder why Padme even developed feelings for her onscreen partner. You can watch this movie as much as you want, but you might never get the answer to this pressing question.
Passengers
Chris Pratt brings Jim to life in Passengers. The character is a spaceship engineer who wakes up after what appears to be 240 years. There are still 90 years to go before he gets to his supposed new home, so he has no choice but to pass the time in the ship on his own. He eventually crosses paths with a beautiful woman called Aurora, played by Jennifer Lawrence. A moral dilemma later, he comes to the decision to wake her up. This subsequently ends her new life before it can even begin!
The two characters end up falling in love. They lead a happy life on the ship together, but the movie wants us to believe that it is a good plan. The truth was that he steals her life without asking for her consent! She did not have any choice but to go with him, which takes away from the love story.
The Mummy
Tom Cruise and Anabelle Wallis star in The Mummy, but their romance does not do anything for us. What makes it such a cringe-worthy plotline is that it feels forced. Everything would have been fine without the relationship, but they decided to add a typical romance for no good reason.
Even though her character ended up falling in love with his, we were unable to detect an ounce of chemistry between them. It was clear that there was a big age gap between the lead stars, so it did not make for the most comfortable viewing session. Even though there was an attempt to create a relationship between them, the romance aspect simply did not do the film any favors.
1991’s “My Girl”
Possibly the sweetest movie kiss of all time: 1991’s “My Girl” with Macaulay Culkin and Anna Chlumsky. These were clearly the youngest actors that had to kiss on TV.
Australia
Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman starred side-by-side in the melodrama ‘Australia’ – in the process creating one of the most famous screen kisses of all time. It was definitely a successful kiss.
Meet Joe Black By Brad Pitt and Claire Forlani
Brad Pitt passionately kisses Claire Forlani in 1998’s “Meet Joe Black.” What a romantic kiss!
Don Juan DeMarco (1994)
Johnny Depp and Faye Dunaway make out in Don Juan DeMarco in 1994. Don Juan DeMarco is an American romantic comedy-drama film starring Johnny Depp as John Arnold DeMarco, a man who believes himself to be Don Juan, the greatest lover in the world.
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson in Eclipse
The kiss between these two figures is also legendary. Here, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson make out as “Bella” and “Edward” in “Twilight.” Pattinson and Stewart, took their roles in Twilight very seriously. They both were committed to making the movie more than just another teen drama.
William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet
Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes performed an iconic kiss in 1997’s William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet. It was just unforgettable and most people today still remember it.
Eyes Wide Shut
Ex-couple Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise enchanted us in 1999’s ‘Eyes Wide Shut’. At the time, the main actors were still married. The movie is about a Manhattan doctor who embarks on a bizarre, night-long odyssey after his wife’s admission of unfulfilled longing.
Dirty Dancing By Jennifer Gray and Patrick Swayze
“Baby” and “Johnny” in what is arguably the most famous dance film of all time: 1987’s Dirty Dancing. If you’ve seen Dirty Dancing, you’ll have witnessed the undeniable chemistry between Johnny and Baby.
Harry Potter
In the picture, you can see “Ginny Weasley” and “Harry Potter” just before their first kiss. When it came to filming the big moment, Wright said it was strange having to kiss Daniel Radcliffe, who’s like a brother to her. “I think it’s strange when you know someone really well and you’ve had such a long experience with them that they’ve become this friend and kind of like brother person.
The Notebook
The Notebook is a 2004 romance film. It was directed by Nick Cassavetes and written by Jeremy Leven and Jan Sardi, based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks. The book is a love story that happened mostly in South Carolina in the 1940s. Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams kissed passionately in the rain on Day One.
Casablanca
“You know how much I loved you,” Ingrid Bergman sobbed desperately. “How much I still love you.” Swelling orchestra music and there it is, one of the most beautiful kisses in cinema history. For a long time, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman were the epitome of the tragic couple who can only live together, but are not allowed to because the world is not a Hollywood movie after all. “Casablanca” shows impressively how highly dramatic and yet intimate a kiss can be.
Titanic
This scene from “Jack” and “Rose” has been re-enacted millions of times. Titanic (1997) is one of the highest-grossing films of all time. It is therefore also one of the most famous kissing scenes, that a lot of people were trying to imitate for pictures.
Gone with the Wind (1939)
Perhaps the most famous movie kiss of all time goes hand in hand with a good smack: when Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) kisses southern belle Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh) on her perfectly curved lips, she vacillates between outrage and delight. He wants to go to war, she doesn’t want that, the drama is perfect, hearts broken, souls battered. When Butler says smugly: “You should be kissed, and often by someone who knows how to do it,” we too vacillate between indignation and ecstasy, but the exuberant pathos of this scene makes us romantically reconcile.
Cruel Intentions (1999)
It’s become a pop culture staple, the thoroughly sensual kiss between Kathryn (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Cecile (Selma Blair) that makes even threads of saliva look erotic. Located somewhere between queer-baiting, male fantasy and female empowerment, the two competitors (and best friends in real life) show how wide the spectrum of human s*xuality is. Especially when you’re a horny teenager. There was a well-deserved MTV award for that. This scene of the then married couple Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Philippe also proves that “Cruel Intentions” is a single ingeniously haunting conglomerate of feelings, hormones and sensuality.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
When Holly finally finds the cat, she has also found herself. And only then is she ready to start a relationship with Paul (George Peppard). The romantic trials and tribulations dissolve in a legendary kitschy kiss in the middle of the rain, because that’s the way it should be if you want romance par excellence. But it effectively presses the tear duct even when watched repeatedly.
Call me by your name (2017)
In “Call me by your name” with Timotheé Chalamet and Armie Hammer, gentleness, melancholy, unaffected pathos and seductive poetry merge into a reserved, sparkling love letter about intimacy and desire in its purest, most direct form. Here, sensuality is elevated to an art form. All of that represents this scene, the first kiss between Elio and Oliver. Of course, a courageous grip on the crotch should not be missing at the end.