Matt Damon has been in many movies and as a result, has kissed many actors in his time. From the Minnie Driver pickle kiss in Good Will Hunting, to a Michael Douglas smooch in Behind the Candelabra, the Oscar winner has had his fair share of kissing scenes. He even almost made out with his best friend, Ben Affleck in The Last Duel. However, when discussing these scenes during an interview, he highlighted on lip-lock in particular. Apparently, his kissing scene with Scarlett Johansson was somewhat awkward from a behind-the-scenes standpoint, and Damon even joked that it was “hell.”
The actor and his Oppenheimer co-star, Emily Blunt, sat down with LADBible, during which they shared some of their preferences. At one point the subject turned to intimate scenes, and etiquette to approaching them. Both actors revealed they like to make sure their breath smells good and that they brush their teeth before having to kiss their co-stars. The Martian actor ultimately shared an anecdote about working on We Bought a Zoo with Scarlett Johansson, and what prevented the leading lady from having fresh breath during their smooch. He said:
I had to kiss Scarlett [Johansson] -- had to kiss. Can you imagine how horrible that was for me? But we did. It was hell, ok? What happened was we did a shot before lunch, and it was like this nice little two-shot that ended in the kiss. And it was really good. And we went to lunch, and she and I both thought it was over. She ate like an onion sandwich for lunch. And she came in and [We Bought a Zoo director] Cameron Crowe had set the camera up, and it was like a tight shot of the kiss. And she goes, 'Oh shit.' She goes, 'I literally just had like an onion sandwich. I thought we did this.'
He's clearly joking about the kiss being terrible, as I’m sure it was very lovely, despite the onion sandwich. The Oscar winner later added that Scarlett Johansson’s breath smelled like roses and that the sandwich had little effect. Only the Marvel alum would be immune to having onion breath, and I’m pretty jealous. It’s sweet that they can joke about it years later, clearly professionals in the kissing-sphere.
Matt Damon and Emily Blunt had their own awkward kissing moment as well when they co-starred in 2011’s The Adjustment Bureau. Blunt’s husband, John Krasinski, was on set that day, and Damon made a joke about the kiss that didn’t land. Luckily, the Saving Private Ryan actor recovered -- and later wrote a movie with John Krasinski. Their families are also neighbors in New York and are good friends, despite the incredibly awkward introduction.
While he and Emily Blunt are getting another chance to work together, the 52-year old actor has yet to reteam with Scarlett Johansson since We Bought A Zoo. The kissing mishap isn't to blame for that, of course. The Black Widow actress was plenty busy kicking ass in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years while also appearing in smaller movies like JoJo Rabbit and Marriage Story. Matt Damon has also been in project after project, earning attention for high-profile movies and working with Ben Affleck on his latest, Air. I’m still rooting to see these two reunite on camera, as their chemistry is amazing. You’d never even know that onions played a role in their on-screen romance. On that note, can audiences get We Bought a Zoo 2, perhaps?
You can catch the actor in his latest film, Oppenheimer, which is playing in theaters nationwide. You can also see his “hell”-like kiss with Scarlett Johannson in We Bought a Zoo, which is streamable now with a Disney+ subscription. For more information about other movies heading to cinemas and streaming this year, make sure to consult our schedule of 2023 new movie releases.
