After The Fall Guy first premiered at the SXSW Film Festival, audiences were all in agreement that the chemistry Emily Blunt had with co-star Ryan Gosling was “adorable,” “great,” and “electric.” Chemistry or no chemistry, Blunt has revealed performing liplocks with her male co-stars isn't always an enjoyable experience, even if it looks that way on the big screen. On the other hand, she’s a total pro at it, claiming she could “have chemistry with this water bottle at this point.”
The chemistry between two co-stars isn’t always easy to pull off. There have been plenty of movies where two romantic leads show zero chemistry and many other examples of movies where the chemistry exists on-screen yet off-screen the two leads didn’t enjoy working together. Emily Blunt spoke honestly about not actually enjoying all the kissing scenes she’s had with male actors, and while she "wouldn't say it's extreme loathing,” kissing on-screen is also something she has very much "not enjoyed."
However, the Jungle Cruise actress admitted she’s a real pro when it comes to acting, joking she “could have chemistry with this water bottle" during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show (via Daily Mail):
I have had chemistry with people; I have not had a good time working with them… Chemistry is this strange thing. It's an ethereal thing that you can't really bottle up and buy or sell. It's there or it's not. And you can manufacture it. I've been doing this long enough. I could have chemistry with this water bottle at this point. You know how to conjure it. But it's just easier when you have a natural rapport with someone.
It’s true that chemistry isn’t always something you can force. I'm sure it definitely helps when you can find a bond with your scene partner off-screen. No wonder in so many of Emily Blunt’s best movies the chemistry she creates with her male leads is so strong. For example, she built chemistry in Salmon Fishing in Yemen with Ewan McGregor. (She also told Howard Stern she enjoyed for the film creating "a slow-burning romance" between the two.)
We also can’t forget the genuine on-screen chemistry Emily Blunt had working with her husband, John Krasinski in A Quiet Place. The most memorable scene for me in the dystopian-set film between the two leads was when the married couple shared an intimate dance. She's also starred opposite big names like Tom Cruise and Dwayne Johnson in the past, in movies like Edge of Tomorrow and Jungle Cruise.
Most recently, we saw Blunt work alongside Cillian Murphy’s “ocean eyes” in Oppenheimer and playing Ryan Gosling’s ex-girlfriend in The Fall Guy. While having to kiss different male co-stars may not always be the best part of the job, Emily Blunt continued to talk about her own method to ensure the on-screen chemistry she portrays looks real.
I think my feeling is I've got to find something I love about everybody. I have to find something – even if it's one thing. It might be like 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.
That’s really good advice to anyone hoping to make a career out of rom-coms or other movies with romantic connections. Rest assured, though, if you were worried about the chemistry in her latest movie The Fall Guy, Emily Blunt said that she created a true connection to her co-star Ryan Gosling, calling him a "gem of a person." She also happens to love his relationship with his wife, Eva Mendes.
If her action-comedy movie gets ”many” sequels like the British actress wants, that means she’ll get to work plenty with her budding co-star and friend. You can see that chemistry in action now as The Fall Guy has already hit the 2024 movie release schedule.
