17 Actors Who Declined Kissing Their Co-Stars During Filming

Hollywood is full of glamour, glitz, and on-screen romance that makes our hearts flutter.

But behind the cameras, not every actor is willing to lock lips with their co-stars, no matter what the script says.

Check out which performers drew a line in the sand and said “no thanks” to kissing scenes, sometimes changing entire productions in the process.

1. Neal McDonough

Loyalty runs deep for this actor, who made a promise to his wife that he wouldn’t kiss anyone else, even for a paycheck.

His commitment to that boundary cost him roles and even got him fired from projects when producers insisted on romantic scenes.

However, McDonough didn’t give up on his career. Instead, he built new opportunities around his values, proving that sticking to your principles can eventually pay off in Hollywood.

2. Kirk Cameron

When your faith comes first, sometimes you have to get creative on set.

An evangelical Christian, this former sitcom star wouldn’t kiss anyone except his real-life spouse, Chelsea Noble, no matter what role he played.

During the filming of Fireproof, producers needed a romantic kiss. The solution?

Noble stepped in as a body double, and the scene was filmed in silhouette so viewers couldn’t tell the difference!

3. Denzel Washington

Sometimes saying no is about sending a bigger message. Washington declined a scripted kiss with Julia Roberts in The Pelican Brief, and his reasoning went beyond personal comfort.

He later explained that he wanted to promote better representation of Black people in film and avoid reinforcing stereotypes.

His decision sparked conversations about how Hollywood portrays interracial romance and who gets to be the love interest on screen.

4. Will Smith

Even the Fresh Prince has moments he wishes he could rewind. In Six Degrees of Separation, Smith initially hesitated to perform a kiss with the person of same gender, and production used a stand-in instead.

Years later, he publicly expressed regret over that choice.

Smith acknowledged that the scene was important for his character and the film’s deeper themes, showing that actors can grow and change their perspectives over time.

5. Luke Grimes

Walking away from a hit show takes guts, especially when it’s as popular as True Blood. Grimes left the vampire series early, and reports at the time linked his departure to discomfort with an upcoming storyline.

The plot would have included homosexual romance and on-screen kissing for his character.

Rather than compromise his personal boundaries, he chose to exit the show and pursue other opportunities that felt right for him.

6. Lindsay Lohan

Not every refusal is about religion or personal relationships. Lohan reportedly turned down a scripted kiss with Charlie Sheen in Scary Movie 5, citing concerns about his lifestyle choices at the time.

Production didn’t skip a beat, though. They brought in a body double and adjusted the script to work around her decision, proving that where there’s a will (and a budget), Hollywood can find a way!

7. Thandiwe Newton

Health comes before Hollywood magic, and Newton proved that during RocknRolla filming. When Gerard Butler showed up with a throat infection, she flat-out refused to lock lips with him for their scene.

Director Guy Ritchie had to think fast and improvise around the missing smooch.

The result was a memorable scene that worked just fine without the planned kiss, showing that sometimes limitations spark creativity.

8. Penn Badgley

Boundaries matter, even when you’re playing a charming stalker on Netflix. The You star asked the creative team to reduce intimacy scenes as the show progressed, citing personal comfort levels.

His request was honored, and the show continued without compromising its storytelling.

Badgley’s willingness to speak up demonstrates that actors can advocate for themselves and still deliver compelling performances that keep audiences hooked.

9. Jonah Hill

Welcome to the future, where technology can handle what actors won’t!

According to a co-star from You People, the wedding scene kiss between Hill and Lauren London was created using CGI rather than actual lip contact.

Movie magic has come a long way from body doubles and strategic camera angles. Now computers can create convincing romantic moments without the actors ever having to touch.

10. Alyson Hannigan

Imagine having to kiss someone who just smoked a pack of cigarettes. That’s what Hannigan dealt with during How I Met Your Mother when filming scenes with Jason Segel, who was a smoker at the time.

In interviews, she didn’t hold back, comparing the experience to kissing an ashtray.

Though she didn’t outright refuse, her comments made it crystal clear that those romantic moments were way less glamorous than they looked on screen!

11. Ian Somerhalder

Rain-soaked kisses might look super romantic on TV, but the reality can be downright freezing.

Somerhalder and his Vampire Diaries co-star Nina Dobrev put their foot down when producers wanted them to film a kissing scene in cold rain.

Both actors refused because the temperature was just too uncomfortable. Sometimes practical concerns trump artistic vision, and nobody wants to risk getting sick just for a few seconds of dramatic footage.

12. Sienna Miller

Toothaches are no joke, and Miller had a perfectly valid reason for refusing to kiss James Franco during their film together.

According to Franco himself, she declined because of dental pain she was experiencing at the time.

Physical discomfort can make filming intimate scenes nearly impossible, and nobody should have to push through genuine pain for a movie.

13. Juhi Chawla

Contracts exist for a reason, and Chawla knew exactly what she’d signed up for. When a producer asked for a retake of her kissing scene with Sunny Deol in Lootere, she declined and pointed to her contract.

She had agreed to do the scene once, and that’s exactly what she delivered.

Her firm stance on contractual boundaries shows that actors have the right to stick to what they initially agreed to, without pressure to do more takes than planned.

14. Zendaya

First kisses are special, and Zendaya wasn’t about to let hers happen in front of cameras and crew members!

While filming the Disney Channel show Shake It Up as a young performer, she refused to have her actual first kiss on screen.

Instead, the production opted for cheek kisses to keep the romantic storyline going.

15. Terrence Howard

Playing legendary musician Marvin Gaye would be a dream role for many actors, but Howard turned down the biopic opportunity.

His reason? The script included kissing a person of same gender that he wasn’t willing to perform.

Howard stated that his personal beliefs prevented him from taking on the role despite its prestige.

The decision cost him what could have been a career-defining performance, but he chose to honor his own boundaries over professional advancement.

16. Tisha Campbell

Behind-the-scenes conflicts can completely change how a show operates.

After Campbell filed a lawsuit against Martin Lawrence that was later settled, her return to the show Martin came with specific compromises.

Reports described arrangements that avoided the two actors working together directly on set, which naturally affected what scenes they could film together, including any romantic moments.