‘The Odyssey’ Star Matt Damon Reveals Kissing Scarlett Johansson Was Actually “Hell,” And The Reason Is Hilarious

Hollywood’s leading men have shared the screen with some of the industry’s most desired co-stars, and the on set chemistry audiences see rarely tells the whole story behind the camera. Matt Damon has built a career on charm and likability, but even he has admitted that not every romantic moment translates to magic once the cameras stop rolling.

The actor has a long history of swapping behind the scenes stories with friends and fellow stars during press tours, often delivering some of the funniest soundbites of any promotional cycle. Damon’s chemistry with frequent collaborators tends to produce especially candid moments, and one particular anecdote involving Scarlett Johansson has resurfaced online and is making the rounds again.

While sitting down with his ‘Oppenheimer’ co-star Emily Blunt for LADbible’s Agree to Disagree series, Damon revisited a kissing scene with Johansson that did not go quite as planned. The pair were filming 2011’s ‘We Bought a Zoo,’ in which Damon plays widowed father Benjamin Mee, who buys a rundown zoo and develops a connection with head zookeeper Kelly Foster, played by Johansson.

According to Damon, the kiss itself went smoothly the first time around. He explained that he and Johansson filmed a two shot before lunch that ended in a kiss, and both actors believed the scene was finished, telling Blunt the moment had felt natural and effective.

The trouble started once everyone returned from the lunch break. Director Cameron Crowe had reset the camera for a tighter shot of the kiss, only for Johansson to realize she had just eaten what Damon described as an onion sandwich, prompting her to blurt out a startled apology on set.

Rather than let the moment pass quietly, Damon leaned into the comedy of the situation while filming continued. He admitted to teasing Johansson about her breath throughout the retake, joking afterward that he never actually smelled anything unpleasant, since her breath, in his words, smelled like roses.

Blunt could not resist needling her co-star further during the exchange, asking whether he had still found himself a little flustered getting to kiss Johansson despite the onion mishap. Damon laughed off the question and stuck to his story, insisting the whole ordeal had been “hell” for him before clarifying that he was simply teasing his co-star.

The anecdote originally made waves back in 2023 when Damon and Blunt were making press rounds for ‘Oppenheimer,’ but it has clearly found new life as clips from the interview continue to circulate. Fans have always had a soft spot for behind-the-scenes stories that humanize A-list actors, and this one checks every box, combining two beloved stars, a believable mishap, and a healthy dose of self-deprecating humor from Damon.

It also fits into a broader trend of actors swapping awkward on-set kissing stories during press tours, something audiences seem endlessly entertained by. Damon’s story sits alongside similar tales from other stars, including Dane Cook’s complaints about a co-star eating onions before a love scene and Robert Pattinson recalling a less-than-glamorous kissing scene during a bout of illness.

What makes the Damon and Johansson story stand out is the playful dynamic between two actors who clearly have a comfortable working relationship. The duo had already worked together once before teaming up again years later for ‘Black Widow,’ giving their on-screen chemistry a track record that long predates this particular anecdote. That familiarity likely made it easier for Damon to poke fun at the situation without it ever feeling mean-spirited.

For fans who missed the original 2023 interview, the resurfacing clip serves as a fun reminder that even seemingly perfect Hollywood moments often come with a messier, funnier story attached behind the scenes. It is the kind of lighthearted celebrity gossip that tends to spread quickly across social media, especially when it involves two stars as recognizable as Damon and Johansson.

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