# Best--and worst--onscreen chemistry **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 12, 2007, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694 "2007-06-12T12:36:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/1 "2007-06-12T12:36:48Z")
So I just watched the latter half series finale of Xena: Warrior Princess on Oxygen (or possibly WE (or maybe Lifetime (okay, so I don’t actually know which is which))). I hadn’t seen it in years, so I sat down to admire the scrumptiousness that is Renee O’Connor. (If you’re not half in love with Gabrielle, there’s something wrong with you.) Anyway, watching it, I was struck, as I always was, by the chemistry between the two leads. Whether you were a subtexter or not, the performances of Lucy Lawless and the lovely Renee were entirely convincing; you couldn’t help but believe that they were in love on an emotional level, if not necessarily a physical one. At the same time, TNT (or possibly Spike (or was it TBS?)) was playing Angel. Glancing at that, I recalled how _unconvinced_ I was that Angel and Cordelia were ever genuinely in love. Apart from the fact that I thought it was a bad idea, I just didn’t buy it. It’s not that Charisma Carpenter can’t act, either, or that David Boreanez can’t do the whole glowery brooding lost-in-love thing. It’s just that the two of them didn’t have 1/10000th the chemistry of Lawless & O’Connor. Which of course brings me to the point of the thread. What are the best–and worst–examples of onscreen chemistry you can name? ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/2 "2007-06-12T13:11:04Z")
George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez had smokin’ chemistry in **Out of Sight**. Then again, George Clooney could have chemistry with a tree. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/3 "2007-06-12T13:18:18Z")
There is zero chemistry between Chloe & Jimmy on “Smallville.” The pairing of Rachel Frame & Mac Cory was totally unplanned on the soap “Another World.” During their first scene together, the production team noticed a real chemistry and changed the story, creating a great soap couple. Speaking of soap couples, Doug & Julie on Days of Our Lives have great on screen chemistry, mostly because the actors are a real couple off screen. You just know Bill & Susan Hayes are deeply in love, even after these many many years. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/4 "2007-06-12T13:36:50Z")
Well, it’s all subjective, so - I found the chemistry in Romancing the Stone to be fairly true and believable. Also I was left wanting more in Batman Returns…the innuendoes and back-and-forth dialogue was fairly hot. I can’t think of any worst right now. I’ll be back though. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Call_Me_Shirley)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/5 "2007-06-12T13:43:01Z")
Anakin and Padme in Star Wars II and III- worst ever. Especially in III. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/6 "2007-06-12T14:01:08Z")
Funny you talk about _Angel_ in the OP, because we always thought Buffy and Angel were laughable. Not only did they have no chemistry, could you imagine a more _boring_ couple? We kept thinking we hated Angel, and then he’d speak to some other character, _anybody_ else, and we’d say, hey, I kinda like that guy. They had anti-chemistry. And somehow the writers really, really liked that plot line. Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/7 "2007-06-12T14:03:23Z")
As for non romantic love/chemistry (fanfic notwithstanding), few relationships could ever hope to beat (imho, ymmv) the holy trinity of Kirk/Spock/Bones. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/8 "2007-06-12T14:22:55Z")
Not only was the chemistry awful but it was just plain oogy. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in _Eyes Wide Shut_. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/9 "2007-06-12T14:25:16Z")
[QUOTE=Don’t Call Me Shirley] Anakin and Padme in Star Wars II and III- worst ever. Especially in III. [/QUOTE] Dear Og, how could I forget? NoClueBoy, you’re right - but not necessarily in just romance, either. The charisma and the connection those three had was never matched by any other Star trek match-up. They kept trying to give Riker a personality and failing. Sisko didn’t need anyone else. And I never really watched voyager, but I can’t remember any good chemistry there either. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/10 "2007-06-12T15:05:48Z")
Um… did anyone else open this thread thinking it was a science-niche hyper-nitpicking thread? My .02: Dave and Maddy Sam and Diane Drew and Mimi Mal and Anarah (sp?) Above topped by Wash and Zowie ---
**Author:** ![UntouchedTakeaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d78d45/32.png) [@UntouchedTakeaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UntouchedTakeaway)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/11 "2007-06-12T15:20:16Z")
Zero between Annette Bening & Warren Beatty in “Love Affair”. VCNJ~ ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/12 "2007-06-12T15:23:05Z")
The Good Brad Pitt and Claire Forlani in **Meet Joe Black** Jaime Fox and Jada Pinkett-Smith in **Collateral** Especially since in both of these films, the actors have really only one scene to convey the instant and intense attraction. The Bad Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman in **the Avengers** Both miscast and merely going through the motions. A rotten pairing in a wasted effort. The Yucky Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry in **Monster’s Ball** Nicole Kidman and Cameron Bright in **Birth** Difficult to watch though others may disagree. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/13 "2007-06-12T15:34:22Z")
Non-Romantic Sci-Fi: Best = Marty & Doc Brown in the Back to the Future series. Worst = Anakin & Obi Wan in the prequels. Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/14 "2007-06-12T15:50:16Z")
Best: Remington and Laura Worst: George and Susan (admittedly, that was the point) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/15 "2007-06-12T15:55:37Z")
Worst: Ray & Deborah. Everyone Loves Raymond my arse. Best: Howard & Marion Cunningham on Happy Days ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/16 "2007-06-12T16:24:33Z")
I don’t know what it was called, but I was watching a black and white film a while back in which there was a couple; I think he was a detective of some sort, and they were both drinking all the time and exchanging smooth, witty/endearing reparte. I was struck at how well the couple worked together on stage. Don’t know who they were or what it was, though. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/17 "2007-06-12T16:27:26Z")
Likely the [Thin Man](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025878/) series with William Powell and Myrna Loy. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/18 "2007-06-12T16:40:06Z")
Good: **Han and Leia**. Maybe the best thing, in terms of acting, about the first two Star Wars movies. **Vincent Vega and Mia Wallace**. The attraction between them was palpable, even as they went from awkward to too-close in a very short amount of screen time. **Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt** in _As Good as it Gets_. Paradoxically, chemistry between the leads is the weak point of many romantic movies. This one is an exception. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/19 "2007-06-12T16:46:11Z")
**Good:** Diane Lane and Olivier Martinez in _Unfaithful_ Naomi Watts and Laura Harring in _Mulholland Drive_ ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/20 "2007-06-12T17:23:51Z")
\*\*Bogie and Bacall \*\* - one of the few real-life couples who managed to have onscreen chemistry. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694.md?page=2)