# 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:** 8
**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 14, 2007, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/141 "2007-06-14T23:06:26Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] 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. [/QUOTE] Well, TNG tried too hard early on with the former romance angle between Riker and Troi, with the Blind Man teaching an android how to paint (Data & Geordi), the convoluted relationship of Picard, Beverly, and Wesley (Picard wasn’t child friendly), and some othe things from the first half of the series that I’m probably overlooking. By series end, tho, Picard’s relationship chemistry with everybody was convincing. Q, Beverly, Wesley, Riker, Worf, all had good and memorable moments with the fabulous Jean-Luc. DS-9 wasn’t my bag, so I can’t comment a lot about it, but Bashir seemed to have believable chemistry with the Tailor/Spy Guy and with O’Brian. As for Voyager, again, they just tried too hard. However, I did like the chemistry between Neelix and Tuvok. Agonizing at times, but very much Skipper and Gilligan in feeling. ENT actually did well. Trip (Tucker) and Captain Archer always seemed to battle the balance of being friends vs the command structure. ---
**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 14, 2007, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/142 "2007-06-14T23:10:20Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] Billy Zane’s an actor that I’ve never seen have chemistry with an actress. (I know there are gay rumors like there are about every actor and the occasional movie camera, but there are gay actors who play straight just fine.) [/QUOTE] I wonder if that could be in part due to the types of characters he often (as in, what NCB has seen him in) plays, a self absorbed ass head and borderline psychopath. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2007, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/143 "2007-06-14T23:11:46Z")
[QUOTE=whole bean] Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in Titanic [/QUOTE] I could not disagree more. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2007, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/144 "2007-06-14T23:24:39Z")
One of the more awkward pairings that only just occurred to me is Judy Holliday and William Holden in _Born Yesterday_. He’s a bit of a cool intellectual, and she’s an annoying as hell squeaky bimbo. They just don’t click. at. all. Even though Broderick Crawford played a brutal sonofabitch, there was a lot more fire and understanding between him and Judy. They played that gin rummy scene together just masterfully. ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2007, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/145 "2007-06-14T23:32:21Z")
[QUOTE=Second Star to the Right] Another “good chemistry” couple- Dan and Roseanne Conner. [/QUOTE] I have to say I agree with this one. It’s odd; I didn’t like the show that much, but the interplay between Dan and Roseanne was spot-on. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2007, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/146 "2007-06-14T23:33:50Z")
[QUOTE=MaxTheVool] I could not disagree more. [/QUOTE] Hmmmm, I could not \* agree \* more. But, as always, it’s a matter of opinion. Just to elaborate without just dismissing another’s opinion, she had / has a very , um, commanding presence (plus, she’s just physically,I dunno, statuesque?). Leo still had a very youngish look to him then. Not to say that he didn’t perform well in that role, just that I don’t think they were a good match at all. My mom said she seemed more like his aunt. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2007, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/147 "2007-06-14T23:46:19Z")
[QUOTE=cactus waltz] I can’t believe I get to nominate \*\*Gomez \*\*and **Morticia Adams**! They define on-screen chemistry. [/QUOTE] Exactly who I came in to mention. Too bad I was 12 hours too late. ::sniffle:: ---
**Author:** ![nevermore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a587f6/32.png) [@nevermore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevermore)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2007, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/148 "2007-06-14T23:53:33Z")
Speaking of Kate Winslet, I thought she and Jim Carrey meshed really well in _Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind_. This may have more to do with Kate Winslet herself, as I think in that role she could have had chemistry with a dish of mold. She and Joaquin(sp?) Phoenix in _Quills_, though… that was just damn good chemistry. (The sex kind.) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2007, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/149 "2007-06-15T01:28:59Z")
A May December twosome that I thought had chemistry were [Holling (John Cullum)](http://www.cicelyonline.com/nttf/fotos/art_cullum.jpg) and [Shelley (Cynthia Geary)](http://www.cicelyonline.com/nttf/fotos/shelly.jpg) on Northern Exposure. The actors and the characters had a 40 year age difference, but it worked. After a few episodes you even overlooked the fact that she was “a chick in a trailer from Saskatoon” and he was a Huguenot from Quebec (who- in one of my favorite revelations- was a descendant of a French aristocrat so hated his death was still celebrated as a holiday in parts of France) and yet both had an American Southern accents (Cullum’s from Tennessee and Geary’s from Louisiana). ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2007, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/150 "2007-06-15T02:10:17Z")
How about Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson in _Lost in Translation_ for worst chemistry? The movie was terrible in general–well-executed in many ways, but completely directionless, to the point of nearly lulling me to sleep–but the chemistry between Murray and Johansson was exceptionally bad. First off, it was never clear what they were to each other, exactly; them being platonic friends made a little bit of sense, but Murray looked out of place in all of her haunts, more so than was intended. And there was just no way I could believe that they had a romantic interest in each other. It was obvious that Coppola was trying to paint Murray’s character as numbed by the family life and Johansson’s as desperate for affection while being rejected by her beau, but it wasn’t believable. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2007, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/151 "2007-06-15T03:28:06Z")
[QUOTE=Lightray] It was only when the chicks showed up (Goose’s wife, Kelly McGillis’ character that had the man’s name) that the chemistry went all flat. [/QUOTE] Goose’s wife was a young, unheralded Meg Ryan, who in spite of her fame as THE chick flick actress of the decade, rarely has good chemistry with men on screen. ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2007, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/152 "2007-06-15T05:53:45Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp] Goose’s wife was a young, unheralded Meg Ryan, who in spite of her fame as THE chick flick actress of the decade, rarely has good chemistry with men on screen. [/QUOTE] I dunno, I thought she and Billy Crystal had good chemistry in _When Harry Met Sally_. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2007, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/153 "2007-06-15T06:07:19Z")
[QUOTE=fetus] How about Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson in _Lost in Translation_ for worst chemistry? The movie was terrible in general–well-executed in many ways, but completely directionless, to the point of nearly lulling me to sleep–but the chemistry between Murray and Johansson was exceptionally bad. First off, it was never clear what they were to each other, exactly; them being platonic friends made a little bit of sense, but Murray looked out of place in all of her haunts, more so than was intended. And there was just no way I could believe that they had a romantic interest in each other. It was obvious that Coppola was trying to paint Murray’s character as numbed by the family life and Johansson’s as desperate for affection while being rejected by her beau, but it wasn’t believable. [/QUOTE] You better not say this in public, or you risk 500 hipsters beating you to death. (I agree with you.) ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2007, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/154 "2007-06-15T06:30:47Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] I can’t believe we’ve made it this far without any “Best” votes for Jack and Ennis of “Brokeback Mountain.” 😉 (Wouldn’t be surprised to see “Worst” votes for them, too.) [/QUOTE] I would be one who would vote “Worst” for these two. To me, they just didn’t click, there was no chemistry. ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2007, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/155 "2007-06-15T15:00:30Z")
Two more couples with real chemistry: Al and Peg Bundy. Even though neither ever had a postive thing to say about the other, you could tell they were a couple. Edith and Archie Bunker. They, too, were a couple; no doubt about it. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2007, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/156 "2007-06-15T15:11:49Z")
> [@fetus](#): > > How about Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson in Lost in Translation for worst chemistry? The movie was terrible in general–well-executed in many ways, but completely directionless, to the point of nearly lulling me to sleep–but the chemistry between Murray and Johansson was exceptionally bad. First off, it was never clear what they were to each other, exactly; them being platonic friends made a little bit of sense, but Murray looked out of place in all of her haunts, more so than was intended. And there was just no way I could believe that they had a romantic interest in each other. It was obvious that Coppola was trying to paint Murray’s character as numbed by the family life and Johansson’s as desperate for affection while being rejected by her beau, but it wasn’t believable. Oh god, I agree. I hated that movie. They go to Japan! **FUCKING JAPAN**! I would kill to go to Japan! And he’s too fucking jaded to even step out of his goddamn hotel room and I don’t even remember what the fuck her problem was. And the chemistry? What chemistry?! And the sheer arrogance and ignorance of filming a movie in a foreign country and making it all about their angsty whiny self-indulgent bullshit! _pant pant pant_ That movie still pisses me off and I can’t believe I wasted my time watching it. I’ll calm down now. As for brokeback, there was something about those two…not chemistry, necessarily, but I think they did a fairly good job at two people who really weren’t all too similar but had some sort of deep passion for each other. [quote=] Hey, now. Iceman had great chemistry with Slider, whom he was obviously sleeping with. Just like Iceman had great chemistry with Maverick, whom he obviously wanted to sleep with. And Goose and Maverick had good chemistry, 'cause they were probably sleeping with each other or wanted to. It was only when the chicks showed up (Goose’s wife, Kelly McGillis’ character that had the man’s name) that the chemistry went all flat. [/quote] Hee. very true. Anybody have a link to the youtube video that summarizes the Top Gun homosexuality really well? ETA: > [@Kythereia](#): > > Also: in the non-romantic category, Mr. Tumnus and Lucy from The Chronicles of Narnia had amazing chemistry. I don’t know how close James McAvoy and Georgie Henley were during filming, but I had no trouble believing that Mr. Tumnus cared, very deeply, about Lucy. On the contrary! I liked Lucy a lot and I liked Mr Tumnus a lot but together, there was something undeniably skeevy about him. They made him more “child molester” then “kindly older guy” and I really didn’t like the part where he drugged her and put her to sleep…and I am by no means a fearmonger about child molesters. The whole thing was decidedly creepy. I agree with Gomez & Morticia Addams. ---
**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 15, 2007, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/157 "2007-06-15T15:17:50Z")
Al Bundy & Marcy Rhodes D’Arcy had some good chemistry. Better than Marcy had with either of her husbands. On the Nanny, Fran and Maxwell’s total lack of chemistry was more than offset by CC and Niles. ---
**Author:** ![NailBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@NailBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NailBunny)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2007, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/158 "2007-06-15T15:21:59Z")
Huh. I totally disagree about Bill Murray and Scarlett Johanson in _Lost in Translation_ - I thought they had fantastic chemistry and totally bought their relationship. (OT - I never understand why, when the subject of this movie comes up, someone will always complain about how they can’t understand why _EVERYONE_ loved this movie, because I feel like the one person who actually _did_ love it. Everyone else hated it, apparently.) ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2007, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/159 "2007-06-15T16:48:43Z")
[QUOTE=NailBunny] Huh. I totally disagree about Bill Murray and Scarlett Johanson in _Lost in Translation_ - I thought they had fantastic chemistry and totally bought their relationship. (OT - I never understand why, when the subject of this movie comes up, someone will always complain about how they can’t understand why _EVERYONE_ loved this movie, because I feel like the one person who actually _did_ love it. Everyone else hated it, apparently.) [/QUOTE] I thought a lot of people here liked it when it came out, but it does seem that not many do now. I loved the movie too. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2007, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694/160 "2007-06-15T17:16:46Z")
[QUOTE=WOOKINPANUB] Hmmmm, I could not \* agree \* more. But, as always, it’s a matter of opinion. Just to elaborate without just dismissing another’s opinion, she had / has a very , um, commanding presence (plus, she’s just physically,I dunno, statuesque?). Leo still had a very youngish look to him then. Not to say that he didn’t perform well in that role, just that I don’t think they were a good match at all. My mom said she seemed more like his aunt. [/QUOTE] I guess I just don’t agree. But look at (for instance) the scene where they’re dancing in the steerage lounge, or the scene where he’s sketching her, and is super-awkward because she’s naked. Go fig. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-onscreen-chemistry/407694.md?page=9)