These Actors Spilled On What Chemistry Tests Are Really Like

Some co-stars just seem like they were meant to be! If you’ve ever noticed electric chemistry between two actors in a film or television show, it’s all thanks to the work of the casting department. Throughout the casting process, the team works to figure out which actors would mesh together the best -- and a big part of that is a chemistry read. Before actors can officially land the role, they head in for an audition alongside their potential co-stars to see how well they work together. While it sometimes involves reading lines and getting to know one another, sometimes things can get a little more steamy. Here’s what these celebs had to say about chemistry tests… 1. Anne Hathaway Early in Anne Hathaway’s career, she says she was put in uncomfortable situations during chemistry reads. She explained that back in the 2000s, it was common for executives to ask actors to make out in order to test for chemistry, which she believes is “the worst way to do it.” Anne says she reluctantly agreed because she was “so young” and knew being “labeled difficult” could easily cause her to lose everything. “I was told, ‘We have 10 guys coming today and you’re cast. Aren’t you excited to make out with all of them?’ And I thought, ‘Is there something wrong with me?’ because I wasn’t excited. I thought it sounded gross,” Anne told V Magazine. She continued, “So, I just pretended I was excited and got on with it. It wasn’t a power play; no one was trying to be awful or hurt me. It was just a very different time, and now we know better.” 2. Zoë Kravitz & Robert Pattinson Zoë Kravitz says her chemistry test with Robert Pattinson for The Batman ended up being really intense. It was the first time Rob had ever spoken lines from the script and he admits he almost had a panic attack while wearing his costume. Although it was tough, the pair were able to truly connect with one another. “The chemistry read was really intense. Rob was wearing the Batsuit, and it was a proper camera test with the DP there and everything on a soundstage. It wasn’t just reading lines in a room. So it was intimidating, to say the least,” Zoë told Entertainment Weekly. 3. Caitriona Balfe & Sam Heughan Outlander star Caitriona Balfe says that when she went in for her chemistry test with Sam Heughan, their connection was instant and he made her feel at ease. Instead of awkward introductions, she says she quickly knew he would be a “solid friend and amazing costar.” “[The chemistry] was quite instantaneous in a sense,” she told The Wrap. “When I first met Sam at our chemistry test, which I always think is quite funny, he was the nicest guy and he just put me at ease. I was a little nervous and he's just that kind of solid, grounded guy.” 4. Matthew McConaughey & Kate Hudson Before Matthew McConaughey was cast in How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, he had a chemistry test with Kate Hudson. Looking back, he says they weren’t actually reading lines and met up just to see how well they jived together. “We met on the Paramount lot. Those casting, meeting couches, especially for rom-coms are -- you want to see the chemistry between the two leads. You want to see how the jive is. We’re not reading through the script, we’re not reading lines…Immediately we were comfortable with each other and we jived with each other,” he told People. He continued, “We busted each other’s chops and we laughed a lot. And there was a bit of rock and roll exchange that [we thought], ‘Oh, this could be some heavyweight fun.’ And I think that’s why I was cast and that’s why, to whatever extent, it worked.” 5. Alyson Hannigan & Sarah Michelle Gellar Alyson Hannigan and Sarah Michelle Gellar may not have played romantic interests in Buffy the Vampire Slayer but they still did a chemistry read to see how they worked together on screen. Alyson says the whole thing ended up being a disaster for her because she walked into a door and forgot her lines. It turns out series creator Joss Whedon had seen Alyson perform the same lines multiple times and wanted to switch it up. He gave her a new script the day before with complicated computer terms and it really tripped her up. "We did a chemistry read with me, Sarah and Nick. And Joss was like ‘I want new lines. I want to hear something new. So he wrote a scene just for this audition. My character’s very computer savvy so it was all this computer jargon. I got it the day before, the morning of. And it didn't make any sense to me,” Alyson told People. She continued, “I got to that part and the words just started swimming and I don’t think I was speaking English at some points…Joss later said, ‘You couldn’t say the words to save your life but I knew right then and there because the chemistry was just there.’” 6. Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart’s chemistry