I Genuinely Can't Watch These 15 Acting Pairs The Same Way Again After Finding Out What Happened During Their Chemistry Tests
1.First, Sam Heughan was cast as Jamie in Outlander before Caitríona Balfe was cast as Claire. Creator Ronald D. Moore revealed that it was pretty clear Caitríona would be their Claire; however, her instant chemistry and "shorthand" with Sam sealed the deal. After they did a scene, Ronald and the producers kept the camera rolling so they could see the duo "more relaxed" and see their "genuine affection" for each other.
"It spoke volumes about their potential relationship," Ronald added when looking back at the chemistry between Sam and Cait during their chemistry test.
Talking about meeting Sam for the first time and their chemistry, Caitríona told The Wrap, "It was just quite instantaneous, in a sense. When I first met Sam at our chemistry test ... he was just 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."
You can watch Sam and Caitríona watch their chemistry test below:
2.Looking back, Simone Ashley said she first met Jonathan Bailey during their chemistry read when she was auditioning for Bridgerton, and they "just clicked." She added, "We sat on a sofa, and we did three scenes. I think we did the horse riding scene where Kate and Anthony first meet, the library scene, and, God, I can't remember the last one."
Simone did say the chemistry read was "bizarre" because it involved her and Jonathan in a room together while they video chatted with Shondaland producers.
Thinking back to their chemistry test, Simone told Extra, "Johnny is an incredible actor. He's so generous, and [he] was just so easy to work with. So effortless."
3.India Amarteifio recalled she had done a chemistry read with someone else for Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story before Corey Mylchreest came in. "I could do the scene with them, and it was great, but then I stepped into the room with Corey. And it was almost kind of instantaneous," she recalled. For their test, they did the first time Charlotte and George meet.
In another interview with Extra, Corey said he had his first chemistry test with India in 2022. He said, "We worked well before we knew anything about each other. And then, like, I don't think it's necessary, but being friends helps. That came pretty naturally."
Corey added after doing the scene where their characters meet during the chemistry read, they also performed the scene at the end of Episode 1. Corey said it was exciting because they were able to perform the scenes a few different ways.
4.Victor Alli, who plays John Stirling in Bridgerton, revealed he didn't know who he was auditioning for until right before his chemistry read with Hannah Dodd. He'd previously been given an audition script with the name "James."
He told Deadline, "It was before the chemistry read that I was then told, ‘You’re gonna meet Hannah Dodd, who’s playing Francesca, and you’re reading for the character of John Stirling, Earl of Kilmartin.’ I didn’t know if he was a book character."
Victor said he then Googled John's name and found out what happened to him in the book series.
5.Jodie Comer got a call that producers wanted her in LA for a chemistry test with Sandra Oh for Killing Eve while she was at a music festival. After flying from the UK, Jodie and Sandra performed the scene when Villanelle and Eve meet in Eve's house. "We worked through the scenes, and just played around with it, kind of just bounced off each other," Jodie recalled. She also added that Sandra had props so they could be very physical together during the scene.
"As soon as I went in...there was just a really chilled energy, and we went over [the scene] loads of times," Jodie explained. "Sandra was like, 'Do you want to do it again? Is there anything you want to change?' She's very patient and just very present."
Meanwhile, Sandra recalled meeting Jodie, telling The Graham Norton Show, "I knew that we had good chemistry. I could just tell. It was the way that we were listening together and the way that I could feel how she was receiving anything that I was giving to her, and she would react. I think chemistry, in some ways, between actors is about listening."
6.Normal People producer and director Lenny Abrahamson said after Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal did a few scenes together in their audition together, he looked around and "three or four of the people in the room were in tears." He added, "And that [was] just on a first read with the two of them. It was all sort of there at that point."
Lenny continued, saying, "And then you know you've got this alive energy that feels correct for the book and the adaptation, and at that point you can go, 'Great! We can really make it now.'"
You can watch Daisy and Paul's chemistry read below:
7.For part of her audition process for Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Melissa Fumero did an improv audition alongside Andy Samberg. Co-creator Dan Goor recalled during a San Diego Comic-Con panel that Melissa was the only one who could improvise with Andy so well. Dan added that everyone felt "very confident" that Jake and Amy would become a beloved couple because of Andy and Melissa's chemistry.
Recalling her chemistry test with Andy, Melissa told BuzzFeed, "I remember my test with Andy — even the dynamic was different. [Amy] was always trying to top him, and there was a real competitiveness with them."
8.Joe Locke and Kit Connor had to do their chemistry read for Heartstopper during the COVID-19 pandemic, so they were actually seated six feet apart with masks on. Kit recalled, "It was a very interesting day. It was so helpful because it did give us all a few hours to get to know each other and befriend one another."
Joe did a chemistry read with two different Nicks, while Kit did one with two different Charlies. "But we found one another, Joe and I, we found one another," Kit added in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
9.As soon as Patrick Dempsey came to the screen test for Grey's Anatomy, Ellen Pompeo said she knew he would be perfect for Derek Shepherd. "I was like, 'It's got to be this guy. This is the guy,'" Ellen recalled. "We had instant chemistry from the minute we met. And it’s funny, I had never seen any of his movies before."
Looking back on the various chemistry reads she had to do alongside potential actors for Derek, Ellen told Variety that Rob Lowe was "supposed to come to the screen test" but didn't show up. Meanwhile, Isaiah Washington, who went on to play Preston Burke, was a frontrunner and someone creator Shonda Rhimes liked for the role.
10.Lola Tung and Christopher Briney had their chemistry test for The Summer I Turned Pretty over Zoom. "I read with three actors as Belly, but it was pretty clear who was right for it right away," Chris recalled. He added, "[Lola] had all the qualities that make Belly ‘Belly’ and still finds a way to always stay grounded and honest in her work, and there’s a lot to learn from her."
Lola was a freshman at Carnegie Mellon when she got the audition and told E! News that she was "intimidated" by Chris the first time they met. Meanwhile, Chris told Harper's Bazaar that he was feeling "really nervous" during the Zoom chemistry read.
You can watch Chris and Lola's chemistry test below:
it’s actually INSANE how they do this over freaking Zoom???? pic.twitter.com/aoRejolpjl
— lola’s gf (@xlolatung) May 17, 2024
Prime Video / Via Twitter: @xlolatung
11.Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny met while Gillian was auditioning for The X-Files. She recalled, "I was among a number of actresses being tested alongside him. They were looking for a match of which two looked right together, who worked best together, et cetera. We didn't know each other at all, but for some reason, there was something in the room between the two of us that wasn’t there with others."
Gillian added, "For some reason, there was something tangible and palpable that existed between us right then."
Meanwhile, David told Deadline that he and Gillian "never worked" on their chemistry. It was something that came naturally. He explained, "It's really a mutual respect and enjoyment of acting with one another. What exists in the writing, as well, is that these two people are true partners and they complete one another intellectually and emotionally."
12.Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy first met during the casting process for Hannibal, and Mads recalled having chemistry immediately with Hugh. After a long process where he was up against other big-name actors, Mads said, "We did a couple of scenes, me and Hugh Dancy, and I think we had great chemistry in that awkward way it was supposed to be."
Mads added in an interview with Vulture that once he read alongside Hugh, it was the first time he felt comfortable during the audition process. He said, "I was really reluctant to do that. I don’t like castings. Nobody likes castings."
13.Elizabeth Henstridge and Iain De Caestecker first met during their final round of auditions for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The remaining actors who were up for each role all read lines together before the chemistry test, except Elizabeth revealed Iain was the "only Fitz" she didn't rehearse with prior. "He was just the best partner through all of this," Elizabeth added.
"That was one of the first things I asked when I found out I got it: 'Who is Fitz?,'" Elizabeth recalled, and the producers told her right away that Iain had booked the role. She added that the producers chose Elizabeth and Iain for the roles of Simmons and Fitz "at the same time."
14.Shadow and Bone already started filming when Calahan Skogman was actually flown to Budapest by Netflix to do a chemistry read with Danielle Galligan. "I didn't look her up prior so I could just see her in the flesh when we arrived in the room, and I thought that'd be the best for our acting experience. We just hit it off," Calahan said.
Danielle recalled in an interview with BuzzFeed alongside Calahan, "When Calahan walked in, and it was the last of the day, and I was like, Oh, that's who it is. It was like, you didn't know what you were looking for until it walked in the door, and it clicked."
15.And finally, Rebecca Ferguson had never done a chemistry read before, until she did one with Max Irons for The White Queen. "I fly to London, and my first meeting is a chemistry test with Max, and then it’s an emotional roller coaster until I get the role. Max and I had a magical click from day one, and then we were each other’s support for six months," she recalled.
She told Collider, "It was an amazing chemistry and a security, from day one, from the first second." After her first chemistry test, Rebecca said she was "called back four times" before she landed the role, which ultimately was her first English-speaking TV role.
Speaking about working with Rebecca during the casting process, Max told the Boston Globe, "She not only had the power, the intelligence, and the sexuality required, but she could walk that political line so delicately. She had all the skill that Elizabeth had to have to survive the court. It was clear from that moment that she was the person to play the role."
