Orlando Bloom Said He "Hated" Kissing Co-Star Zoe Saldaña
Sophia Sparks
Updated on February 22, 2026
While co-stars are often tasked with displaying what appears to be real romantic chemistry on screen, doing so is not always easy. Plenty of actors have spoken out over the years about just how awkward kissing on camera can really be. Not only does having a love scene in a film or TV show mean that you have to smooch a co-worker, but you're also doing it while surrounded by crew members and camera equipment. One pair of co-stars who've shared with fans just how bizarre this scenario can be is Orlando Bloom and Zoe Saldaña, who played love interests in the 2004 movie Haven. Bloom even went so far as to say he "hated" kissing Saldaña, while she called locking lips with him "gross." Read on to find out more.
RELATED: Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible Co-Star Thandiwe Newton Said Kissing Him Was "Icky."
Saldaña and Bloom starred opposite each other in two films.
Saldaña and Bloom first acted together in the 2003 movie Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, which was the first movie in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and the only one to feature Saldaña. But, it wasn't in this movie that they had to kiss and share intimate scenes. The following year, they played a couple in Haven, a crime drama set in the Cayman Islands. (While Haven premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2004, it wasn't released in theaters until 2006.)
They did not enjoy their kissing scenes.
As reported by the Chicago Tribune in 2006, Saldaña told People that kissing Bloom was "gross." In return, he told the magazine, "I hated kissing Zoe too! I was like, 'Take your tongue out of my mouth, please. Your boyfriend is standing right there.'" Bloom added, "Most people think kissing beautiful co-stars must be great. But it's always awkward, man."
The boyfriend Bloom was referring to was Saldaña's partner, entrepreneur Keith Britton. As reported by Us Weekly, they broke up in 2011 after 11 years together. Around the time Haven was released, Bloom was in a relationship with Kate Bosworth, though it's unclear if they had started dating by the time Haven was in production.
But they did get along on set.
While kissing on camera was either "awkward" or "gross," Bloom and Saldaña did have a good time working together. In a joint interview with Saldaña for MovieWeb, Bloom said, "We had a lot of fun; we were a bunch of kids playing in the sand really with lots of cameras—not that many, but—it was only a small movie; we had a lot of fun."
In an interview with Blackfilm.com, Saldaña was asked what it was like filming intimate scenes with Bloom.
"The same way it is to do intimate scenes in a movie period," she responded. "You can only pray to have professional, attractive, good-smelling partner. I've been very lucky with that. Then it is beautiful when you're protected and the person you're working with has your back and is so professional and respectful. Then [it] does not make it seem like a job. All in all, for me, shooting intimate scenes is a bit uncomfortable; the technicality demands a lot of concentration and lots of work."
She also said of her co-star, "Orlando helped me to warm up to the script and to the crew quicker; we had done a film together earlier that year so I was familiar with him. [W]e knew each other so it was fantastic to work with him again."
RELATED: Oliver Stone Said Working With Richard Dreyfuss Was "The Single Worst Experience" of His Career.
They reunited on stage years later.
In 2014, 10 years after Haven was released, Bloom and Saldaña reunited, albeit briefly. They appeared together on stage at the Golden Globe Awards to present the award for Best Foreign Language Film. The award went to Italy's submission, The Great Beauty.
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Lia Beck Lia Beck is a writer living in Richmond, Virginia. In addition to Best Life, she has written for Refinery29, Bustle, Hello Giggles, InStyle, and more.Read moreFiled UnderCelebrities • EntertainmentRead This NextZoe Saldana Almost "Quit the Business"
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