When two of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson, were cast as the romantic leads in the 2011 dramedy We Bought a Zoo, fans expected cinematic sparks. Yet, the film’s crucial kissing scene was nearly ruined, not by bad acting or poor lighting, but by a “horrifying secret” that emerged after the lunch break—a secret that Damon jokingly declared turned kissing the beautiful actress into “hell.”
The Mistake: The Alluring Onion Sandwich
The unforgettable incident, which Damon recounted on a talk show with hilarious detail, occurred while filming the Cameron Crowe-directed movie. The scene in question required a tender kiss between Damon’s recently widowed character, Benjamin Mee, and Johansson’s zookeeper character, Kelly Foster.
Damon recalled that they had successfully filmed a wide-shot version of the kiss before the midday break. Both actors assumed the intimate sequence was complete for the day and went off to enjoy their lunch.
Johansson, momentarily forgetting the possibility of reshoots or different camera setups, opted for a famously potent meal: an onion sandwich. Scarlett forgot about the scene and only remembered after finishing her meal.
When the actors returned to the set, the director had decided to get one final, tight close-up shot of the kiss. Johansson immediately realized her mistake. Damon recounted her horrified realization: “And she came in and Cameron Crowe had set the camera up and it was like a tight shot of the kiss. And she goes, ‘Aw s—! I literally just had—I had, like, an onion sandwich!’”
The Director’s Reaction and the “Smelly” Nightmare
The entire film set reportedly broke into laughter, with the crew having to cover their noses and blush at the situation. For Damon, having to go in for a tight close-up kiss with the unmistakable aroma of a raw onion sandwich led him to hilariously declare the experience “hell” and a “nightmare” on national television. The smell was so bad the entire set covered their noses.
In the spirit of professionalism and good humor, Johansson went through with the take, but the incident gave Damon ammunition to tease her for the rest of the shoot, making the kiss a “smelly” but hilarious experience.
Damon later clarified that, in reality, Johansson’s breath usually “smells like roses.” He was simply having fun with the bizarre situation created by the unexpected reshoot, proving that even A-list actors are sometimes undone by the simplest, stinkiest culinary misstep.
Notable Events: Data of Good Humor
The humorous incident is now a famous piece of Hollywood set lore, underscoring the friendly chemistry between the stars:
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We Bought a Zoo Release: The film, featuring the infamous onion kiss scene, went on to gross over $120 million worldwide, showcasing the successful on-screen pairing of the actors.
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Mutual Teasing: The incident is balanced by Johansson’s own playful teasing of Damon. At the film’s 2011 premiere, she recounted Damon’s genuine fear of snakes while filming the zoo scenes, joking that she had to tell him, “Hold it together” as he was “terrified.”
The unexpected onion sandwich turned a routine Hollywood kiss into an unforgettable, smelly, and hilarious piece of cinematic history, forever linking Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson with the perils of pungent lunchtime choices.