Brad Pitt's Love Scene With Geena Davis Was Worlds Apart From His First Steamy Filming Experience
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Doing intimate scenes with co-stars can be an awkward experience and many a Hollywood celebrity has spoken about how uncomfortable it can get — from Dakota Johnson talking about sticky undergarments that were glued to her body while filming "Fifty Shades Freed" (2018) to Blake Lively revealing that she had to do her sex scene with Ben Affleck for "The Town" (2010) on her first day on set.
But for Brad Pitt, his love scene with co-star Geena Davis in the 1991 drama film "Thelma & Louise," which was one of his firsts in the industry, was made better by Davis, who played Thelma in the movie. Pitt who starred as the handsome outlaw J.D. in the film, told W Magazine that Davis made the entire experience bearable. "Yeah, that was my entry into the big leagues, I guess. Geena [Davis] was so sweet and kind and delicate," shared the "Moneyball" actor.
He continued, "That love scene, I think, went on for two days of shooting. She [Davis] took care of me." The iconic love scene has since been talked about and dissected in the media, with some publications even claiming it was what launched Pitt as a sex symbol in the industry.
Geena Davis recalls 'messing up' her lines while reading with Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt actually wasn't director Ridley Scott's first choice for "Thelma & Louise" according to Becky Aikman's book, "Off the Cliff." While Mark Ruffalo, George Clooney, James Le Gros, Dermot Mulroney, and Dylan McDermott were some of the others who auditioned for the role of J.D., Billy Baldwin was Scott's first choice, but the actor dropped out, opening the way for Pitt to secure the job, the book detailed (via People).
Recalling the experience of reading lines with Pitt, Davis told Vanity Fair in 2011, "I did fine with the first few guys but the last one was so cute I kept messing up my lines." The "Stuart Little" actress continued, "I'm dying because I'm thinking, 'He's great, and I'm ruining his audition. I kept saying, 'I'm so sorry!' But he's so chill, 'Hey, don't worry about it. It's all good.'"
Pitt, however, told the same publication that the reading "was a delight" and that "Geena was incredibly disarming and playful as an actor." Davis was allegedly so enamored by Pitt that she told the director to pick him for the role. She told Vanity Fair, "Lou and Ridley were talking about the other guys: 'This one had a certain roughness. That one had a good look.' They're not mentioning the last one! So I said, 'Can I say something?' And they're, 'Of course.' I said, 'The blond one. Duh!'"
Geena Davis: Brad Pitt was worried about a blemish during the scene
Adding to the awkwardness, what you never knew about Brad Pitt was that he was allegedly embarrassed about a small pimple on his tush while filming the intimate scene with Davis.
Writing about the movie in her book, "Dying of Politeness: A Memoir," Davis shared (via Daily Express), "Brad, for his part, couldn't have cared less about all the fuss over his looks. He was just embarrassed about a tiny little pimple on his butt." The makeup team apparently covered up the blemish successfully.
Pitt recalled "sweating" through the scene that also involved Davis sitting on his lap at one point. Recounting it for the documentary "The Last Journey," Pitt shared (via People), "I'm sweating, oh I'm sweating, and she's actually sitting in my lap. We're basically naked, which is a really odd experience with everybody standing around doing their job like it's another Monday." His co-star had apparently made things better once more. Pitt shared, "I just remember [Davis] talking to one of the guys about the shot and where they needed her to be. And all of a sudden she just looks at me and goes ... [Davis had smiled at him]. 'She was just really cool about it.'"