Some movies promise raging on-screen romances that draw viewers from all over the globe to the magical realm of film, where dreams and imaginations come to life. However, the actors’ attempts to bring these private moments to life behind the scenes are sometimes lost in the glamour of movie enchantment.
Original Sin, starring Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas, was one such movie; it was billed as an erotic thriller with a story of passionate love at its core. However, the riveting on-screen relationship was a far cry from the reality of filming.
Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas’ Challenging Love Scene
Audiences in 2001 were anticipating the debut of Original Sin, an adaptation of Cornell Woolrich’s book Waltz into Darkness. Michael Cristofer, the film’s director, had previously directed the HBO film Gia, which catapulted Angelina Jolie to worldwide fame and made Cristofer a household name.
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When MGM asked Cristofer to adapt the book, he immediately thought of Jolie as the mysterious Julia Russell. However, Antonio Banderas had already tried to acquire the right to direct Waltz into Darkness before realizing that destiny had other intentions.
Cristofer invited Banderas to join the project after learning of the actor’s enthusiasm, raising hopes for a remarkable film. The cast of Original Sin was full of skill and promise, but the production was stymied by censorship from the start.
Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas were selected to portray star-crossed lovers who would provide drama for the cameras. Both performers had experience with on-screen romance, but the closeness required for Original Sin was unprecedented.
Banderas said that shooting the love scene with Jolie was like executing a stunt, like jumping from a horse, in an interview with Daily Mail in 2007. The constraints put on the players made it difficult to achieve the desired level of intensity and sensuality in the scenario.
“Doing a s-x scene with Angelina Jolie was the same as doing a scene where I have to fall off a horse. You have to make it look real, but it just isn’t. We had to do a very intense s-x scene in Original Sin, but, of course, it’s nothing like the way it looks on screen.”
The unique rule that Antonio Banderas couldn’t touch Angelina Jolie made shooting the love scene difficult. Jolie’s numerous tattoos, which necessitated careful concealment with cosmetics, were the root cause of her peculiar appearance.
Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas’ Love Amidst Rumors
Banderas had a difficult time since he couldn’t move as freely, which is essential for bringing an intimate scenario to life. Both actors felt their way since they lacked the true touch to develop chemistry on camera.
While shooting Original Sin, rumors flew about a romantic relationship between Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas. The fact that Jolie was married to Billy Bob Thornton at the time and that Banderas was married to Melanie Griffith added fuel to the fire of the suspicions.
In typical Jolie fashion, she quickly stopped the rumors by supporting Banderas’s dedication to his wife and family. The Salt actress publicly affirmed her commitment to her spouse and shot off rumors of an extramarital liaison.
Surprisingly, Antonio Banderas’s wife at the time, Melanie Griffith, was key in producing Original Sin. Despite the allegations to the contrary, Griffith was fully supportive of her husband’s participation in the picture.
The actor’s wife had read the screenplay and thought it gave Banderas a great chance to show off his acting chops via a compelling role and plot. Griffith’s constant support dispelled rumors of marital strife between the couple and their family, which had circulated in Hollywood circles.
Source: Daily Mail
