Emma Watson and Rupert Grint (Harry Potter series): Playing siblings on screen for years, they felt kissing would be strange and unnecessary for the characters. The director respected their discomfort and the scene was rewritten.
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Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez (Jersey Girl): Affleck reportedly felt their age difference made the kiss scene inappropriate and unnecessary for the story. Ultimately, the scene stayed but was filmed subtly.
Personal reasons:
Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington (The Pelican Brief): Washington declined the kiss scene due to his discomfort with interracial intimacy on screen at the time. The scenes were cut altogether.
Will Smith and Anthony Michael Hall (Six Degrees of Separation): Although Smith later regretted it, he chose not to kiss his male co-star in a scripted scene due to personal reservations.
Off-screen factors:
Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson (Water for Elephants): Witherspoon refused to kiss Pattinson because he had a bad cold. Understandably, she didn't want to get sick during filming.
James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie (Wanted): McAvoy admitted feeling intimidated by Jolie's stardom and found the kissing scene awkward. Despite this, they delivered a convincing performance.
Creative choices:
Daniel Craig and Eva Green (Casino Royale): The iconic shower scene in Casino Royale originally had a kiss, but Craig suggested removing it for a more intense and ambiguous ending.
It's important to remember that these are just a few examples, and the reasons for actors declining to kiss their co-stars can be far more nuanced. Ultimately, it's a decision made between the actors, director, and sometimes even producers, taking into account factors like character dynamics, story context, and personal comfort.