(Summit Entertainment/Lionsgsate)
Theo James and Shailene Woodley are Hollywood’s newest It couple and the two aren’t even dating. Their natural chemistry and their mutual admiration for one another shines through when they’re together on and off screen.
Here’s what you need to know about the dynamic duo.
1. They Like Kissing Each Other
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In an interview with E News, Woodley, 22, put her costar’s kissing skills bluntly when she said:
I’ve been trying to think of funny jokes to say, but I just haven’t thought of anything funny. So yeah, if you want your headline to be ‘Theo James Is a Good Kisser,’ you can have it.
Elle magazine told James that Woodley declared him a great kisser, and he replied:
Well, good! Cool. Nice. Good work, Shai! I paid her money to say that. Not much, though.
Their first kiss in Divergent was extremely passionate and intense.
James, 29, told MTV how he approached the lip lock:
I just went at it hard, to be honest, because I thought that’s how she wanted it. I thought to assuage any awkwardness I would just go for it. She was kind of batting away my hands.
The pair used every opportunity they could to practice that fateful scene.
Movie Fanatic reported that James said:
I wanted to practice the kissing scene with Shai as much as possible.I’d say, ‘Listen, after dinner we could just go over that scene again?’ The kissing scene with Shai and I, we wanted that to be as good as possible.
2. Theo Says He Has Natural Chemistry With Shai
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He told Elle that the romantic scenes were stronger because of their unique bond right from the start.
He said:
Especially if you have a bit of natural chemistry, inevitably, it’s going to make the scene better, and we definitely had good chemistry from that start, which is something you always hope for, whenever you get stuck in a love story for the next however long….And you do things together to bond. You make the effort, you really do, because it does make things so much easier in the end.
He also gushed to MTV about what his costar was like when they first met:
It was fun. She is very individual as a person. She has a strong sense of identity, and she also had a strong sense of the character and how she wanted to play it,” he said. “She had a very strong — in a good way — sense of what Four should be in the best possible way. It was actually kind of quite easy.
3. Their PDA Suggests They’re a Couple
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The two are very touchy-feely around one another, and there are many pictures to prove it.
The Daily Mail reported how James held Woodley during a movie screening:
The hunky 29-year-old had his arm protectively around Shailene’s shoulders as she pulled him close to her.
Entertainment Wise reported that at the premiere of the film, the two looked quite comfortable together:
The movie’s leads cozied up for photos on the red carpet and it looks like Brit hunk Theo was a big fan of 22-year-old’s Shailene’s sexy gown. The slinky gold number from Elie Saab featured a thigh high split and was draped off the shoulder to reveal more than a hint of skin. As Theo cosied up to his gorgeous co-star he was spotted casting admiring glances which will do nothing to dispel rumours that the pair are enjoying a romance.
Us Weekly did report that James has a girlfriend, Ruth Kearney.
4. They’re Filming a Sequel Next Month
(Summit Entertainment/Lionsgate)
Since Divergent is based on a book trilogy by Veronica Roth, rest assured that the pair’s affection will continue to grow.
Shooting actually begins next month for Insurgent, the next installment of the YA franchise.
Mashable reported on the immediate success of the movie:
After the movie gained an eye-popping $4.9 million in receipts for Thursday late-night screenings alone, the studio has greenlit Insurgent, the second installment of the dystopian young-adult franchise…
Allegiant, the last novel in Roth’s trilogy, is tentatively in the works for 2016. But with the success the movie is having so far, it looks like it will most probably get the green light as well.
5. They Didn’t Enjoy Their Fight Scene
(Summit Entertainment/Lionsgate)
There is a scene in the film where the pair fight it out… and don’t hold any punches.
Woodley talked about James’ fighting abilities in a press conference the Toronto Sun reported on.
She said:
That dude boxes in real life, and he’s not afraid to be strong. So if I forgot to duck, or moved left instead of right, I’d have been knocked cold. That was a terrifying fight scene.
The respectful British male had some trouble fighting a woman, even if it was make believe.
He told the Daily News, “It’s always a little bit uncomfortable when you are told you are going to be doing a fight scene with someone — with a girl.”
However, according to the dashing actor, what saved that crucial fight scene, was that it turned into romantic.
Theo said:
It’s not something you want to be doing, and then I guess the great thing about that scene is it goes from a big fight sequence — I know it sounds cheesy — to like a love scene really. Not a love scene, but a love story. Love scene would be strange.