Helen Hunt explains why her 'Cast Away' kiss with Tom Hanks wasn't romantic at all

By Megan Armstrong | Last updated 7/1/21

Kissing in the rain is simultaneously a cinematic dream and logistical nightmare.

That was the case for Helen Hunt and Tom Hanks while filming Cast Away, at least.

"In order for rain to show up on film, it has to be droplets the size of coffee cups. Like, it has to be so much rain," Hunt told Kelly Clarkson on the latter's eponymous daytime talk show. "So, we would have this huge romantic kiss. Cut. And then up the driveway, you'd just hear squish, squish, squish, squish, squish."

The scene Hunt is referring to came at the end of the 2000 drama after Chuck (Hanks) returns home to Memphis after a crash landing had left him perilously stranded on an island. Kelly (Hunt), his longtime lover who had moved on while he was missing, runs after him in the pouring rain to confess her undying love. They kiss, even though they don't end up together.

Cast Away was nominated for two Oscars, including a best actor nod for Hanks.

With Clarkson, Hunt also discussed why she almost passed up the role of Dr. Jo Harding in 1996's Twister: "It seemed like probably the tornado is the star of this movie, and what good is the part gonna be? And then I got taken to a fancy lunch, where Steven Spielberg said, 'Please do it,' and I said, 'OK!'"

The Oscar-winning actress currently stars in STARZ series Blindspotting, created by Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs and based upon the duo's 2018 film of the same name.

Watch Hunt's full interview below.