Nick Jonas’ awkward kiss with Priyanka Chopra in Love Again almost didn’t happen: ‘They were going to cast a random guy’

Nick Jonas plays a love interest of real-life wife Priyanka Chopra in Love Again, her upcoming Hollywood movie with Sam Heughan. The trailer for the rom-com had dropped on Valentine’s Day. In it, Nick makes a hilarious cameo as Priyanka’s date. In the back of a taxi, Priyanka’s Mira tells Nick’s character that they should take it slow, before he begins to lick her face in slow motion. Awkward doesn’t even begin to describe the situation. Now, Priyanka has opened up about the scene. Also read: Priyanka Chopra takes second chance at love in new Hollywood film, Nick Jonas makes a cameo

Priyanka also revealed how Nick Jonas landed the role in the first place. She said the part was originally meant to be played by some ‘random guy’. But it was the film’s director James C Strouse, who thought of casting her husband Nick in the brief role. Priyanka and Nick married in 2018. Nick, who is a singer, has also acted in films such as Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), among others.

When asked about her ‘specific scene’ with Nick in the movie, Priyanka said on the US chat show Live with Kelly and Ryan, “Thank God! Thank God it (their makeout scene) was my husband. The scene was written originally in the movie, which stars Sam Heughan and Celine Dion in her first acting role by the way, which I am surprised by. The scene was written that it was a bad online date. With this guy I am eventually like ‘Take it slow (gesturing with her hands that she tried to keep him away)’. And he starts licking my face in slow motion. And this is during Covid-19 (pandemic), and they had to cast a random guy to do it. I was just dreading that. I am okay with no saliva in these situations, especially with someone you don’t know.”

She continued, “Nick happened to be in London. Because I was going to be there for a-year-and-a-half, he said ‘I will help you settle down’. So our director Jim (James C Strouse), was like ‘Well, since Nick is in town, and he is an actor, would you mind if we asked him (for the role of Priyanka’s date)’. And I was like ‘Yes! I will do it, I will ask him’. Because that was comfortable saliva. It is familiar.”

In Love Again, which will be released on May 12, while grieving the loss of her fiance, Priyanka’s Mira begins to send a series of romantic texts to his old number. His number has now been reassigned to a journalist’s work phone. The journalist, Rob, is played by Sam Heughan. Over the course of the film, Rob begins to fall in love with Mira, someone he’s never even met before. He tries to figure out how to meet her in person with a little help from Celine Dion, whom he’s profiling at work.

While filming the movie, there were strict Covid-19 protocols in place in the UK. However, Sam and Priyanka did meet up ‘secretly’ so they could get to know each other better. “We thought it was important to have the chemistry and a relationship, so we did. We all hung out. We had a number of parties or dinners at her house, which was so fantastic. She’s a great host, and honestly has a wonderful family,” Sam told had People in an interview earlier this year.