Norman Reedus recalls his first onscreen kiss — and it was a… See more

Fans of The Walking Dead witnessed a rare moment in the latest episode of Daryl Dixon on AMC: the usually guarded survivor shared a kiss. Norman Reedus’ Daryl locked lips with Isabelle, played by Clémence Poésy, in a scene that immediately caught viewers off guard.

But Reedus was quick to downplay the romantic weight of the moment. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the actor explained that the kiss wasn’t meant to set up a love story:

“I don’t think there was an intention to get to second base. It was more like nervously pulling back the curtains to take a peek at the possibility of it.”

Daryl and romance: a rare combination

In more than a decade of The Walking Dead, Daryl Dixon’s intimate moments have been almost nonexistent. Before Isabelle, the only other instance came in season 10 when Daryl was involved with Leah Shaw (Lynn Collins) — a relationship that ended with Daryl ultimately killing her.

Off-screen, however, Reedus has filmed plenty of romantic scenes. And that’s where his story of his very first onscreen kiss comes in — an experience he remembers as hilariously disastrous.

The disastrous first kiss

Reedus recalled filming Dark Harbor (1998), a thriller co-starring Alan Rickman and Polly Walker. In one scene, he was supposed to share a passionate kiss with Walker. Nervous and inexperienced, Reedus dove in the wrong way.

“I went full tongue. She started making these weird painful noises, and I had no idea what was going on. I thought, ‘Is this good or bad?’”

They tried again. And again, he repeated the mistake — tongue first. Confused, Reedus finally went to the director, Adam Coleman Howard, for advice.

The answer couldn’t have been clearer:

“Norman, you idiot. You don’t really stick your tongue in her mouth!”

Embarrassed, Reedus apologized to Walker, admitting it was his first time kissing on camera. Luckily, the actress laughed it off, telling him it was fine.

Awkwardness follows him

While his recent kiss with Poésy didn’t involve the same rookie mistake, Reedus revealed the filming wasn’t exactly romantic either:

“There were mosquitoes flying in our mouths the entire time. So, definitely not a sexy scene.”

From his painfully funny Dark Harbor debut in 1998 to an insect-filled kiss on Daryl Dixon in 2025, Reedus proves that even after decades in front of the camera, onscreen intimacy can be just as unpredictable — and sometimes downright hilarious.