Being asked to kiss Cate Blanchett while making 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' wouldn't normally have been an issue for Brad Pitt - who's had romantic scenes in just about every movie he's ever appeared in. The problem was that the movie came during an awkward point in his marriage to Angelina Jolie. Pitt hadn't indicated any issue with the scenes until the day they were due to take place, and David Fincher, the film's director, was left stunned and scratching his head.
Pitt's initial reasoning was that he wanted to 'respect his wife,' even though they'd met on the set of a movie that involved kissing scenes. He ultimately relented after speaking at length with both Fincher and Blanchett, and went ahead with the scene exactly as it was described in the script. Not long afterward, it was confirmed that Pitt and Jolie had separated.