During a television appearance on September 27, 2026, actor Rob Lowe named Nastassja Kinski as his best on-camera kiss of all time. Lowe and Kinski starred together in the 1984 film The Hotel New Hampshire. The actor admitted he felt intimidated and very scared to kiss her at the time.
Watch What Happens Live Revelation on Best Onscreen Kiss
Rob Lowe revisited his extensive Hollywood history during a Sunday, September 27 appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen. Asked during the Plead the Fifth segment to name his greatest onscreen smooch, the actor bypassed a lengthy roster of famous costars curated by host Andy Cohen.
Cohen had listed prominent leading ladies including Demi Moore, Ally Sheedy, Rashida Jones, Kim Cattrall, Jodie Foster, Calista Flockhart, Kristin Davis, and Meg Tilly. Instead of selecting any name from that lineup, Lowe pointed directly to his former co-star from The Hotel New Hampshire.
“I told you I wasn’t going to Plead the Fifth. It’s Nastassja Kinski.”
Rob Lowe, via Closer Weekly and Yahoo
When Cohen pressed for details on why the German actress stood out, Lowe offered a blunt and direct assessment of her impact at the time. At that moment in time, she was probably the most beautiful woman I certainly had ever seen,
he explained. The actor also confessed to genuine apprehension on set, admitting he was very, very scared
to film romantic scenes with her.
The 1984 Filming of The Hotel New Hampshire and Kinski’s Stardom
The cinematic pairing took place early in Lowe’s career. Fresh off his breakout role in the 1983 film adaptation of The Outsiders—which featured a stacked cast including Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, and Ralph Macchio—Lowe stepped into the comedy-drama directed by Tony Richardson. The picture was adapted from John Irving’s 1981 novel.
Nastassja Kinski brought significant international acclaim to the production. The German star had already earned widespread praise for her performance in the 1979 romantic drama Tess and subsequently appeared in Wim Wenders’ Paris, Texas the same year The Hotel New Hampshire reached audiences.
Decades of Notable Romances Onscreen and Off
Lowe’s cinematic romantic history spans decades and numerous high-profile projects. He starred alongside Demi Moore in the 1986 romantic comedy-drama About Last Night…, worked with Ally Sheedy in the Brat Pack classic St. Elmo’s Fire, and later shared the screen with Rashida Jones on the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation.
Away from film sets, Lowe’s personal life has remained stable for more than three decades. After relationships in the 1980s that included Little House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert, Lowe met makeup artist and jewelry designer Sheryl Berkoff on the set of the 1990 thriller Bad Influence. The couple married in July 1991 and share two sons, Matthew and John Owen.
