There’s something to be said for talk show chemistry.

Katie Holmes believes Joshua Jackson was a better kisser than James Van Der Beek, but we wouldn’t know this if not for Ryan Reynolds. Katie and Ryan were both on The Late Late Show with James Corden last night, their second talk show appearance together in around 10 days. Katie is typically shy and cagey so she tried to dodge Corden’s kissing question, and only answered when Ryan talked about how he went to high school with Josh, so he knew the “truth.” In other words, he goaded her into a polite non-answer:

“I mean, if he says so… I mean, you know.”

It’s a cute talk show moment. You can watch it here, at the 0:30 mark. It’s only 30 seconds.

Sure, Ryan was leading her on, but he was simply trying to liven her up. After all, the two have a (professional) history together. Ryan and Katie played husband and wife in last year’s Woman in Gold, an above average film about art theft and the Holocaust. Now, they both have movies in theatres – Deadpool and Touched with Fire, respectively. Touched with Fire, of course, is a much smaller film and since it is only playing on 58 screens compared to Deadpool’s 3,558, it needs all the promotion help it can get. According to BoxOfficeMojo, Touched with Fire has only grossed roughly $21,139, which is pocket change next to Deadpool’s $163.7 million and counting after barely a week in theatres.

So, does Ryan help bring out the “girl next door” Katie you remember from pre-2005? Will it make you Google her new movie? You may remember it from its original title, Mania Days, or from those fantastic paparazzi photos of Katie running around in a fountain with her Canadian co-star Luke Kirby. This was followed by several steamy on-set photos and weeks of dating rumours. Click here for a refresher.

It’s important to note Katie’s only late night appearances on this press tour have seen her on the same bill as Ryan. Does having a friend nearby help her feel more comfortable, and result in better, more memorable TV? The show’s talent bookers are certainly cognisant of their guests’ comfort, requests and performance. Ryan’s been almost everywhere on his Deadpool hustle, and Katie’s the harder get. Perhaps Katie’s team asked to be paired up with Ryan as a means of helping her promote the film?

(Lainey: If so, it’s an astute PR decision, knowing the limitations of your client.)