By Jared Sais
So often we see celebrity couples get stuck in the “properness” of what they should look like when walking down a red carpet. How one should act, pose, smile, and stand all help the viewer (you) determine who the couple is in public as well as in private. Luckily, at a recent iHeartRadio event, Chris Pratt and Anna Faris broke the standard rules and give us a real glimpse into their relationship.
In the picture above, we see the adorable pair truly enjoying each other’s company. First of all, anyone will tell you that, if a girl can laugh at her partner as he acts like a goof, then she’s a keeper. From this photo, you can see how they’re both joyful, loving, and non-judgmental.
Related Link: Anna Faris And Chris Pratt Welcome Child
Let’s first focus on Faris’s face: It’s a combination of surprise and a happy, playful smile. The mouth tells me this pose wasn’t planned to be cute for the camera, as it is a genuinely shocked expression. As you can see, her mouth is in a slightly off “O” shape due to the combination of a surprise emotion and a smile of happiness. When feeling the excitement of shock, the mouth goes into an “O” shape as your eyes widen and your eyebrows shoot upwards. Though, in this case, with the addition of joy, her eyes are a bit less open, and her outer lips of her smile a bit more raised.
One of the main non-verbal cues that jump out at me is the Mom star’s nose. Some people will mistakenly see a wrinkled nose as disgust, but when paired with a smile, it is a well-known sign of playfulness and lust.
If we now focus on her hands, it looks like the shock of Pratt’s sudden love outburst made the actress have a sudden need to do a non-verbal cue called a self-touch gesture. This gesture is a subconscious or auto-response to curb stress, induce the sense of comfort, or reassure oneself in times of anxiety or excitement. I am not saying Faris was scared; rather, she was startled in a good way, which can stimulate the same response.
Now, let’s switch our gaze to Pratt. He is defiantly posing for the photo but doing so in the most loving and goofy way. This is important to know, as he is allowing himself to be silly and free. If he can be himself in front of the camera and have her play along, then in a sense, it’s a telling sign that their connection is the real deal.
Related Link: Celebrity Couples: What True Love Looks Like
Notice Pratt’s hands in a double-hand grasp around his wife’s waist. This is a very strong non-verbal gesture of love and, in some cases, dominance; I believe that the gesture is one of love in this picture. Also, such a tight grasp is telling of their relationship because, when people truly love each other, they are more comfortable in their close proxemics with their loved ones. The more love you share, the closer you are together; the less love, the farther you are apart. It’s as easy as that!
Lastly, the Guardians of the Galaxy actor’s lip pucker is a cute, fun gesture to solidify his emotions towards Faris. The lip pucker is known to be the non-verbal cue of love and the beginning of a romantic kiss. For this celebrity couple, I foresee a long, loving relationship that will last.
Jared Sais is co-author of the website The Non-Verbal Game, where you can find free downloadable content. He is an expert in non-verbal communication, who specializes in body language, micro-expressions and lie deception as they relate to life and love.
