Jacob Whiteduck-Lavoie reveals the truth behind Sterling Point’s viral kiss

Sterling Point star Jacob Whiteduck-Lavoie has addressed the viral kiss between his character Ellis and Ella Rubin’s Annie, dismissing online claims that the memorable scene was improvised.

The kiss takes place in the penultimate episode of the Prime Video series, following Annie’s earlier romance with her former classmate Rory, played by Daniel Quinn-Toye. The scene quickly attracted attention online, with fans praising the moment as a standout romantic scene.

Whiteduck-Lavoie, 23, told PEOPLE that he knew the kiss would be significant because it was Ellis’ first kiss in the series. However, he admitted he did not anticipate the reaction from viewers.

The actor also clarified that the scene was carefully planned rather than improvised. “It was very well choreographed,” he said, explaining that director Megan Park and cinematographer Kristen Correll worked with the cast to make the moment feel particularly meaningful.

The scene was initially supposed to take place elsewhere in the cottage before Park and Rubin suggested moving it to a closet. The production team experimented with different approaches before Correll suggested having Ellis pull Annie toward him.

Whiteduck-Lavoie said the idea immediately worked, with members of the hair and makeup team reportedly reacting enthusiastically while watching the scene being filmed.

Although the actor was focused on getting the scene right during production, he was surprised by its impact after the episode premiered. He described the online response to the kiss and the wider series as “insane” and said he was grateful for the overwhelming support from viewers.

Sterling Point, created by Megan Park, stars Ella Rubin as Annie Jacobson, whose life changes after she discovers that her previously unknown grandfather has named her and her twin brother as heirs to Sterling Point.

The series is currently streaming on Prime Video.