Thanks to the #MeToo movement (and, to a certain extent, the COVID-19 pandemic), intimacy coordinators on movie and TV sets are the entertainment industry’s new normal. So, what do actors think about this development? Sean Bean‘s recent comments that ICs “spoil the spontaneity” of sex scenes unleashed a backlash from various actresses. Bean’s “Snowpiercer” costar Lena Hall clarified Bean’s remarks about her being “up for anything” based on her theater background. Meanwhile, Rachel Zegler had a blunter response: “Spontaneity in intimate scenes can be unsafe,” she tweeted, “Wake up.”
Now “The Dropout” star Amanda Seyfried adds her take on the importance of ICs. Vanity Fair reports that Seyfried had at least one experience on sit that didn’t sit well with her, and she wished ICs were available then because of it. “Being 19, walking around without my underwear on–like, are you kidding me? How did I let that happen?” Seyfried said. “Oh, I know why: I was 19 and I didn’t want to upset anybody, and I wanted to keep my job. That’s why.”
Seyfried’s commentary provides some historical context to the introduction of ICs and the gender dynamics that play out on film sets. Would another 19-year-old actress be put in the same position as Seyfried now with ICs around? Not very likely. But ICs are such a recent advent in the industry that it’s unclear how their role on production sets will evolve. They certainly make actors, especially actresses, feel safer and more secure in intimate and sexually explicit scenes.
But is Bean’s commentary totally off-base? In Bean’s interview with The Times, the actor stressed that “the natural way lovers behave would be ruined by someone bringing it right down to a technical exercise.” So, in Bean’s perspective, ICs reduce intimate scenes to something rote and less vital. That’s not entirely wrong, but acting isn’t just an art form; it’s also a profession. Everyone wants and needs to feel secure in a working environment, and ICs supply that sense of security, especially for actresses.
Regardless of Bean’s comments and the blowback he’s received, ICs are here to stay in the industry. And they should be taken as a welcome addition, too. Comfort is just as key to a strong acting performance as creative freedom, and that’s what intimacy coordinators provide.
