Florence Pugh Talks Shooting Sex Scenes In Hollywood, Is “Now Having Fantastic Experiences With Intimacy Coordinators”

Intimacy coordinators (folks tasked to oversee comfort levels during kissing and sex scenes between actors) have been sort of a hot topic for actors working in Hollywood and are sort of becoming a trend, as recently we’ve heard from Jennifer Lawrence (not using one while shooting scenes with Robert Pattinson for “Die My Love“), recent Oscar-winner Mikey Madison of “Anora,” and Gwyneth Paltrow (concerning a sex-driven performance in “Marty Supreme“) being slightly unconvinced of their need to be on set from their own expeirneces. While others have championed their presence on shoots and have been embraced by most. Actress Florence Pugh also recently spoke on the subject while chatting on “The Louis Theroux Podcast” (via Variety) and is warming up to the idea of them, mentioning having mixed experiences shooting sex scenes.

Pugh’s appearance in Christopher Nolan‘s Best Picture Oscar winner “Oppenheimer” was one of her more notable sex scenes in recent memory (oddly, those scenes saw a bit of criticism and contributed to the film’s R-rating), but she has shot them often enough and has reflected on her experiences/opinions concerning intimacy coordinators.

READ MORE: 21 November Films To See: ‘Die My Love,’ ‘Jay Kelly,’ ‘Hamnet,’ ‘Knives Out 3’ & More

“My view is changing about it as well, because I’m now having fantastic experiences with intimacy coordinators,” Pugh said about filming sex scenes and the incorporation of intimacy coordinators. “However, that being said, I’ve also had a s*** example where someone just made it so weird and so awkward and really wasn’t helpful and kind of was just like wanting to be a part of the set in a way that wasn’t helpful, and I think it’s a job that’s still figuring itself out.”

“Everybody’s just kind of working away to chip away at the scene. And I think when I worked with a fantastic coordinator, I was like, ‘Oh, this is what I’ve been missing, understanding the dance of intimacy as opposed to just shooting a sex scene,'” Pugh said. “There are good ones and bad ones, and it’s through the good ones that I have learned how effective it can really be.”

Pugh adding that it can be “a bit stickier” situation for actresses during filming those kinds of scenes because “you can’t really be a problem because people will say that you’re a nightmare…I remember I was doing a crying scene and there were just all of these specific beats that I needed to get, and specifically on specific lines,” Pugh recalled. “And we did it maybe six times, and each time you have to start with no tears and then gear up. So you have to stay in it. And we got it, and the director wanted to go again. And when I’m in that state, I’m a bit mushy, so I’m like, ‘Okay, we’ll do it again.'”

Support independent movie journalism to keep it alive. Sign up for The Playlist Newsletter. All the content you want and, oh, right, it’s free.

Ultimately, we hope that actors are (regardless of gender), at least, are given the option to have them on set (comfort and safety is key given it’s still a workplace enviroment, and to keep everything professional) as they become more commonplace Then again, we’ve heard some actors completely natural on the subject, as some aren’t entirely convinced that the training and experience needed to be an intimacy coordinator is exactly clear to the public or standard across the board.

You can check out Florence Pugh’s full exchange on the podcast episode below.