Emma Thompson has criticised Sean Bean for dismissing the role of intimacy coordinators.
In an interview with The Times, the Game Of Thrones and Snowpiercer star suggested that these specialists, who have become common place on film and TV sets since the rise of the #MeToo movement, would “spoil the spontaneity” of sex scenes.
“I don’t know if you were speaking to someone who found it distracting,” Thompson said in an interview on Fitz & Wippa for Australia’s NovaFM (per People), “but [in] another conversation, you might find that people go, ‘It made me comfortable, it made me feel safe, it made me feel as though I was able to do this work.’ ”
“So intimacy coordinators are the most fantastic introduction in our work. And no, you can’t just ‘let it flow,’ ” Thompson continued. “There’s a camera there and a crew, it’s not on your own in a hotel room. You’re surrounded by a bunch of blokes carrying things. So, it’s not a comfortable situation, full stop.”
Of having an intimacy coordinator on set in the room, Bean had said: “It would inhibit me more because it’s drawing attention to things. Somebody saying, ‘Do this, put your hands there, while you touch his thing…”
He added: “I think the natural way lovers behave would be ruined by someone bringing it right down to a technical exercise.”
Bean was also criticised by West Side Story star Rachel Zegler, who had filmed sex scenes with 25-year-old actor Ansel Elgort on set.
intimacy coordinators establish an environment of safety for actors. i was extremely grateful for the one we had on WSS— they showed grace to a newcomer like myself + educated those around me who’ve had years of experience.
spontaneity in intimate scenes can be unsafe. wake up. https://t.co/bpxT2DVU1R
— rachel zegler (she/her/hers) (@rachelzegler) August 8, 2022
“Intimacy coordinators establish an environment of safety for actors,” she wrote. “I was extremely grateful for the one we had on WSS – they showed grace to a newcomer like myself + educated those around me who’ve had years of experience.”
Urging Bean to “wake up”, she added: “Spontaneity in intimate scenes can be unsafe.”
Emma Thompson recently starred in sex positive comedy Good Luck To You, Leo Grande, opposite Daryl McCormack.
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