Stars have been discussing Sean Bean’s recent comments disparaging the use of intimacy co-ordinators on film and TV sets.
Appearing on Australian radio show “Fitzy & Wippa”, Emma Thompson reacted to Bean’s comments, saying that intimacy coordinators are “fantastically important” on a shoot.
“I don’t know if you were speaking to someone who found it distracting, 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,'” she said, according to People.
“And no, you can’t just ‘let it flow.’ 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,” Thompson added. “So, it’s not a comfortable situation, full stop. So, I don’t know who the actor was, but maybe he had an intimacy coordinator accidentally at home.”
“West Side Story” actress Rachel Zegler responded to the “Game of Thrones” star’s remarks in a Tweet on Monday.
“[I]ntimacy coordinators establish an environment of safety for actors,” Zegler, 21, wrote.
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
Bean spoke about intimacy co-ordinators during an interview with the Times Magazine, saying how the practice spoils “the spontaneity” of shooting a sex scene, according to Variety.
“It would inhibit me more because it’s drawing attention to things,” Bean, who starred as Ned Stark in “Game of Thrones”, said of having an intimacy co-ordinator in the room. “Somebody saying, ‘Do this, put your hands there, while you touch his thing….
“I think the natural way lovers behave would be ruined by someone bringing it right down to a technical exercise.”
READ MORE: ‘Game Of Thrones’ Actor Sean Bean Still Doesn’t Know How The Show Ended
The star praised his racy 1993 series “Lady Chatterley”, in which he starred alongside Joely Richardson.
“‘Lady Chatterley’ was spontaneous,” Bean shared. “It was a joy. We had a good chemistry between us, and we knew what we were doing was unusual. Because she was married, I was married. But we were following the story. We were trying to portray the truth of what DH Lawrence wrote.”
Elsewhere in the tell-all chat, Bean also spoke about a raunchy scene he shot for “Snowpiercer” alongside Lena Hall, which would ultimately be cut.
READ MORE: Sean Bean Recalls His Shocking ‘Game Of Thrones’ Death Scene
The intimate scene in question saw the pair get frisky with a mango.
Bean admitted, “I think they cut a bit out actually. Often the best work you do, where you’re trying to push the boundaries, and the very nature of it is experimental, gets censored when TV companies or the advertisers say it’s so much. It’s a nice scene, quite surreal, dream-like and abstract. And mango-esque.”
Bean responded when the reporter mentioned that intimacy co-ordinators could help protect actors amid the #MeToo movement, “I suppose it depends on the actress. This one [referring to Hall] had a musical cabaret background, so she was up for anything.”
Hall has since responded to Bean’s comments, insisting, “Just because I am in theatre does not mean I am up for anything.”
1. The infamous mango scene wasn't a naked scene. I was "naked" (but not really naked) in the bathtub/suicide scene (which I guess is in that same moment) but Sean Bean was in the bathtub fully clothed in a tuxedo.
— Lena Hall (@LenaRockerHall) August 8, 2022
3. Sean is an awesome actor and made me feel not only comfortable but also like I had a true acting partner in those bizarre scenes. It was us against the world and we were gonna tell that story.
— Lena Hall (@LenaRockerHall) August 8, 2022
5. I feel that when an actor has to do a scene that is extremely emotional (like committing suicide or being raped) there needs be some kind of mental health person available to talk to post shoot. Even though we are only acting we are still experiencing trauma.
— Lena Hall (@LenaRockerHall) August 8, 2022
Hall said she’s a fan of intimacy co-ordinators, adding:
How do you feel about this article and the idea behind needing or not needing an IC? Also, what are your takes on a trauma coach?
— Lena Hall (@LenaRockerHall) August 8, 2022
