Intimacy coordinators have found themselves at the heart of the industry for the last few years. Sex scenes or any scene that is delicate to the cast and audience often use an intimacy coordinator to help handle the vulnerable moment with care.
But not everyone believes that intimacy coordinators are needed.
Back in August, Sean Bean publicly declared that intimacy coordinators “spoil the spontaneity” between actors, and multiple actresses spoke out against his claim, saying that intimacy coordinators are needed in an industry that has exploited many young actors.
Now, Toni Collette has addressed the subject of intimacy coordinators in a recent interview.
'Wanderlust'Credit: Netflix
Toni Collette on the Use of Intimacy Coordinators
For Collette, the use of intimacy coordinators is something she feels is “not always a necessity” but should be used as “a safety net.”
“I have to say, in a couple of scenes and different various jobs, I have been offered an intimacy coordinator,” Collette said during a recent interview with IndieWire. “But I have felt so connected and safe with my creative partners that the intimacy coordinator felt like they were encroaching upon the process, and I’ve denied them access to the actual scene because I didn’t feel like I needed them.”
Intimacy coordinators on film sets are there to ensure the well-being of actors when they are participating in intimate scenes. This has become increasingly normal over recent years, ushered in by the #MeToo movement and the many allegations of misconduct on film and TV sets.
So. Are intimacy coordinators necessary on all film sets?
'The Staircase'Credit: Warner Bros. Television Distribution
When Are Intimacy Coordinators Necessary on Film Sets?
The question of whether or not an intimacy coordinator is needed on set is something that is decided by the specific actors involved in the project.
Collette seems to know when she wants to work with an intimacy coordinator during a sex scene and has no problem asking for one. Having commented on her role in HBO’s The Staircase, in which Collette stars opposite Colin Firth in a true crime drama that has many sex scenes, Collette told Variety that she felt “completely safe” on set.
“They hired an intimacy coordinator—I didn’t want to talk to her, because I felt, between Antonio and Colin, completely safe. There was a lot of trust,” Colette said. “And I knew the crew, and that was my team. If I’d been with other people where I didn’t feel as comfortable, I probably would have welcomed her there. But I just felt so secure in our world that I didn’t feel the need for her presence.”
Having been in the film industry for three decades, Colette is an industry veteran who is clearly confident working with specific casts and crews to negate the need to have an intimacy coordinator on set for the sex scenes she is involved in.
Younger stars who may not have as much experience with their co-stars or those who have faced misconduct on set are likely to work with an intimacy coordinator. This is the “safety net” that is cast to protect actors and this will always be an important tool for an actor to have.
Intimacy coordinators are there to keep the set safe for everyone involved, so don’t be afraid to ask for one or offer one to your actors when preparing for an intimate scene in your next project.
Source: IndieWire
