Florence Pugh recounts “shit” experience with intimacy coordinator: “So weird and so awkward”
Florence Pugh has said she supports intimacy coordinators being on film sets despite having mixed experiences with them, particularly one occasion which was “so weird and so awkward and really wasn’t helpful.”
The actor was speaking on a recent appearance on The Louis Theroux Podcast when the discussion moved to the topic, amid industry debates on what roles intimacy coordinators should take to ensure safety during sex scenes.
Pugh was forthright in advocating for the inclusion of such professionals, saying their job is “not to get in the way. It’s not to confuse, it’s not to make things more complicated or make things more awkward.” However, she added: “I’ve had good ones and bad ones.”
The Thunderbolts* actor said that her view was “changing” because “I’m now having fantastic experiences with intimacy coordinators.”
Despite this, she also recounted an experience which wasn’t so positive, noting, “I’ve also had a shit example where someone just made it so weird and so awkward and really wasn’t helpful and kind of was just 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.”
Ultimately, Pugh noted that with an intimacy coordinator who is skilled at their job, she has “learned how effective it can really be,” which reflects much of the consensus on the role among many female actors right now,
It comes as Trespasses star Gillian Anderson also spoke out in favour of intimacy coordinators during a recent interview, saying she initially feared they would “dampen down the sense of passion” but later realised: “[Using them] doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s going to suddenly get tame.”
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