Martin Freeman defends 31-year age gap with Jenna Ortega in ‘Miller’s Girl’
Actor Martin Freeman has addressed the backlash to his latest movie Miller’s Girl. In the film, he portrays teacher who has an affair with his 18-year-old student, played by Jenna Ortega.
Miller’s Girl received an influx of negative feedback following its release, with many accusing the age-gap between the pair of being inappropriate and uncomfortable to watch after the two characters engage in sexual acts with one another.
Discussing the movie in a new interview, Freeman told The Times that the film is “grown up and nuanced”, adding, “It’s not saying, ‘Isn’t this great?'”
He also alluded to the negative connotations movies often get before people have taken the time to sit with its content. To illustrate his point further, he posed the question: “Are we gonna have a go at Liam Neeson for being in a film about the Holocaust?”
Freeman has become accustomed to playing somewhat serious roles since his breakthrough as John Watson in the BBC series Sherlock. Some viewers, of course, recognised him from his earlier role as Tim in the UK series The Office, but breathing new life into the famous Arthur Conan Doyle character gained him international stardom.
Miller’s Girl may seem like an interesting pivot for the actor, but those who took no issue with the character’s ages praised the script along with Freeman and Ortega’s performances.
Following criticisms about the age-gap, however, the film’s intimacy coordinator Kristina Arjona quickly defended the choice, assuring viewers that Ortega was “comfortable” during the sex scenes.
Speaking to The Daily Mail, she explained: “There was many, many people throughout this process, engaging with [Ortega] to make sure that it was consistent with what she was comfortable with, and she was very determined and very sure of what she wanted to do.”
Adding: “Part of my job, too, is supporting her decisions. I adapt to whatever is the comfort level of my actors, especially on a production like this where there is a large age gap between the actors.” She also stressed the fact that the actors can change their mind on the day “if they don’t want to do any of the elements that we’ve discussed.”
Miller’s Girl is currently streaming on Netflix. Watch the trailer below.
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