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Sean Bean, sex scenes, and the male-dominated disparity of filmmaking
Earlier this month, Sean Bean commented that the deployment of intimacy coordinators “spoil the spontaneity” of shooting a sex scene. This alarming comment served to further illuminate exactly why they are essential and, moreover, the troubling disparity of the male-dominated filmmaking environment. We spoke to intimacy coordinators and industry professionals to see how reflective Bean’s take was of the industry as a whole and the steps that need to be taken to mitigate some of the nettlesome stories we hear from sets.
Bean’s comments were related to his appearance in Game of Thrones. The series shows a prolific amount of nudity and intimacy; thus, an intimacy coordinator was essential. Sadly, however, shows with smaller budgets or fleeting intimacy scenes often don’t even have someone present in that role at all. However, Bean was far from rejoicing the progressive approach that such a series could deploy.
He commented: “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’… I think the natural way lovers behave would be ruined by someone bringing it right down to a technical exercise.” The point he evidently missed is that a co-star is not a lover, and a sex scene requires direction like any other. After all, do fight scenes mimic a brawl, or are they stringently coordinated for the safety of those involved?
This was a notion ratified when we spoke to intimacy coordinator Haruka Kurado and film industry professional Sherilyn Oliphant who commented: “Actors can still be spontaneous, the intimacy coordination just ensures the cast and crews safety and well-being. Intimacy coordinators help the actors to realise and respect their own boundaries. An action scene may feel ‘spontaneous’ to one actor, but to another, it may feel like an assault.”
In the aftermath, this is a theme that various actors have mentioned in response to Bean’s comments. His points are purely personal corroborations and don’t take into account that in a two-hand scene, experiences may be very different. As Lena Hall who acted opposite Bean tweeted: “Every single person and scene and experience is different.”
As Oliphant continued: “You can’t just touch a person without their consent, even if you are an actor and that’s your job. This is where the industry has been going wrong up until recently. There needs to be a pre-thought-out, signed agreement of what will happen when the camera starts rolling, which can only really be obtained with the help of an intimacy coordinator. It’s important to also incorporate rehearsals and have conversations about what the director wants to achieve using the least invasive use of touch.”
While Bean has argued that this is not conducive to an effective scene and diminishes it down to a technicality, actor Jameela Jamil countered this and supported the comments above when she stated: “It should only be technical. It’s like a stunt. Our job as actors is to make it not technical. Nobody wants an impromptu grope…” That is not to cast aspersions on Bean himself, merely to say that the loose principles of control that he heralds have perpetuated such problems in the industry for too long.
As Oliphant added and Kurado ratified: “It’s also important that the intimacy coordinator is on set to keep a check that the agreements are adhered to and guidelines are being followed, and everybody in the cast and crew is protected from anything unnecessary. With the help of an intimacy coordinator, a scene can still be spontaneous, but a line always has to be drawn for the protection of all involved and they don’t finish the job having had a bad experience.”
Thus, it’s important that everyone addresses the issue with empathy. As an experienced and confident star, Bean might have no problem with an intimate scene, but that might not be the same for everyone. As Rachel Zegler stated: “Intimacy coordinators establish an environment of safety for actors. I was extremely grateful for the one we had on [West Side Story]— they showed grace to a newcomer like myself [and] educated those around me who’ve had years of experience.” Adding: “Spontaneity in intimate scenes can be unsafe. Wake up.”
Oliphant comments on this adding: “I would personally hate it if I was an actor and I had a kissing scene where, for example, the director said, ‘Keep rolling, same action’ when I was expecting a short kiss. So, to imagine that in a scenario where it is more than kissing – very uncomfortable. I wonder if a sex scene really needs to be spontaneous? Surely it should be a well thought-out and integral part of the storyline, without improvisation.”
Once more, it is important to note that Bean’s comments come from an artistic standpoint and by all accounts he has always behaved professionally on set. However, there are myriad tales of the dark flipside that a lack of intimacy coordination allows for. “The worry is that people are taken advantage of when they’re just doing their jobs. Having intimacy coordinators ensures that intimate scenes can be artistic, educational and conducted safely for all involved, including the viewer.”
If anything, Bean’s comments simply illuminate that the process is still in its infancy, and we are enduring an adjustment period. “I think that one of the initial problems for some of the crew,” Oliphant explains, “is that intimacy coordination is a whole new department who now add time to the completion of the scenes. Time is always tight, so it might seem difficult for productions to get used to this and accept this new department. I think it’s great if productions brief the crew, so they know to expect this necessary delay, as we do for all other departments.”
As an industry professional, Oliphant adds: “It’s not surprising that it must be difficult for actors to adjust to the introduction of this new entity on set and even be threatened by it. However, their performances won’t be hindered. Intimacy coordinators are there to provide the safest environment in which ALL actors can flourish. This beginning with having an equal playing field, knowing that their boundaries won’t be crossed, and they can relax into giving their best performances.”
And it is this last point which illuminates an overarching reality in filmmaking which underpins this specific debate: there is simply a male-dominated disparity on set. When this is addressed, further issues can be mitigated with a view to creating a more equal and inclusive environment on set. There have been too many issues hindering this in the past, and intimacy coordination is certainly a progressive factor that can mitigate these moving forward and create a safer and more rewarding working environment for all.
