Michael Douglas shares his thoughts on how the approach to filming sex scenes has changed over the years.
The veteran actor, who has starred in dozens of projects, including 1987’s Fatal attraction and the years 1992 Primary instinctwas asked during an interview with Radio schedulesvia The telegraphon the recent trend for sex scenes to appear less in films.
“I’m past the age where I need to worry about that. But it’s interesting with all the intimacy coordinators,” he said. “It’s like executives are taking control away from filmmakers – but there have been terrible missteps and harassment.”
Douglas continued: “Sex scenes are like fight scenes, everything is choreographed. In my experience, as a man you take responsibility for making sure the woman feels comfortable, you talk about it. You say, “Okay, I’ll touch you here if that’s okay.” It’s very slow but it feels like it happens organically, which hopefully looks like good acting.
Networks have started using intimacy coordinators on sets in recent years, particularly after Hollywood’s #MeToo reckoning. However, this concept continues to be divisive, with some creatives skeptical, while others relish the role.
Douglas also previously said The telegraph about intimacy coordinators, saying, “I’m sure there were people who overstepped their boundaries, but before we seemed to take care of it ourselves.” They would have a reputation and it would take care of them.
The Oscar winner added: “But I talked to the ladies, [because] I did a few of these sex films – sex films – and we joke about it now, about what it would have been like to have an intimacy coordinator working with us…”
