Actresses Weigh In On Sean Bean’s Comments About Intimacy Coordinators Ruining Sex Scenes: “Spontaneity In Intimate Scenes Can Be Unsafe”

Game of Thrones actor Sean Bean has been called out for his comments about intimacy coordinators getting in the way of actors’ performance in sex scenes in movies and TV shows.

In a recent The Times of London Sunday Magazine interview, Bean argued that intimacy coordinators would “spoil the spontaneity” of the moment.  “I think the natural way lovers behave would be ruined by someone bringing it right down to a technical exercise,” he said. “It would inhibit me more because it’s drawing attention to things.”

But several actresses didn’t share Bean’s opinion.

West Side Story’s Rachel Zegler tweeted: “intimacy coordinators establish an environment of safety for actors. i was extremely grateful for the one we had on WSS— they showed grace to a newcomer like myself + educated those around me who’ve had years of experience.”

She added, “spontaneity in intimate scenes can be unsafe. wake up.”

In Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning musical, Zegler was 17 when she had to shoot love scenes with her then-25-year-old co-star Ansel Elgort.

Jameela Jamil, the star of Marvel/Disney+’s upcoming She-Hulk also took issue with Bean’s concerns that intimacy coordinators would reduce love scenes to “technical exercises”. “It should only be technical,” she tweeted. “It’s like a stunt. Our job as actors is to make it not look technical. Nobody wants an impromptu grope…”

In the Times interview, Bean said he was disappointed that a love scene from Season 2’s Snowpiercer — where he and co-star Lena Hall’s characters got hot and heavy with the aid of a mango — was left on the cutting room floor. When the interviewer pointed out the intimacy coordinators were there to help the actresses feel safe on set, Bean responded, “I supposed it depends on the actress. This one [Hall] had a musical cabaret background, so she was up for anything.”

But Hall disagreed with Bean’s take on the matter.  “I probably need to clarify some information in this random article since people are reaching out to me like ‘girl, are you ok?’”, Hall wrote in a lengthy Twitter response. “Just because I am in theater (not cabaret, but I do perform them every once in a while) does not mean that I am up for anything.”

While she was comfortable with doing said love scene with Bean, she didn’t write intimacy coordinators off as unnecessary. “BUT if there is any part of me that is feeling weird, gross, over exposed etc… I will either challenge the necessity of the scene or I’ll want an IC.”

She added that intimacy coordinators “are a welcome addition to the set and think they could also help with the trauma experienced in other scenes. Sometimes you need em sometimes you don’t but every single person and scene and experience is different.”

While Bean thought intimacy coordinators may be a nuisance, Amanda Seyfried wished they were around when she did racy scenes early on in her career.

The Dropout actress said in an interview with Porter: “Being 19, walking around without my underwear on — like, are you kidding me? How did I let that happen?” “Oh, I know why: I was 19 and I didn’t want to upset anybody, and I wanted to keep my job. That’s why.”

Snowpiercer is now streaming on Netflix; She-Hulk arrives on Disney+ on Aug 18. 

Photo: TPG News/Click Photos