Sex scenes on film may seem seamless, but behind the camera they are meticulously crafted by intimacy coordinators who aim to reshape the Hollywood approach to the job.
Once a fledgling role, intimacy coordinators have become a normalized part of filmmaking since the rise of the #MeToo movement in 2017. Jessica Steinrock, CEO of the training organization Intimate Directors and Coordinators, said the profession has grown exponentially in recent years.
“When I first started, there was no precedent,” Steinrock told Yahoo Entertainment. “The only people who hired us were the ones who were at the forefront or deeply committed to actor safety. If you’re doing a scene with nudity or simulated sex, having an intimacy coordinator is just a given these days.”
That shift was reinforced by SAG-AFTRA’s 2023 contract rules, which require producers to “use their best efforts” to hire intimacy coordinators for scenes involving nudity or simulated sex. The union recently took another step by voting unanimously to unionize intimacy coordinators.
Next year, the profession will reach another milestone with the first-ever Intimacy Professional Summit, a conference that unites directors, producers and coordinators to set industry standards.
But despite the growing acceptance, Steinrock said the field is still evolving.
“We are still in the early stages of this work,” she said. “It’s no longer the wild, wild west of intimacy work. We have grown into a profession, but there is still room for growth and fluctuation.”
How intimacy coordinators work
Lizzy Talbot, the intimacy coordinator for Baby girl And Bridgertonsaid the need for these professionals became apparent during her early work on stage, where there was “no common established terminology” for dealing with intimate scenes.
“Actors often had to draw directly from their personal lives,” she told Yahoo Entertainment. “The damage was often mental and emotional, but more importantly, invisible.”
Contrary to popular belief, Steinrock says intimacy coordinators are not directors or creative collaborators. Their role is to provide “mechanical support” and “movement facilitation” to bring the director’s vision to life. This often involves choreographing movements, ensuring safety barriers and working closely with costume teams.
“We are there to support the director’s vision within the boundaries of the actors,” Steinrock explains. “The relationship between director and actor is sacred, and one that I personally hold dear, as do many of my colleagues.”
Clockwise from top left: “Bridgerton” starring Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton, Hannah New as Lady Tilley Arnold, Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington and Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton. (Liam Daniel/Netflix)
Talbot approaches intimate scenes with a similar mindset, focusing on choreography as a storytelling tool. Scenes involving orgasms, which are often considered taboo, are treated no differently.
“I approach them like any other choreographic moment,” Talbot said. “An actor may have a specific process for this, which I don’t want to hinder, but I will always offer tools such as movement, breathwork and singing if an actor requests them.”
Steinrock reiterated the importance of flexibility and compassion when filming such vulnerable scenes.
“It depends on how the actor wants to work,” she said. “Some actors want to stay in the moment and take one take after another, while others might say, ‘I’m doing one take and need a five-minute break.’ It’s about giving actors the tools they need to feel agency and autonomy in their creative work.”
Boundaries and consent are top priorities, especially in sensitive scenes that require arousal.
“Performances of orgasm and arousal can create the feeling that the actor’s performance is exactly true to the way he expresses pleasure in his real life, which is not what we want because that is very revealing for him,” says Robbie Taylor Hunt, the actor. intimacy coordinator for LGBTQ projects such as Red, white and royal blue And Mary & Georgetold Yahoo Entertainment.
To address this, Hunt said these scenes require “specific discussions” with the actor and director about how sexual responses align with the character.
Missionary sex became a hot topic, thanks to a steamy sex scene in the 2023 gay rom-com ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’. (Prime Video)
On a broader scale, Hunt noted that intimacy coordinators can even provide unexpected sex education by challenging misconceptions, and ensuring performances are authentic rather than based on “figures of speech or stereotypes.” An indoor sex scene Red, white and royal bluefor example, received praise from viewers who previously believed that it was not possible for two gay men to have missionary sex.
“An IC exists to provide suggestions on how to create the queer sex scene in a way that feels realistic and exceeds basic expectations,” Hunt said. “By doing this, we can help avoid creating something that will provoke bad reactions from the queer community upon release, and instead allow the scenes to be celebrated.”
Stories from the set
Recent movies like Miller’s girlBaby girl And It ends with us have underlined the importance of intimacy coordinators.
Nicole Kidman, who worked with Talbot Baby girlpraised the protective atmosphere the production team created while filming a series of masturbation scenes.
“An enormous amount of care has been taken by all of us,” Kidman said at a news conference in August. “It felt very authentic, protective and real at the same time.”
Justin Baldoni, director and star of It ends with ushas also credited the intimacy coordinators for taking the film to the next level.
“It was so important to have them on set – not only so that we could all feel safe, but because they were also great collaborators with wonderful ideas that really took the film to the next level,” Baldoni said. Harper’s Bazaar India.
These sentiments were echoed by Baldoni’s co-star, Blake Lively, who told Digital Spy that “being choreographed is critical for everyone’s safety” in sex scenes in the film.
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively in a scene from ‘It Ends With Us’. (Nicole Rivelli/Sony Pictures Released/Courtesy of the Everett Collection)
For Ewan McGregor, who worked with a coordinator A gentleman in Moscowthe role provides safeguards against power imbalances.
“If an older, famous director goes to a 22-year-old and says, ‘I want you to be naked in this scene,’ that actress might think, ‘Oh my God, I have to do it.’ McGregor told Radio Times. “Five years later, she could look back and say, ‘I wish I hadn’t done that.’ Why am I naked in that scene? It’s unnecessary. ”
McGregor emphasized that intimacy coordinators benefit everyone on set, adding: “It’s still necessary because it’s about the crew too. … It’s an important part of the job now because it’s someone the director and the actors meet in the middle.
More than safety
Talbot emphasized that her role goes beyond ensuring the physical safety of actors, comparing it to the way a stunt coordinator provides specialized tools for complex scenes.
“We deal with a huge range of topics – from miscarriages to sexual violence – that can impact not only the artists, but also those who work closely around them,” she explained. “Sharing expert knowledge about how intimate scenes function helps every department and the entire production runs more smoothly.”
Steinrock sees the profession as essential for promoting trust.
“Intimate scenes involve a high degree of vulnerability, and actors deserve specialized support during these moments,” she said. “Our role is to ensure that borders are protected and that actors can do their best work.”
Steinrock added: “Intimacy coordination isn’t just about safety – it’s about better storytelling.”
