Actress 'proud' of real-life sex scene shares why she decided to take role in controversial movie
14 Days with Victor's Margo Stilley defended her decision to perform real-life sex scenes in a controversial 2000s movie.
The Trip star has several movie credits, but one stands head and shoulders above the rest as the most divisive.
Released in 2004, 9 Songs follows a British scientist (Kieran O'Brien) and his sexual relationship with an American exchange student (Margo Stilley).
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The film features some extremely explicit sex scenes which were performed by the actors - including one scene where the male lead ejaculates.
The decision to have non-simulated sex scenes earned the film the title of one of the most explicit mainstream movies.
However, 9 Songs was not well received by critics and cinemagoers, scoring a low 24 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
The sex scenes also earned the film some criticism, being described by the site as 'tedious to watch'.
However, Stilley defended the choice to have sex on screen despite the harsh reaction she'd received.
Speaking to the Irish Examiner in 2008, Stilley explained that people were 'really angry' with her.
She said that people had called her 'a wh**e' and a 'sl*t' at press conferences and was asked 'how could I do it'.
Stilley continued: "I didn't invent sex! There's a huge sex industry out there that's worth billions.
"People ask me if I felt that [director] Michael Winterbottom took advantage of me because I hadn't acted before, but they forget that I developed the character."
Stilley said she was 'genuinely shocked' by the response to the film - and especially to her role as she was 'not at all like my character Lisa'.
She further explained that the movie 'wasn't porn'; rather, it was about 'love and sex'.
"I had sex with my boyfriend last night and that wasn't porn." she said.
"It was just hot sex! 9 Songs was a real film about love and sex, and I wanted to do that film and I am proud of it."
She also highlighted that it 'hasn't affected' her career in a negative way, adding: "I don't get seen only for roles as women who have sex a lot."
Following 9 Songs, Stilley starred in How to Lose Friends and Alienate People alongside Simon Pegg, and later Cillian Murphy and Sienna Miller in Hippie Hippie Shake.
Before becoming an actor, the star was a model, moving to Italy after dropping out of college.
She then moved to London and was connected with the casting team for 9 Songs through an Israeli advertisement.
Topics: TV and Film, Celebrity, Sex and Relationships
Joshua Nair