• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Mark Rylance says he 'felt pressured' by director to do real life oral sex scene in movie

Home> Entertainment> Film

Updated 13:46 19 Jan 2024 GMTPublished 13:47 19 Jan 2024 GMT

Mark Rylance says he 'felt pressured' by director to do real life oral sex scene in movie

The actor has opened up about his feelings surrounding the controversial scene in Intimacy.

Olivia Burke

Olivia Burke

Mark Rylance has been around the block of the entertainment world more than a few times, so most people would presume that he has waltzed through his career without any regrets.

But the actor, 64, has opened up about something he wishes he had done differently over 20 years ago.

You may already be aware that the 2001 flick Intimacy, which takes its title quite literally.

Advert

Take a look here:

For those who haven't had the pleasure of watching it, Rylance took on the role of a lonely bartender named Jay, who ditched his wife and kids after his other half lost interest in their relationship.

He ends up moving into a bit of a dump, where he somehow gets a mysterious woman called Claire (Kerry Fox) to call round for an intense weekly sex session with no strings attached - but as we all know, that never works.

Despite not even knowing each others names and trying to keep their relationship purely physical, Jay starts to develop feelings for his lady friend and ends up following her to find out more.

Advert

Mark Rylance and Kerry Fox had a very passionate fling in the 2001 film.
Studio Canal

Among all that madness, director Patrice Chéreau - who passed away in 2013 - decided to slip in a controversial scene... unsimulated oral sex between Rylance and Fox.

The Wolf Hall star has since said that his role in Intimacy was the 'most difficult job' he has ever had, largely due to shooting that extremely intimate moment.

Rylance told The Guardian: "I was convinced it was a vital story about the difficulties people face finding intimacy in a big city like London.

"Hanif Kureishi's writing couldn't have been more intimate and revealing, but I found the making of the film and the subsequent publicity and personal attacks very, very painful. I wish I hadn't made it."

Advert

He later revealed that he had been reluctant to take part in the real life oral sex scene, but claimed that Chéreau had pushed him to do so.

Rylance told the Wall Street Journal in 2015: "It soured me on my life two months, It’s my mistake, but I felt Patrice [Chéreau] put undue pressure on me on set to do that.

The actor says he felt 'pressured' by director Patrice Chéreau.
David M. Benett/Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty Images

He continued: "And at that point I didn’t have the confidence as a film actor to say no. Now I think a lot of actors that people say are difficult are actually just being sensible."

On the other hand, Fox says that the shocking scene 'is not one of her regrets' despite her career going into 'a big dip' immediately after its release.

Advert

Speaking to The Times in 2015, she said: "That was partly because I got pregnant - so I was fired from my next role - and partly because of the age I was turning 32.

"In the age of internet porn today, it’s hard to believe the reaction to the film, but it only caused a fuss here. In Germany, the response was really wonderful and mature."

Fox said that she and Chéreau spoke about how great it would be to do a 'truthful film about sex'.

She also spoke about her co-star's regret, adding that she supposed 'that was the point of taking these risks' because you aren't sure how you are going to respond.

Calling Intimacy a 'censorship landmark', she said: "You can’t control how it will affect your career, but if you don’t take risks you’re destined for a life of boring work."

Featured Image Credit: Paul Archuleta/Getty Arte

Topics: TV and Film, Celebrity, Sex and Relationships

Olivia Burke
Olivia Burke

Olivia is a journalist at LADbible Group with more than five years of experience and has worked for a number of top publishers, including News UK. She also enjoys writing food reviews (as well as the eating part). She is a stereotypical reality TV addict, but still finds time for a serious documentary.

X

@livburke_

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

5 hours ago
7 hours ago
8 hours ago
  • 5 hours ago

    Grenfell mobile phone footage shows moment dad's flat filled with black smoke in new Netflix doc

    The extent of the toxic smoke filling the apartments within Grenfell could be seen in the footage

    Entertainment
  • 7 hours ago

    Jack O’Connell fans rediscover ‘brutally realistic’ hidden gem with 99% on Rotten Tomatoes

    Fans are finding a decade-old Jack O'Connell prison drama

    Entertainment
  • 8 hours ago

    Jeremy Clarkson makes major change to farm leaving Kaleb Cooper 'worried for his job'

    Kaleb seemingly hates the change

    Entertainment
  • 8 hours ago

    Stephen Graham made incredible gesture to young Jodie Comer in scene where his character sexually assaults her

    Jodie Comer was just a teenager when they filmed the dark scene together

    Entertainment
  • McLovin actor’s Mum had to watch him film Superbad sex scene by law
  • Rihanna so embarrassed by sex scene in forgotten horror role she had to get drunk to watch it back
  • Every Oscar-nominated actor who you didn’t realise actually had unsimulated sex scene on screen
  • Billie Piper admitted sex scene involving animal noise in ‘controversial adult series’ on Netflix felt 'wrong' to film