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

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.

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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.

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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."

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.

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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.

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."