Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man actress Rebecca Ferguson has explained why she finds the presence of intimacy coordinators 'very off-putting' on set.
The British-Swedish star, 42, said that she often finds it more of a hindrance than a help when there is someone on standby who ensures that sex scenes go smoothly.
These trained professionals have become regular fixtures on film sets, although they appear to be like Marmite among actors.
Some screen stars seem to really appreciate the sense of security these experts bring during intimate scenes, whereas others like Ferguson reckon that they can stifle the natural flow of a performance.
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She's not the only one to have taken this stance, as Jennifer Lawrence previously revealed she went without an intimacy coordinator while filming Die My Love with Robert Pattinson, as he 'is not pervy' and made her feel 'really safe'.
Dave Franco and Alison Brie also passed up on one while shooting Together, although this is obviously more understandable, given that they're husband and wife in real life.
Don't Worry Darling actress Florence Pugh also previously chimed in on the intimacy coordinator debate, saying she has encountered both 'good and bad' ones during her career.
The 30-year-old revealed she once found their presence during a sex scene 'weird and awkward', explaining that they seemed to just want 'to be a part of the set in a way that wasn’t helpful'.
Gwyneth Paltrow also told how she told an intimacy coordinator to 'step back' while her and Timothée Chalamet's characters were getting frisky in Marty Supreme.
According to the Screen Actors Guild, these crew members act as 'an advocate, a liaison between actors and production… in regard to nudity and simulated sex and other intimate and hyper-exposed scenes'.
Intimacy coordinators 'ensure that performers and other production personnel adhere to proper safety protocols', 'assumes the role of a movement choreographer if requested' and 'serves as a resource in realising a director’s vision'.
In Ferguson's eyes, the mass rollout of intimacy coordinators on film sets across the world is 'wonderful' - but personally, she could do without them.
The Dune star made it clear that when she is shooting these tender moments, she's confident enough to raise a complaint herself should the need arise.
Essentially, why have a dog when you can bark yourself?
"I think it’s wonderful that we can have intimacy coordinators and sometimes they are needed," she told the Radio Times.
"But for me, it’s very off-putting and it makes me feel very uncomfortable, because I have enormous boundaries and I can verbalise them.
"So we could sit down and say, 'What do you need to feel safe, what do I need to feel safe?' And then she could step out of the scene."
She rolls around in the sheets with Cillian Murphy in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, which finally made its Netflix debut on Friday (20 March).
Ferguson revealed that before they got down to it, she comically confessed to her co-star that she had been 'studying' his previous sex scenes in preparation.
"I had called Cillian and asked him how he wanted to work," the actress, who plays the mysterious Kaulo in the feature film, said.
"It sounds so silly, but I said, 'I’ve studied your sex scenes…' And he went, 'That’s really weird and awkward'.
"And I went, 'I know, but bear with me...this is not just a regular sex scene, this is not us getting our kit off, getting on with it, bish bash bosh. This is a moment of release. This is a moment of intimacy, there’s magic'."
Ferguson also made it clear she doesn't mince her words while addressing why she exposed the 'idiot' co-star who made her cry on set.
Topics: Sex and Relationships, TV and Film, Celebrity, Peaky Blinders
Olivia Burke