Since the #metoo movement began in the late 2010s, a new person has been added to the crew of many films and TV programs that include love scenes or nudity: the intimacy coordinator, who works with actors and filmmakers to plot comfortable levels of contact and exposure in these scenes.
Some actors swear by intimacy coordinators, with Dakota Johnson and Michelle Williams who praise their work with “materialists” and “Dying for sex” recently. Some prefer not to use them, a decision that Mikey Madison made for their Oscar-winning performance in “Anora.”
And some actors are puzzled by them. Richard Gere, who became a star in the late 1970s and early 1980s in a series of sexually explicit movies such as “American Gigolo”, “Looking for Mr. Goodbar” A new wrap interview With the stars in Paramount+/Showtime series “The Agency.”
Michael Fassbender and Jodie Turner-Smith, who played a CIA agent and a Sudanese professor who had had a love affair while working undercover in Africa, talked about how they loved to have an intimacy coordinator for their love scenes. Gere, who played the head of the London office, asked them how it worked and said he had never worked with one and seemed skeptical about the whole idea.
When Thewrap mentioned that intimacy coordinators did not exist when he made his 1980s films, Gere agreed and said: “I don’t think it would have worked then to tell the truth.”
Fassbender, Turner-Smith and Jeffrey Wright disagreed and tried to explain to Gere why coordinator is so valuable, while sharing his experiences without them.
The full exchange is below. It starts after Turner-Smith talked about how much she liked working with Fassbender on the series.
Michael Fassbender: We also had the intimacy coach. Which, I had to say, I’m happy about it. Much of the time, directors will not say what they want you to do and you remain to your own devices. But it’s like doing a fight sequence now. It’s like “OK, are you comfortable with me touching your chest or ass?” Or whatever it is. The guidelines are down and then you can shoot super fast.
Richard Gere: So how did it work? I have never worked with one.
Fassbender: You sit down and the director must say: “I want to see this amount of nudity. This is ideal what I would like to see.” The intimacy person is there to say, “Ok, this is what agrees about.” And then you discuss exactly what to do. “Are you doing well with being kissed on your neck?”
Jodie Turner: You calculate all limits. And then, as Michael said, it’s like a struggle. It’s like having a stunt choreographer, which is why I think it’s so important.
There has been a lot (skepticism about coordinators), and I get it because I think that when this position first arose, many times it may feel like there is another person who now just makes it more difficult. But when the job is done as it should be and when it is offered in the way it should be offered …
First of all, I think no actor or actress should ever be in a position where a director comes to them and says, “Do you want an intimacy coordinator or not?” It should only be there for them, like a stunt coordinator. You would not make an irrevocated stunt. It’s not meaningful.
It must be treated in the same way. And I think that when the actors have an understanding of the boundaries, you can be safe and you can do what you do. I just think it’s really irresponsible not to have it for the actors or to put the actors in a position where you tell them, “Oh, you make the choice.” No, this is the person who should be there for it.
Fassbender: One hundred percent.
They didn’t have those in the movies you made in the 80s, Richard.
Gere: No. I don’t think it would have worked then to tell the truth.
Fassbender: I don’t agree. You just never know what another person is uncomfortable with. And especially for women, perhaps during that time it was very rarely a negative time.
Gere: But we talked about it then. I mean, it’s 40 years ago, but it’s not the last time I’ve been involved in such scenes. And we talked about it. It wasn’t like, “Ok, you two go on it and we’ll see what we get.” You still have angles, you still discussed the whole process. I just think …
Jeffrey Wright: It can be a slippery slope, depending on who is involved.
Gere: Depending on who is involved, safe.
Fassbender: However, I have had what it is like “by you go, guys.”
Gere: I have Never Had it.
Fassbender: It’s stressful and it’s uncomfortable, and I guess I never had confidence to say to my partner, “Are you cool with me to do this?” I’ve never had that dialogue because it felt uncomfortable. So now you have this type of mediator.
Gere: Look, in the 80s we were comfortable that way.
Fassbender: Which is cool. If you do it so, good. But if a person feels pressure that they have to …
Gere: Sure.
Fassbender: … and they don’t feel they can speak up because people will say, “oh, this person is difficult now”, I think it’s a danger. While you have this type of judge or mediator and clear guidelines have been established, it is better.
Turner-Smith: They can also be a person who supports and calculating the choreography in the stage. That is also the other thing. Such a scene can be its most beautiful and poetic when there is choreography, do you know?
And I have to say as a woman, because I have had experience that both do not have intimacy coordinators and then see it happen. And I know that for some reason I am always asked to take something or do something similar. For me, this has been a good thing because even as comfortable as I have always been with nudity or with everything that is sensual or sexually, when you do it in that context it just gets different and you just need much more security.
Fassbender: Or more power in the situation.
Turter-Smith: Yes. Although that person is not the one who comes with the choreography, if the actors do it themselves. When I worked with Michael, he is so experienced, he knows what he is doing. You don’t necessarily have to come in and say, “Ok, now you should put your hand there and do it and that.” But that person is there to make sure that the correct amount of respect is exercised on the set.
I mean, I can’t say how many times I’ve done something where it was meant to be a closed set and it was not a closed set at all. And even it is difficult as an actor and especially as a woman. These little things, these little shades, it’s about security.
