Kate Winslet found nude scenes 'scary and intimidating' as a young actor
Kate Winslet has spoken positively on the introduction of intimacy co-ordinators into the film and TV industry, remarking that her earlier experiences of filming nude scenes could be "quite scary and intimidating".
The Titanic star's comments came as she reflected on the improvements in the industry for women over the years such as equal pay and better roles.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, she said: “I think things are changing in terms of equal pay. I think that’s something that is really changing for sure.
“I think great roles for women – we’re seeing a huge increase in terrific roles for women to play, especially women of my age group, actually, which is new.
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“And I also think that we have things now that we never had before, like intimacy co-ordinators and for people who don’t know what that person is, an intimacy co-ordinator is someone who helps choreograph intimate moments between actors on screen, and also works with the director to find the right words to communicate what the director might want or need visually from a scene, because it can be very uncomfortable for everyone involved.
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“Now, when I was younger, I never had a single person like that. And it’s quite scary and intimidating to be a young person and to find it uncomfortable to even say certain words, be they intimate or a sexual nature.
“Just making those words come out of your mouth when you’re young can be really awkward."
Winslet recently opened up on an intimate scene she filmed for Mare of Easttown.
She shared that for one scene that saw her character get intimate with love interest Richard Ryan (Guy Pearce) she refused to let director Craig Zobel edit out a "bulgy bit of belly".
The TV Baftas on Sunday saw I May Destroy You creator and star Michaela Coel dedicate her acting award to the series' intimacy coordinator Ita O'Brien.
In her speech Coel said: “Thank you for your existence in our industry, for making the space safe, for creating physical, emotional and professional boundaries so that we can make work about exploitation, loss of respect, about abuse of power without being exploited or abused in the process.
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“I know what it is like to shoot without an intimacy director. The messy, embarrassing feeling for the crew. The internal devastation for the actor. Your direction was essential to my show and I believe essential for every production company that wants to make work exploring themes of consent.”
The programme, which was centred around sexual abuse and consent, was also named best mini-series.
With additional reporting by PA.
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