The Housemaid’s Intimacy Coordinator Had A Great Take On Why Filming ‘Sex’ Is Like ‘Stunt Scenes’

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Spoilers ahead for The Housemaid.

Several promising films are hitting theaters this holiday season, including The Housemaid, which is based on a popular book. The movie, directed by Paul Feig, has received positive reviews, and the cast is generating a lot of buzz. In a recent interview with TopMob, the director discussed his discomfort while filming intimate scenes and shared helpful advice from the film’s intimacy coordinator.

Intimacy Coordinators are a relatively new addition to TV and film sets, and they’re there to help actors feel safe and comfortable with sensitive scenes. However, their support extends to the entire crew, including directors. In a recent conversation, director Feig discussed his discomfort while filming intimate scenes for The Housemaid, and explained how an Intimacy Coordinator helped. He shared that, in his own words:

Directing love scenes, or sex scenes, always makes me a little uncomfortable. Luckily, we had a fantastic intimacy coordinator who helped a lot.

While the TV series The Housemaid deviates from the book’s ending, the passionate scenes between Sydney Sweeney (Millie) and Brandon Sklenar (Andrew) remain. After Nina (Amanda Seyfried) is forced to leave her house, the show features an extended sequence of Millie and Andrew being intimate in various locations throughout the home, plus another scene in a hotel.

Feig admitted he felt anxious filming those scenes, but he said the actors themselves didn’t seem worried at all. He explained it this way:

That was definitely a difficult experience, but the actors were fantastic. They were really comfortable with the material – I don’t want to give anything away – while I was the one feeling a bit awkward. But after filming for a while, you just end up enthusiastically encouraging everyone, like shouting ‘Have an orgasm!’

It’s strange that Paul Feig felt the need to address this, but apparently, he was the only one feeling anxious about filming the intimate scenes in The Housemaid. Sydney Sweeney has done numerous nude scenes in Euphoria (available on HBO Max), and Brandon Sklenar has also performed similar scenes in other projects. Feig specifically mentioned Sklenar as being the only actor who seemed nervous about the sex scenes.

Fortunately, Feig received excellent guidance from the film’s intimacy coordinator, which shifted how he viewed the situation. He explained to me:

Lizzy Talbot, the intimacy coordinator, suggested we approach those scenes as if they were stunts. That really clicked for me – it helped me understand how to handle them.

It’s likely Lizzy Talbot has discussed this with actors on film sets too: what appears to be passionate and natural in love scenes is actually carefully planned and executed. These scenes aren’t spontaneous; they’re meticulously organized to ensure everyone feels safe and comfortable, and to create the illusion of intimacy. As Connor Storrie from Heated Rivalry has explained, filming love scenes is surprisingly technical.

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2025-12-20 03:11