‘You can’t just let it flow’: Emma Thompson combats Sean Bean’s comments on sex scenes

‘Game of Thrones’ actor has faced some backlash after stars disagree with thoughts on safety figures on set

Emma Thompson has opposed Sean Bean’s recent comments about the usefulness of intimacy coordinators on film and TV sets.

In a recent interview, the former Game of Thrones actor claimed that the specialist role, which looks out for actors’ well-being during the filming of sex scenes, “spoils the spontaneity” of the moment.

Since then, Hollywood figures such as Rachel Zegler and Jameela Jamil have decried Bean’s words and have spoken up in support of intimacy coordinators.

Emma Thompson is the latest star to have shared an opinion on the topic. During a conversation on Australian radio station Nova, the actor said that she believed the job to be “fantastically important” and that many performers could speak in favour of their positive presence.

“You might find that people go, ‘It made me feel comfortable, it made me feel safe, it made me feel as though I was able to do this work’,” she told hosts Fitzy and Wippa.

Thompson recently starred in the film Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, which was hailed for its sex-positive themes. (You can read The Independent’s take here.)

Continuing her point on intimacy coordinators, the actor denied Bean’s thoughts on these scenes needing “spontaneity”.

“And no, you can't just let it flow,” she said. “There's a camera there and a crew. You're not on your own in a hotel room, you're surrounded by a bunch of blokes, mostly. So it's not a comfortable situation full stop.”