Lena Hall responds after Snowpiercer costar Sean Bean claimed she was 'up for anything' in sex scenes

Lena Hall responds after Snowpiercer costar Sean Bean claimed she was 'up for anything' in sex scenes

Snowpiercer star Lena Hall is clarifying a few things after costar Sean Bean referenced her in comments about intimacy coordinators.

In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, Bean said he believes intimacy coordinators can "spoil the spontaneity" of sex scenes, citing Snowpiercer and one particular season 2 scene that featured him and Hall being intimate with the help of a mango.

"I think they cut a bit out actually," Bean said. "Often the best work you do, where you're trying to push the boundaries, and the very nature of it is experimental, gets censored when TV companies or the advertisers say it's so much. It's a nice scene, quite surreal, dream-like and abstract. And mango-esque."

Snowpiercer
Snowpiercer

David Bukach/TNT Sean Bean and Lena Hall in 'Snowpiercer'

When the interview noted that intimacy coordinators can help actors in the wake of #MeToo, Bean referenced Hall and said, "I suppose it depends on the actress. This one had a musical cabaret background, so she was up for anything."

Hall, who has starred on Broadway productions like Kinky Boots and Hedwig and the Angry Inch, among others, clarified Bean's comments in a Twitter thread Monday. "The infamous mango scene wasn't a naked scene," she wrote. "I was 'naked' (but not really naked) in the bathtub/suicide scene (which I guess is in that same moment) but Sean Bean was in the bathtub fully clothed in a tuxedo."

Secondly, "Just because I am in theater (not cabaret, but I do perform them every once in a while) does not mean that I am up for anything," Hall continued. "Seriously does depend on the other actor, the scene we are about to do, the director, and whatever crew has to be in there to film it." Hall went on to call Bean an "awesome actor" who "made me feel not only comfortable but also like I had a true acting partner in those bizarre scenes."

"It was us against the world and we were gonna tell that story," she said. "If I feel comfortable with my scene partner and with others in the room then I won't need an intimacy coordinator. BUT if there is any part of me that is feeling weird, gross, over exposed etc... I will either challenge the necessity of the scene or I'll want an IC."

Pointing to a need for mental health professionals during more emotional taxing scenes, including suicides or assaults, Hall concluded that intimacy coordinators "are a welcome addition to the set" and could assist with other heavy scenes, but noted that "every single person and scene and experience is different."

Several actors have spoken out about the benefits of intimacy coordinators on set. West Side Story star Rachel Zegler responded to Bean's remarks on Twitter, stating that coordinators "establish an environment of safety for actors." She added, "Spontaneity in intimate scenes can be unsafe. Wake up." She-Hulk star Jameela Jamil also chimed in, adding, "It should only be technical. It's like a stunt. Our job as actors is to make it not look technical. Nobody wants an impromptu grope."

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content: