Sean Bean called out by female stars following his remarks about sex scenes

Sean Bean is getting criticised for his comments on intimacy co-ordinators used for sex scenes in films and TV shows.

The actor, whose credits include Sharpe, Troy and Game of Thrones, was asked about these specialists, who became a standard figure on sets in the wake of #MeToo for the protection of female actors.

“I should imagine it slows down the thrust of it. Ha, not the thrust, that’s the wrong word,” he told The Times on Saturday (7 August).

“It would inhibit me more because it’s drawing attention to things. Somebody saying, ‘Do this, put your hand there, while you touch his thing…’ I think the natural way lovers behave would be ruined by someone bringing it right down to a technical exercise.”

He also said of his Snowpiercer co-star Lena Hall, with whom he filmed an unaired sex scene: “This one had a musical cabaret background, so she was up for anything.”

Hall has now replied to the comment, writing on Twitter on Monday (9 August): “I probably need to clarify some information in this random article since people are reaching out to me like ‘girl, are you ok?’”

“Just because I am in theatre (not cabaret, but I do perform them every once in a while) does not mean that I am up for anything,” she continued, calling Bean “an awesome actor” who “made me feel not only comfortable but also like I had a true acting partner in those bizarre scenes”.

Hall stressed the importance of intimacy co-ordinators, calling them “a welcome addition to the set”.

West Side Story star Rachel Zegler who filmed love scenes with 25-year-old Ansel Elgort when she was just 17, replied to Bean’s comments, also.

She wrote: “Intimacy coordinators establish an environment of safety for actors. I was extremely grateful for the one we had on WSS – they showed grace to a newcomer like myself + educated those around me who’ve had years of experience.”

She urged Bean to “wake up”, stating: “Spontaneity in intimate scenes can be unsafe.”

Meanwhile, Jameela Jamil, referencing Bean’s complaint that intimacy co-orindators could reduce sex scenes to “technical exercises”, wrote: “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…”