Actress Lena Hall jumped in to clarify after her “Snowpiercer” costar Sean Bean complained in a recent interview that on-set intimacy coordinators ruined good sex scenes by destroying the “spontaneity.”
Hall shared an article — which quoted Bean as saying that such coordinators often had the effect of turning an intimate moment into a “technical exercise” — and then, since he had also mentioned a steamy scene the two of them had done together, she offered her thoughts on the matter.
“I probably need to clarify some information in this random article since people are reaching out to me like ‘girl, are you ok?'” Hall began, adding, “1. The infamous mango scene wasn’t a naked scene. 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.”
1. The infamous mango scene wasn't a naked scene. 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.
— Lena Hall (@LenaRockerHall) August 8, 2022
Hall then responded to Bean’s commentary about the mango scene — and the fact that he had claimed she was “up for anything” due to a history in cabaret when they had filmed it together.
“2. 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,” she continued, although she then agreed with Bean’s argument that it always depended on the other actor and the level of comfort each of them has with both the scene, the other crew members present, and each other. “3. Sean is an awesome actor and 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.”
3. Sean is an awesome actor and 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.
— Lena Hall (@LenaRockerHall) August 8, 2022
Hall then went on to explain that if she truly felt comfortable with the other actor and with the scene in general, then an intimacy coordinator was not necessary — but the reason they were there was for the times that she was not as comfortable with the way things were playing out.
“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,” she said.
Hall also addressed the other part of that particular scene — the suicide — and argued that trauma coaches should also be available for scenes that took actors into difficult emotional places.
“I feel that when an actor has to do a scene that is extremely emotional (like committing suicide or being raped) there needs be some kind of mental health person available to talk to post shoot. Even though we are only acting we are still experiencing trauma,” she added.
6. I do feel that intimacy coordinators are a welcome addition to the set and think they could also help with the trauma experienced in other scenes. Sometimes you need em sometimes you don't but every single person and scene and experience is different.
— Lena Hall (@LenaRockerHall) August 8, 2022
“Sometimes you need em sometimes you don’t but every single person and scene and experience is different,” she concluded.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a free hotline for individuals in crisis or distress or for those looking to help someone else. It is available 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255.