Nude scenes in films and television are now a thing. Although it’s deemed as an art form, it’s still a complex negotiation between actors and the crew. Due to several reasons at times, actors often refuse to appear nude in certain scenes. But then there are a few Hollywood A-listers, who have completely avoided nudity in projects.
We have skimmed through a handful of celebrities who have refused to appear nude on screen despite their flawless physique and passion for stagecraft. One among the many is DC’s Superman Henry Cavill, who refrained from doing s*x scenes or even going nude due to specific reasons. There are a few more who said no to nudity. Guess who?
1. Henry Cavill
Rising to fame with his appearance as Superman in the DC superhero flicks, Henry Cavill turned into a household name. With his prolific performance and iconic looks, the actor bagged several acclaimed roles and projects. However, one thing he always stayed away from is s*x scenes.
“I don’t understand them, I’m not a fan… I think there are circumstances where a s*x scene actually is beneficial to a movie, rather than just the audience, but I think sometimes they’re overused these days.” Henry Cavill explained to Happy Sad Confused.
Although he considers s*x scenes as an important part of storylines, Cavill doesn’t consider raunchy scenes as his cup of tea.
2. Penn Badgley
Penn Badgley who rose to fame with Gossip Girl alongside Blake Lively is another renowned star, who purposefully refrained from having s*x scenes in his projects, out of respect for his wife. According to the actor, he even asked You creator Sera Gamble to reduce his raunchy scenes.
“I signed this contract. I signed up for this show. I know what I did. You can’t take this aspect out of the DNA of the concept, ‘So how much less can you make it?’ was my question to them… Fidelity in every relationship, including my marriage, is important to me.” Badgley told Podcrushed.
Explaining himself to the public, Penn Badgley continues to stay away from hot and raunchy scenes as much as possible, much like Henry Cavill.
3. Neal McDonough
Refusing to go nude, or avoiding s*x scenes don’t always work for actors. Neal McDonough is one such star who eventually lost a role in the soap opera Scoundrels, just because he refused to film any s*x scenes, because of his affection and fidelity towards his wife, like Penn Badgley.
“It was a horrible situation for me. After that, I couldn’t get a job… I am very religious. I put God and family first, and me second. That’s what I live by. It was hard for a few years. Then [Band of Brothers producer] Graham Yost called me and said, ‘Hey, I want you to be the bad guy on Justified.’ I knew that was my shot back at the title.” McDonough shared via Closer Weekly.
4. Rebel Wilson
As we gradually notice actors losing roles because of their decision to refrain from nude scenes, there’s Rebel Wilson who strictly follows her “no nudity” clause in her contracts, especially for comedies. The Brothers Grimsby actress noted that she doesn’t want to give into the male gaze, just for the storyline.
“We write in the contract, specifically, ‘No nudity.’ They got in another girl to be a nude double… You want to know that the people [behind the camera] have a certain sensibility and decency. And a lot of times in comedy, they’re not those people.” Wilson told Marie Claire UK.
Rebel Wilson might do nude scenes or even s*x scenes in projects that have right-minded people behind the camera, but she strictly refrains from nudity when working on comedy projects.
5. Anna Kendrick
Anna Kendrick who appeared in the renowned Twilight movies is another actress who strictly avoids nude scenes and always uses body doubles. She noted how she asked for a double when her character needed to go nude in Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, Kendrick shared her reasons.
“I will not do that. … I am not criticizing people who do [nude scenes], but I plan to keep doing what I am doing and hope it keeps going good,” Kendrick told The Telegraph.
Perhaps, the actress isn’t quite comfortable or has moral obligations that strictly prohibit her from going nude in front of the whole cast and crew while filming. But whatever her reasons are, Kendrick never disappointed her fans with her overall performance.
6. Julia Roberts
Acclaimed actress Julia Roberts who rose to global fame and turned into a highly appreciated star, all over the world, also refrains from appearing in raunchy s*x scenes. Often asking for the scene to be toned down, in case it becomes mandatory for the storyline, Roberts usually refuses to go nude onscreen.
“You know it’s not really what I do, so if you are going [to] ask me to do it, you have to expect it to be toned down. You know, as a mom of three, I feel like that.” Roberts told DailyMail.
Being a mother and a veteran star, Julia Roberts no longer wishes to appear in projects that require her to go nude or perform s*x scenes.
7. Sarah Jessica Parker
Another renowned actress who has been quite strict about her decision to not appear in s*x scenes is Sarah Jessica Parker. Although she took on a lead role in Sex and the City, Jessica Parker strictly followed her “no nudity” clause in her contracts.
“I don’t have any judgment about anyone who chooses to do it. I think it’s fantastic that people feel comfortable doing it. It’s not some kind of principled position or religious or ideological on my part.” Parker told THR.
8. Blake Lively
Finally, on our list, we have the renowned Gossip Girl actress Blake Lively who strictly refrains from nudity in her projects. Explaining how she personally finds nudity in movies distracting, Lively therefore refrains from involving herself in that distracting bit. Willing to have her audience’s full attention, the actress refuses to go nude.
“When I see nudity in movies, I am always distracted by it. I know that if I am watching a scene and someone has their b**bs out, then that’s all I’m looking at — I can’t help it. I just don’t think that will ever be right for me.” Lively told Complex.
With most celebrities like Henry Cavill offering a variety of reasons for refraining from appearing in nude scenes, it seems the aesthetics of nudity in films and shows is still not a comfortable bit for most actors.
