Kristen Stewart’s new movie, Love Lies Bleeding, is getting attention not just for its plot but also for the behind-the-scenes details of filming its intimate scenes. Set in 1989, the movie follows the connection between a shy gym manager (tied to a crime family) and a determined bodybuilder.
Contrary to what some might imagine, filming s*x scenes is far from glamorous, as revealed by Stewart’s co-star, Katy O’Brian. She stressed that making those scenes feel intimate takes a lot of effort, dispelling any notions of on-set s*x appeal.
Kristen Stewart’s Love Lies Bleeding Used Unconventional Protection During S*x Scenes
In a recent interview with People magazine, Kristen Stewart‘s co-star Katy O’Brian and director Rose Glass revealed the surprisingly uns*xy reality behind the intimate scenes in their new film Love Lies Bleeding. The former-police officer and competitive bodybuilder went on to say:
“It’s just so not glamorous, and it’s really not that s*xy when you’re doing it. I mean, first of all, you’ve got a boom-mic guy that’s got his microphone hovering over you while it’s all happening.”
O’Brian and Glass shared that their intimacy coordinators went beyond standard modesty garments during filming. They used a range of unconventional materials to protect the actors’ private parts. This included “a lot of tape,” according to O’Brian. The director revealed:
“Our intimacy coordinator wanted to make sure I had lots of layers between me and Kristen, so she would tape down one layer of fabric, especially in our first bedroom scene, where you have to see the side of me, so we can’t have underwear on. Then, I think there was another layer, and there was literally a cut-out yoga mat that she put over me, and taped that down.”
The Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania actress added that for certain scenes, she wore a hockey cup for protection, while her co-star Dave Franco used a deflated yoga ball as a buffer.
The Behind the Scenes Realities of Love Lies Bleeding Intimate Filming
In the same interview, director Rose Glass also described how actors and intimacy coordinators carefully planned these scenes in advance. They discussed what they’re comfortable with and specify exactly what will be filmed. Nudity riders, which are legal agreements outlining what will be shown on screen and from what angle, were also included in the contracts.
She said that they “stick with the script for those scenes because with intimate scenes there’s massive approvals that go into everything.” If anything changes, they then “have to go back and sign more paperwork.”
The 34-year-old added that the focus on set wasn’t anything like the romantic ideal audiences might imagine. The director joked, referencing a scene filmed in a cramped bathroom:
“[The] poor [camera operator] was just standing there probably with his arms about to fall off. Even though he’s got these beautiful women making out and ‘having s*x’ in front of him, he’s like, ‘No, please make them stop. My arms hurt!’”
Her remark shows that filming intimate scenes is mainly about planning, and maybe adding some humor to keep things light.
Love Lies Bleeding is currently screening in theatres.
