Sheffield film star Sean Bean experiencing backlash after claiming intimacy coordinators 'spoil' sex scenes

The Sheffield actor made the comments in an interview with The Times, during which he was asked about the impact intimacy coordinators would have had on his performance in the steamy BBC adaptation of Lady Chatterley’s Lover in 1993, which helped to make him a household name.

Sean responded: “I should imagine it slows down the thrust of it. Ha, not the thrust, that’s the wrong word...It would spoil the spontaneity.

“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,’ laughs Sean, adding “I think the natural way lovers behave would be ruined by someone bringing it right down to a technical exercise.

“Lady Chatterley was spontaneous. It was joy. We had a good chemistry between us, and we knew what we were doing was unusual. Because she was married, I was married. But we were following the story. We were trying to portray the truth of what DH Lawrence wrote.”

Following the ‘Me Too’ movement in which the shocking reality of sexual harrassment and abuse in a variety of workplaces was uncovered, intimacy coordinators have become commonplace on film and television sets.

Their presence and input is intended to help actors to feel safe, while placed in a more vulnerable position to film scenes involving sex and physical intimacy.

Sean’s comments about the role of intimacy coordinators have attracted criticism from a number of individuals.

British actress and Good Place star, Jameela Jamil, Tweeted: “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...”

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West Side Story actress, Rachel Zegler, also responded to Sean’s comments on Twitter: “intimacy coordinators establish an environment of safety for actors. i was extremely grateful for the one we had on WSS (West Side Story) — they showed grace to a newcomer like myself + educated those around me who’ve had years of experience. spontaneity in intimate scenes can be unsafe. wake up.”

When The Times interviewer reminded Game of Thrones actor, Sean, that intimacy coordinators ‘are there to protect actresses,’ Sean mentioned actress, Lena Hall, with whom he recently filmed a sex scene for thriller series Snowpiercer in which they were both naked and doing ‘weird things with mangoes’.

He said: “I suppose it depends on the actress. This one had a musical cabaret background, so she was up for anything.”

Lena responded to Sean’s comments in a Twitter thread, in which she said: “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.

"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.

“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.

“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.”

She added: “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.”