Former Bond Girl Gemma Arterton Just Revealed That A Director Tried To Force Her Into Filming An Unscripted Sex Scene

“This scene was written for us to be off-screen, so you just hear the noises. I'd never have accepted the role if it was going to be filmed."

By
Stephanie Soteriou
by Stephanie Soteriou

BuzzFeed Staff

British actor Gemma Arterton has revealed a disturbing experience with a movie director who tried to pressure her into filming an unscripted sex scene.

Gemma Arterton in an elegant lace dress with a square neckline and thin straps is standing on a red carpet, with people and greenery visible in the background
Daniele Venturelli / Daniele Venturelli / Getty Images

The 38-year-old star said that the scene was originally written to be off-camera, but the director tried to change course during the shoot. 


For context, Gemma first found mainstream fame in 2008 when she was cast as Bond Girl Strawberry Fields in the movie Quantum of Solace.


She went on to star in movies including Guy Ritchie's RocknRolla, Clash of the Titans, and the Beanie Feldstein-led How to Build a Girl, among others. 


Gemma opened up about her uncomfortable experience during a new interview with the Radio Times, where she reflected on how being an actress has evolved for her over the years.

“When I started acting, there was a lot of nudity — you were just expected to do it,” she began. “When I was younger I played sexy characters, the girlfriend. As I've got older, that's changed because I'm more successful and can choose the parts I want to play.”

Gemma Arterton in a fitted corset dress performs a dance in a dimly lit room with hexagonal decor and colorful lighting in the movie BYZANTIUM
Patrick Redmond/©IFC/Courtesy Everett Collection

“I remember being on a set once, and the director said: ‘You're going to shag on the bed,’” Gemma then revealed. “And I said: ‘No, this scene was written for us to be off-screen, so you just hear the noises. I'd never have accepted the role if it was going to be filmed.’”

Gemma Arterton in an elegant, one-shoulder dress posing at an indoor event
Dave Benett / Alan Chapman/Dave Benett / WireImage

“He [the director] put pressure on us on the day. The other actor, God bless him, was mortified,” she continued. “There were very high-profile people there. I said: ‘You can't do that, I'm flat out not doing it. I don't care if you think I'm difficult.’ But I only felt like I could say that because I was older.”

Gemma Arterton stands smiling against a blue backdrop, wearing a pink, high-neck sleeveless dress and dangling earrings
Mike Marsland / Mike Marsland / WireImage

Gemma then admitted that it “would have been really hard” if this had happened earlier on in her career, explaining: “You might get the sack, or get a terrible reputation.”


“It was before we had intimacy coordinators, who are the go-between now — it's a totally different landscape,” she added. “Anything you're not comfortable with is not going to happen. I've heard other actors that are like: ‘I loved it when there was no intimacy coordinator,’ but I definitely think it's better.”


If you didn’t know, an intimacy coordinator is a professional who supports the cast and crew when filming intimate scenes for movies or TV shows. They will often assist in choreographing the scenes, make sure that everybody involved feels comfortable and safe, and advocate for people if there’s anything they aren’t happy with.


It isn’t currently a legal requirement to have intimacy coordinators during filming, but they have become standard practices on most sets, and some broadcasters, including HBO, have made it mandatory to have a coordinator for intimate scenes. 

Jennifer Aniston is among the stars who have said that she doesn’t feel the need for intimacy coordinators — with her “flippant” comments sparking backlash in December.

Jennifer Aniston stands outdoors among a crowd, wearing a sleeveless white top, looking slightly to her left with a neutral expression
James Devaney / GC Images

Discussing her sex scenes with Jon Hamm in the most recent season of The Morning Show, Jen told Variety: “They asked us if we wanted an intimacy coordinator. I’m from the olden days, so I was like: ‘What does that mean?’”


“They said: ‘Where someone asks you if you’re OK,’ and I’m like: ‘Please, this is awkward enough!’” she continued. “We’re seasoned — we can figure this one out.”

However, stars including Kate Winslet and Emma Stone have praised this development in the industry, with actor Ewan McGregor revealing that he even used an intimacy coordinator when shooting sex scenes with his real-life wife, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, for A Gentleman in Moscow.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead in a sleek trench coat and Ewan McGregor in a casual jacket pose together in front of promotional posters for the film "Mother, Couch"
Dominik Bindl / Getty Images

“It’s still necessary, because it’s also about the crew. And it’s odd to be naked in front of people; it’s odd to be intimate in front of the camera,” he told Radio Times in March.


"If you were doing a dance scene, you’d have a choreographer,” Ewan pointed out. “It’s an important part of the work now because it’s somebody that the director and actors meet in the middle."


Ewan also referenced the benefit of intimacy coordinators in relation to younger, less established actors — with his comments reminiscent of Gemma’s recent quotes.


“If an older, famous director goes to a 22-year-old and says: 'I want you to be naked in this scene,' that actress might feel: ‘Oh, my God, I’ve got to do it, my career might depend on it,’” he explained. "And then five years after that, she could look back and go: ‘I wish I hadn’t. Why am I naked in that scene? It’s unnecessary.’"


He then concluded: “Now there’s somebody she talks to whose career doesn’t rest on the shoulders of this person.”

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