Olivia Cooke has spoken out about how women in Hollywood are still unfairly treated when it comes to sex scenes. In an interview, the House of the Dragon star said that actresses often get branded as difficult or a bitch simply for voicing their discomfort when intimate scenes are being filmed.
Cooke explained that shooting sex scenes places actors in very vulnerable positions, particularly those who are just starting out. She said that many younger performers do not yet have the vocabulary to clearly state their boundaries, which makes the presence of an intimacy coordinator especially valuable. A good coordinator, she noted, will sense hesitation and become the actor’s voice.
The actress acknowledged that intimacy can play an important role in storytelling, reflecting passion and the human experience. However, she warned that when handled poorly, such scenes can feel invasive and leave actors feeling as if a piece of themselves has been taken. She admitted she found it remarkable that, in the past, actors had no one to support them through those moments.
Although intimacy coordinators have become increasingly common in recent years, not all performers embrace them. Gwyneth Paltrow recently shared that while filming sex scenes with Timothée Chalamet for their upcoming film Marty Supreme, she asked the intimacy coordinator to step back, saying she was used to a different approach. Michael Douglas has also voiced scepticism, telling last year that he preferred to rely on direct conversations with his co-stars.
Cooke’s comments highlight an ongoing debate in Hollywood about how to balance artistic freedom with safety and respect on set. Her words point to the persistence of old attitudes that can discourage women from speaking up, and underline why coordinators are seen by many as a vital safeguard in the industry.
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