Earlier this month, intimacy coordinator Kristina Arjona spoke out at length about shooting a simulated sex scene between Jenna Ortega and Martin Freeman for the recently released film Miller’s Girl.
In Miller’s Girl, Jenna, 21, plays an 18-year-old high school student who is taught by Miller, played by Martin, 52. The characters’ relationship is described by Lionsgate as an “increasingly complex web.”
While speaking with the Daily Mail, Kristina addressed the controversial age gap between Jenna — who was 19 when the movie was filmed — and Martin.
Kristina said, “There were many, many people throughout this process, engaging with [Jenna] to make sure that it was consistent with what she was comfortable with, and she was very determined and very sure of what she wanted to do.”
“Part of my job, too, is supporting her decisions. I adapt to whatever is the comfort level of my actors, especially on a production like this where there is a large age gap between the actors,” she went on, adding that Jenna gave “continuous consent.”
Kristina went on to share that she spoke with Jenna and Martin about everything from the “level of nudity” required from each of them, to “additional barriers” they could put in place to maintain an “appropriate distance.”
Kristina’s candid remarks about shooting with Jenna and Martin fueled the discourse around their controversial scenes, which sparked a huge divide online.
Now, it’s been reported that the Screen Actors Guild has updated its rules around what intimacy coordinators are allowed to share about the sex scenes they work on.
According to Deadline, who heard from a SAG-AFTRA spokesperson, the new rules mean that intimacy coordinators may be at risk of losing their jobs if they discuss intimate scenes publicly.
A representative of the Guild said, “Intimacy coordinators should maintain the confidentiality of an actor’s work and experience in performing highly sensitive scenes unless they have the actor’s permission to publicly share this information.”
“The public release of details about an actor’s scene work or confidences entrusted to the intimacy coordinator without the performer’s consent is unacceptable,” they added.
“Members have to feel safe, comfortable, and confident in engaging with intimacy coordinators,” a Guild source added of the change in rules.
A SAG-AFTRA spokesperson also told Deadline, “Intimacy coordinators are a crucial resource on any set to ensure the protection of our members working in intimate scenes.”
Deadline also reported that Kristina signed a confidentiality agreement with Lionsgate and an NDA as an employee on Miller's Girl.
