Gwyneth Paltrow slammed by Russell T Davies over 'disgraceful' comments about sex scenes
Topics: TV And Film, Celebrity, Entertainment, Sex and Relationships
Rhianna Benson
Featured Image Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Topics: TV And Film, Celebrity, Entertainment, Sex and Relationships
Russell T Davies has taken aim at a number of A-list stars for controversial comments they've made about sex scenes - including Gwyneth Paltrow.
The screenwriter and TV producer spoke with The Mirror this week, during which the conversation quickly turned to his previous professional projects.
As a reminder, Davis is the genius behind award-winning LGBTQ+ shows like Queer As Folk and It's A Sin, both of which were hailed for their handling and portrayal of x-rated scenes.
The 63-year-old went on to credit a group of intimacy co-ordinators his team relied on to achieve such successes, while lamenting the recent 'rash' of 'very famous actors' for saying their work isn't necessary.
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Davis called out Paltrow directly, referencing the remarks the Marty Supreme star previously made about her sex scenes with co-star Timothée Chalamet.
Speaking to Vanity Fair last year, the actress claimed she hadn't even heard about the notion of an intimacy co-ordinator until she arrived on the set of the ping-pong comedy-drama.
"There's now something called an intimacy coordinator, which I did not know existed," she began.
Patrow also recalled a moment with one intimacy expert who asked if she was happy to continue with a specific explicit move, to which she claimed to have replied, 'Girl, I’m from the era where you get naked, you get in bed, the camera’s on'.
She added at the time: "We said, 'I think we’re good. You can step a little bit back'. I don’t know how it is for kids who are starting out, but...
"If someone is like, 'OK, and then he’s going to put his hand here', I would feel, as an artist, very stifled by that."
Looping Patrow, 53, in with other big-names who've made similar claims, Davis hit out: "They are disgraceful human beings. They have so much power and so much privilege, and they have no idea what it is like to be a jobbing actor with no power on a set."
He added: "Shame on them."
The responsibilities of intimacy co-ordinators were ramped up in late 2017 in light of the #MeToo movement - a social campaign aimed at raising awareness of sexual abuse and rape culture.
Despite being coined years earlier, it spread online following multiple exposures of allegations against Harvey Weinstein, during which Paltrow actually served as a key voice, claiming the film producer had made unwanted advances towards her during her earliest days in Hollywood.
Davies isn't the only artist to have slammed Paltrow's stance on sex scenes as harmful.
Earlier this year, during an appearance at the festival Series Mania, producer and former Channel 4 drama boss Caroline Hollick told attendees: "Every now and then, an actor makes a comment over whether they like intimacy coordinators or not.
"Gwyneth Paltrow said she grew up in a time when [actors] 'took our kit off and got on with it'. As a powerful woman in Hollywood acting with a man much younger than her, well, I’m sure [Chalamet] is chill, but I thought it was quite an irresponsible thing to say."
Hollick added: "Bringing an intimacy coordinator on set empowers an actor because there is someone on side who is there to fight for them. Producers have an agenda, writers have an agenda and directors have an agenda.
"So having someone to back the performer is important."
Tyla reached out to Paltrow's representatives for comment.