Featured Image Credit: HBO
Topics: TV And Film, Entertainment, Sex and Relationships
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Madison Burgess
The intimacy coordinator behind Heated Rivalry has explained what happens if an actor gets aroused during a sex scene.
Now, I don't know about anyone else, but for me, the Canadian sports romance TV show has been all over my social media since it dropped in the UK on 10 January.
Based on Rachel Reid's books, the LGBTQ+ show follows both the on-ice rivalry and the secret, passionate off-ice romance between professional hockey players Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie).
Anyone who's had a chance to binge-watch Heated Rivalry will know it's absolutely jam-packed full of steamy scenes, and as Radio Times said in its review, it's 'no exaggeration to say that far more of the show takes place between the sheets than on the ice'.
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Meaning that intimacy coordinator Chala Hunter had quite the job on her hands - and she did an amazing one, based on the fact that the scenes were so realistic that viewers wondered how they were filmed.
For those who are unfamiliar, an intimacy coordinator helps choreograph and oversee scenes with simulated sex and nudity.
Their responsibilities typically include conducting risk assessments, providing modesty garments and barriers, and overseeing closed sets, as well as just making sure everyone is comfortable and feels safe.
As per Elle Magazine, Hunter, who has been involved a number of intimate scenes throughout her own acting career, guided Williams and Storrie through the show’s most raunchy scenes, choreographed specific movements in the bedroom, and advocated for their safety on set.
Now, the expert has revealed exactly what happens if someone gets aroused while filming a sex scene, and assured that it's completely normal.
Hunter told the publication: "I also make that a part of my introductory conversations. It’s important to say that the body sometimes doesn’t know the difference.
"We’re also just human beings who are made up of muscle tissue and nerve endings. I always break it down like that and say, if you need to call a pause for any reason, including if you become unintentionally aroused, or you just need to adjust something because the placement isn’t working for you, or because you have to go pee, do it."
The intimacy coordinator explained that actors are 'so afraid of doing the wrong thing', 'hurting their fellow actor' or 'crossing a boundary', so she reassures them ahead of time that if it happens, they haven't done anything 'horribly wrong'.
She added: "I always say to the other actor, too, 'If you think that might be happening to your partner and you feel uncomfortable, you can also call for a pause'. The whole goal is to empower everyone, to articulate for their own well-being and their boundaries in every moment."
Hunter explained that it happens 'a lot less [often] than one might think' because no matter how steamy they might appear on screen, behind the scenes it's often the complete opposite.
She said: "What people have seen in Heated Rivalry doesn’t look technical, I hope. It certainly doesn’t look technical to me. It looks emotional and free.
"But, when we’re setting these scenes up, it’s incredibly technical. I think Connor may have said this in one interview: It’s not ultimately that sexy. It’s quite challenging sometimes for you to do it correctly."