Ewan McGregor Says He and Wife Mary Elizabeth Winstead Use an Intimacy Coordinator for Sex Scenes
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Ewan McGregor and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who are married, work together on the series A Gentleman in Moscow. In the show, McGregor, 52, plays Count Alexander Rostov, and Winstead, 39, portrays Anna Urbanova. Despite their real-life relationship, McGregor decided to use an intimacy coordinator for their sex scenes in the series, which premieres on Paramount+ on March 29. The coordinator helped them feel at ease while filming.
"It's important to have nudity scenes in movies because it also involves the crew - and it can feel strange to be naked in front of others. Being intimate in front of the camera can be uncomfortable," shared the Star Wars actor in an interview with UK magazine Radio Times on March 19.
According to McGregor, just like a dance scene requires a choreographer, nudity scenes also require careful planning. "It's a crucial aspect of the filmmaking process now, as it helps the director and actors find a common ground," he explained.
The couple, Ewan McGregor and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, have been married since 2022 and will soon celebrate their second wedding anniversary next month. They have a son named Laurie, who is 2 years old. Winstead is McGregor's second wife, as he was previously married to Eve Mavrakis from 1995 to 2020. Together, McGregor and Mavrakis have four daughters: Clara (28), Esther (22), Jamyan (21), and Arouk (21).
McGregor and Winstead first met on the set of Fargo in 2017. They started dating that same year after Winstead separated from her first husband, Riley Stearns. Winstead's marriage to Stearns, which lasted for eight years, ended in divorce in 2018.
Esther McGregor is following in her parents' footsteps as an actress. She recently appeared alongside her father in the 2022 Disney+ series, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Ewan McGregor, her father, discussed the importance of intimacy coordinators in the industry. He emphasized how valuable they would be for a young actress like his daughter.
McGregor expressed his concern about the pressure young actresses may face from older, famous directors. He mentioned how a director asking a 22-year-old actress to do a nude scene could potentially be harmful. The actress might feel compelled to agree, fearing it could impact her career. McGregor stressed the importance of protecting young actresses from unnecessary situations that they may regret in the future.
McGregor mentioned that now she has someone to talk to who is not dependent on her career.
The role of intimacy coordinators originated within the last 15 years and saw an increase in demand following the Me Too Movement in 2017.
Kate Winslet, known for her role in Titanic, recently expressed that she wishes she had access to an intimacy coordinator earlier in her career. In an interview with The New York Times, Winslet shared that she believes having an intimacy coordinator would have been helpful for her during love scenes, moments where she had to be partially naked, or even kissing scenes. She mentioned that having someone to support her would have made a difference, as she often had to advocate for herself.
Winslet mentioned that she would have spoken up about certain things during filming. For example, she would have expressed her discomfort with certain camera angles, being fully nude on camera, having too many people in the room, or needing her dressing gown closer.
She noted that when she was younger, she was hesitant to speak up for fear of upsetting others or seeming rude or weak. Learning to advocate for herself in those situations was a difficult process.
Editor's P/S:
The article highlights the growing importance of intimacy coordinators in the film industry, particularly in light of the Me Too Movement. Ewan McGregor's decision to