Casino Royale star Eva Green has opened up about how she ‘surprised’ herself filming sex scenes in her first big role Eva Green has opened up about what it was like starring in her first movie and overcoming the initial awkwardness of the sex scenes.
The 44-year-old is best known for her roles as a bad-a** Bond girl, starring alongside Daniel Craig in – the best movie of the franchise – Casino Royale. Despite tackling sex scenes in the Bond movie, alongside many other of her films, Green spoke out about what it was like filming sex scenes for her first major role and how she ‘surprised [herself] completely’. Suspect unexpectedly filmed at murder scene
In 2003 erotic drama The Dreamers – directed by Bernardo Bertolucci – Green took on the role of Isabelle, one of a pair of French twins who bond with an American exchange student named Matthew who’s come to study in Paris, France. Isabelle, alongside her twin Théo (Louis Garrel) and Matthew (Michael Pitt) end up becoming intertwined in a sexual relationship. Alas, we all know the saying three’s a crowd, the question is, who will be left out? Given the sexual relationship between the trio and the film’s classification as an erotic drama, it’s not a surprise that Green had her fair share of sex scenes while filming.
In an interview with The Sun in 2012, Green – who was 21 years old at the time – revealed the scenes were ‘quite full on and frank’ and she even had a scene where Isabelle ‘has to lose her virginity,’ opening up about how she approached the scenes and got over her nerves – with a helping hand, or should I say, private area flash, from one of her co-stars.
Eva Green starred in The Dreamers released in 2003 (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Green reveals she was ‘asked if [she] wanted some alcohol before some of the scenes’ to steady her nerves and admits she ‘did have some whisky’.
However, the main ‘breaking of ice’ before the scene came when her co-star Garrel popped over to see her in her trailer.
Green says Garrel came in and allegedly said: “I will show you my d**k if you show me your breasts.”
“So I did, and he did. He said to me: ‘They look great.’ So when it came to the sex scenes, it made it a little easier,” she explains.
When tackling the scene where her character loses her virginity, also Green explains she also drew on her own memories of when she ‘first had sex’ to help navigate her way through the scene.
She reflected: “I am so reserved in real life, but I surprised myself completely.”
Hidden ‘sex’ scene in Harry Potter
Robert Pattinson reveals he once decided to ‘quit’ acting after performing unsimulated sex act in movie
Pattinson could have faked the act, but has explained why he chose to do it for real
Robert Pattinson claimed he once made the decision to ‘quit’ acting after he was filmed actually carrying out a sex act for the sake of one of his movies.
I’d say that’s taking method acting to a whole new level.
Most people know Pattinson for his work in Harry Potter, Twilight or The Batman, but it’s not one of his major roles that we’re talking about today.
After all, I think we’d all remember if Cedric Diggory was getting down and dirty during the Triwizard Tournament.
Instead, Pattinson’s unsimulated sex act took place before he stepped into the sparkling role of Edward Cullen, when he appeared in a movie about Salvador Dali titled Little Ashes.
Released in 2008 – the same year as the first Twilight movie – Pattinson starred as Dali himself as the film detailed his life along with filmmaker Luis Buñuel and writer Federico García Lorca.
Pattinson starred as Salvador Dali in Little Ashes. (Regent Releasing)
In a conversation with Germany’s Interview magazine, Pattinson admitted he ‘had to do a lot of scenes’ where he was naked in the movie, but there was one moment in particular that stuck with him more than the rest.
In fact, it had such an impact that it apparently made Pattinson want to walk away from his career altogether.
“I once decided to quit acting; it was when I did Little Ashes,” the actor told the magazine.
He went on to reveal how he actually pleasured himself on camera for the movie – no CGI, no well-timed cutaways, just real, actual masturbation.
“I also had to masturbate. I mean really,” Pattinson said, adding: “My orgasm face is recorded for eternity.”
When asked why he didn’t just ‘fake it’ for the camera, as so many other stars do when asked to record a sex scene, Pattinson expressed belief that faking it ‘just doesn’t work’.
Instead, he ‘pleasured [himself] in front of the camera’.
Pattinson claimed the movie almost made him ‘quit’. (Jerod Harris/Getty Images for CinemaCon)
It’s not a choice every actor would make, but Pattinson is still moving from strength to strength in his career, so he’s obviously doing something right.
Pattinson spoke further about investing himself in his roles in an interview with Backstage in 2020, when he discussed his approach to being a better actor.
He explained: “As far as I can tell, it seems like the times when you’re kind of good in something are when you can make yourself interested in what you’re doing between ‘action’ and ‘cut.’
“There’s something going on in your eyes. If you’re just trying to play the scene, it looks like there’s nothing going on. And so, if you’re trying to pull from everything in your life that you’re genuinely interested in at that time, and trying to figure out ways that that connects to that character, I think it makes it a little more alive.”
Whatever works for you, I guess!
Actor Mark Rylance admits he regrets real oral sex scene in controversial movie
The Bridge of Spies actor appeared in the explicit film more than 20 years ago
Don’t Look Up actor Mark Rylance has admitted his regret over making a 2001 movie featuring real oral sex.
Rylance is known by many fans for his roles in family-favorite The BFG, or gripping dramas like Bridge of Spies or The Trial of the Chicago 7.
However, he’s taken on a lot of different challenges in his decades-long career, and in 2001 that meant playing a role in a film largely focused on sex.
It might be a jarring realization for younger generations who grew up watching Rylance act out the big friendly giant or even catching him in the action-packed Ready Player One, but it doesn’t make it any less true.
Starring alongside Kerry Fox, Rylance played Jay in the movie Intimacy, which follows a failed London musician who meets up with a woman once a week for a series of intense sexual encounters.
Bet you’ll never look at Rylance the same way again, will you?
The film doesn’t hold back, and features an unsimulated oral sex scene between Rylance and Fox, as well as a sex scene which left viewers ‘in little doubt that penetration has occurred’, according to researcher Tanya Krzywinska’s analysis.
Understandably, Intimacy proved controversial at the time and today has a middling score of 66 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Pathé
Some viewers have praised the film as ‘imaginative’ and ‘interesting’, but as Rylance looked back on the film in a 2016 Q&A, he made clear it wasn’t worth it.
In response to a fan who asked why he chose to do the film, Rylance wrote: “Intimacy was the most difficult job I’ve ever had. Hanif Kureishi’s work and Patrice Chereau’s words convinced me it was a very true and vital story about the difficulties people face finding intimacy in a big city like London.
“I know Hanif Kureishi’s writing couldn’t have been more intimate and revealing, but I found the making of the film and the subsequent publicity and personal attacks very, very painful. And I wish I hadn’t made it.”
Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/Getty Images
As for the oral sex scene in particular, Rylance recalled feeling pressure to perform for the camera.
“It soured me on my life two months,” he said, adding: “At that point I didn’t have the confidence as a film actor to say no. Now I think a lot of actors that people say are difficult are actually just being sensible.”
Fox’s own partner was among those who shared their thoughts on the film, as he admitted he was a ‘jealous guy’.
“It wasn’t going to be a trick,” he wrote for The Guardian. “If Kerry accepted the role, the sex in Intimacy would be far more demanding than the normal perfunctory erotic interlude of most mainstream movies. To some indefinable degree, this sex would be real.”
If you’re intrigued to see what all the fuss is about, you can stream Intimacy on Prime Video now.
