Florence Pugh has sparked a candid discussion about the role of intimacy coordinators in Hollywood during a recent appearance on The Louis Theroux Podcast, describing the work as essential — but also “still figuring itself out.”
Pugh began by firmly defending the value of good intimacy coordinators on set: “I’m having fantastic experiences with intimacy coordinators.” She explained that these professionals bring thoughtful, careful consideration to intimate scenes, helping actors and directors shape them with intention. “What kind of sex is it, how do you touch each other, how long have you been having sex for,” she said, emphasising that these details matter deeply when you’re trying to build the emotional truth of a relationship. “All of these things really matter … because sex scenes are so awkward for everybody on set.”
Yet Pugh was equally honest about the flip side. “I’ve had good ones and bad ones,” she told Theroux. She revealed there have been “plenty of things” in her career that made her uncomfortable — times before intimacy coordinators were standard when she felt she was asked to do things that were “completely inappropriate … to be directed in that way.”
In a blunt assessment, she said of one particularly bad experience: “I’ve also had a s— example where someone just made it so weird and so awkward and … really wasn’t helpful and kind of was just like wanting to be a part of the set in a way that wasn’t helpful.” Pugh didn’t name any names or productions, but her frustration was clear. She added that the role of intimacy coordinator is evolving, and that she views it with cautious optimism. “It’s a job that’s still figuring itself out,” she said.
Importantly, Pugh argued that when these coordinators are skilful, they elevate sex scenes from bare choreography into meaningful storytelling. “I’ve been able to understand better meaning now … finding the story of what it is,” she reflected. “There are good ones and bad ones, and it’s through the good ones that I have learned how effective it can really be.” She likened a well-coordinated intimate scene to a “dance of intimacy” rather than simply “just shooting a sex scene.”
Pugh’s remarks arrive amid a broader reckoning in Hollywood over how to depict intimacy on screen safely, respectfully, and creatively — especially as more actors are insisting on having professionals present during intimate scenes. Her nuanced take shows that while intimacy coordination has come a long way since its rise in the post-#MeToo era, there’s still room to grow.
For Pugh, the message is clear: when done right, intimacy coordinators are not just safety nets — they’re creative collaborators. But, as she says, the job isn’t perfect yet, and the industry must keep refining what it means to choreograph closeness.
