At this point, most people are very well-acquainted with the steamy s*x scenes in the popular Netflix series Bridgerton. And while the intimate scenes look flawless on our screens, it actually took a ton of work to get it just right.
In a recent interview with Insider, the intimacy coordinator for the Regency drama, Lizzy Talbot, revealed that Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Bassett’s (Regé-Jean Page) newlywed romp all over his rural estate was the hardest scene to film. You know, the three-minute-long bonk montage to the tune of Duomo’s instrumental cover of Taylor Swift‘s song Wildest Dreams? That hot scene.
“There’s so much going on there. We were in loads of different locations all over the country, we were inside, outside, up ladders, we were everywhere! We were working in the dry and in the rain, on flagstone floors and up against walls and in Regency beds. So that was a bit of an intimacy circus going on there.”
Related: Regé-Jean Page Hilariously Reveals How His Fam Handles His Steamy S*x Scenes
The rain proved to be the biggest challenge, though, as it forced the crew to spend months getting the shots down. In a previous conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Talbot opened up some more about the challenges of the rain, saying:
“You’re working with actors that are wet so you’ve got to be careful about wigs, you’ve got to be careful about costume. Also making sure that modesty garments are held on even though the actors are wet, because a lot of times they’re held on with tape or glue, and making sure that that is still in place even with doing some very energetic scenes.”
Who knew rain could cause so many issues, of course, other than its annoyance?
Talbot went on to confess that her favorite intimate scene was when Simon performs oral s*x on Daphne in his library, which was filmed in a private members’ club in London. It also happened to be the first scene the 25-year-old actress shot. What a way to start your time on the show, huh! The crew member referred to the scene as “super cheeky because women weren’t allowed in [the club] until 1980 and we’re busting in and the first thing we’re doing is a scene of oral pleasure.”
However, the most best scenes to film were involved with the oldest sibling Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and his secret lover Siena (Sabrina Bartlett) — and the couple had many frisky times together.
“They were always making jokes and going off on tangents. We had so much fun together, we were always laughing. It was a really great time.”
This isn’t the first time Talbot has spoken about her role as an intimacy coordinator. In another interview with the UK outlet The Times, she explained how there were “no protocols” in place for s*x scenes before, so she wanted to make sure the actors were always comfortable before filming the show’s NSFW moments.
“We need to work out consent boundaries. It might be that we are working with containers, like, ‘You can put your hand from the top of my neck to the top of my lower back or anywhere in between. You’ve got freedom to do what you want in that area, but it doesn’t go anywhere else.’”
Talbot added:
“When you’re treating the intimacy scenes in the same way that you are treating the stunt rehearsals, as you are treating the dance rehearsals, it takes the awkwardness and the fear out of them because it’s just another scene at that point.”
It’s an important and much-needed position on movie sets that’s for sure. We can’t imagine how films didn’t have intimacy coordinators before! In the past, the Bridgerton stars have sung Talbot’s praises for making them feel more comfortable while filming the sensual scenes. Most recently, Page hosted Saturday Night Live and poked fun at the job in a semi-cringeworthy sketch (below):
Thankfully, Talbot thought the skit was hilarious, writing on Instagram:
“I always wondered about creating a ‘what not to do as an intimacy coordinator video. Turns out @nbcsnl got there first.”
What do U guys think? What shocked you the most about some of the most difficult or fun scenes to film? Let us know in the comments (below)!
[Image via Bridgerton/Netflix & Lizzy Talbot/Instagram]