Toni Collette isn't a fan of intimacy coordinators.
Sex scene intimacy coordinators are on hand to make uncomfortable situations more comfortable, but Toni says that simply hasn't been the case for her.
In fact, the Australian actor admits that she has no problem sending them home when she feels they're not being helpful on the set.
"I think it’s only been a couple of times where they’ve been brought in, and I have very much trusted and felt at ease with the people I was working with," Toni explained to the Times.
"It felt like those people who were brought in to make me feel more at ease were actually making me feel more anxious," Toni continued. "They weren’t helping, so I asked them to leave."
As for whether intimacy coordinators might have helped Toni earlier in her career, she says "it depends."
"You never know what you’re going to get [with them on set], and it’s a miracle that a film ever comes together, let alone thrives," Toni said.
She continued, "I've been very fortunate in that I've only worked with a few arseholes over the several decades that I've managed to keep this boat afloat."
Toni isn't alone in her thoughts about intimacy coordinators. Game of Thrones actor Sean Bean previously said that having them around would "inhibit" his performance — which wasn't very well received.
Following Sean's comments, Emma Thompson shared her belief that intimacy coordinators are "fantastically important."
"You might find that people go, 'It made me feel comfortable, it made me feel safe, it made me feel as though I was able to do this work,'" Emma stated.
At the time, actors like Rachel Zegler and Jameela Jamil also showed their support for intimacy coordinators, so it seems that not all actors are on the same page.
intimacy coordinators establish an environment of safety for actors. i was extremely grateful for the one we had on WSS— they showed grace to a newcomer like myself + educated those around me who’ve had years of experience. spontaneity in intimate scenes can be unsafe. wake up. https://t.co/bpxT2DVU1R