On a recent episode of the Chanel Connects podcast, Knightley explained why her attitude toward filming sex scenes has shifted throughout her career, and why she won't film them anymore if they're directed by men.
“I don’t have an absolute ban [on filming sex scenes], but I kind of do with men,” Knightley explained. “It’s partly vanity and also it’s the male gaze."
"If I was making a story that was about that journey of motherhood and body [acceptance], I feel like, I’m sorry, but that would have to be with a [woman] filmmaker."
“I don’t want it to be those horrible sex scenes where you’re all greased up and everybody is grunting," Knightley continued. "I’m not interested in doing that."
“I feel very uncomfortable now trying to portray the male gaze."
But Knightley also clarified that there are situations in which she would still film sex scenes. "Saying that, there’s times where I go, ‘Yeah, I completely see where this sex would be really good in this film and you basically just need somebody to look hot.’”
Knightley's latest film, Misbehavior, came out last year. It's a comedy-drama about the Women's Liberation Movement in 1970s London, and I'm looking forward to watching it!
