Florence Pugh Reveals the Unseen Side of Filming Sex Scenes – And It's Not Pretty

Florence Pugh has rapidly become one of Hollywood's most compelling talents, celebrated for roles in films ranging from Midsommar to Oppenheimer. Yet behind the glamour lies a far more complex and rarely discussed side of filmmaking: the delicate, sometimes uncomfortable reality of shooting sex scenes. Pugh is now openly addressing what it really takes to perform intimate scenes on camera — revealing how much care, communication, and trust is required, and why the right intimacy coordinator can make all the difference.

Her openness has sparked renewed discussion about how sex is depicted in film, and the emotional and psychological labour behind scenes viewers often assume are spontaneous.

What Florence Pugh Feels About Sex Scenes

When audiences watch a 'sex scene' in a movie, it can appear spontaneous, instinctive, or raw. But for those behind the lens, it is rarely so. Pugh has revealed that intimate scenes are first and foremost choreographed which means they are crafted with intention, discussion, boundaries and protocols.

Moreover, in a recent interview she described the job of an intimacy coordinator as a job 'that's still figuring itself out' in Hollywood. She said that working with good coordinators helped her understand 'the dance of intimacy' rather than simply 'shooting a sex scene.'

This is very important not only because it enhances the performance but also because it safeguards the actors involved. In addition, choreography makes sure that what appears natural on screen is in fact agreed upon, everything from the touch, the look, the duration, the emotional tone. Pugh further said that in her experience the difference between a skilled coordinator and a poor one is absolutely crucial as the former elevates the scene, makes it meaningful while the latter can make it awkward or harmful.

As per reports, for Pugh, this awareness has been transformational. She explained that when she worked with a fantastic intimacy coordinator, she realised how much the actors had been missing in previous sex scenes which is the story behind the physicality, the rhythm of connection, the truth of what is happening between the characters, not just what the camera sees. As she said,

'I will say that I've been able to understand better meaning now through working with great ones in sex scenes [about] finding the story of what it is, what kind of sex is it, how do you touch each other, how long have you been having sex for.'

Florence Has Some Insane Sex Scene Shooting Stories

Pugh's own anecdotes provide a revealing look at the demands, surprises and discomforts of filming sex in big budget productions. For example, during the filming of Oppenheimer, Pugh reportedly recalled how the camera unexpectedly broke while she and co-star Cillian Murphy were in the middle of a sex scene and both actors were naked, on a closed set, and suddenly waiting for tech to be fixed. She surprisingly quipped that in the moment she asked the technician, 'What's wrong with this camera?'

In another story, during the making of the film We Live in Time, Pugh described filming a scene that tracked a couple's evolving physical relationship especially with the style of sex changing as the characters moved through the story.

'You actually get to understand the relationship, and what point they're at in the relationship, through the style of sex they have.' She added, 'And that was purely because of our intimacy co-ordinator bringing that up in conversation and saying, "OK, but if you haven't had sex before, you're going to be fumbling"'

She further said, 'And then, of course, in a different sex scene later when you're trying to get pregnant and you've been given the green light, you're going to just be eating each other.'

What these stories reveal is that filming sex isn't simply about actors embracing one another, rather it's laden with technical, emotional, physical and psychological layers. There's reset after reset, lighting, choreography, multiple takes, wardrobe adjustments, crew waiting on call, and a level of exposure that few non-actors ever imagine.

For an actress like Florence Pugh, it means being confident in her skin, as well as trusting the team around her.

'I'm having fantastic experiences with intimacy coordinators. However, I've also had a s–t 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.'

Sex on screen may look effortless, but behind the camera there are reset cues, lighting adjustments, wardrobe checks, closed-set rules, and emotional vulnerability. The process requires trust — trust that is strengthened by a good coordinator and damaged by a poor one.

Pugh's candour serves as a reminder: the intimacy audiences see is not spontaneous. It is built, rehearsed, consented to and safeguarded. And when handled with care, it becomes storytelling, not spectacle.