Florence Pugh Unveils 'Inappropriate' Sex Scene Demands From Unnamed Director

Florence Pugh has spoken out about an unsettling early-career experience, revealing that an unnamed director once made an 'inappropriate' request during the filming of a sex scene.

The actress, celebrated for performances in Midsommar, Little Women and Oppenheimer, shared the story on The Louis Theroux Podcast, using the moment to stress the vital role of intimacy coordinators in modern filmmaking.

The comments of one of Hollywood's most sought-after actresses highlight the industry's long-running struggle with boundaries, consent and professionalism behind the scenes—issues thrust into the spotlight during the MeToo movement and still evolving today.

The Shocking Demands: What the Director Asked

Florence Pugh shared candid insights during an appearance on a Podcast, where she spoke openly about a moment she has carried with her for years. The 29-year-old performer said she is generally confident on set and at ease in her own skin, but this experience left her uneasy.

Pugh claimed that the director, whose name she declined to identify, requested her to do something during a sex scene that immediately raised red flags. She did not define the request, but she made it evident that it violated a professional limit.

'I'm quite happy in my skin; I've always been able to make sure that I'm heard,' she said. 'But even then, I remember thinking, 'That isn't right.' I know I shouldn't have been asked to do that.'

She described the event as one of several early-career experiences that taught her how vulnerable artists can be in intimate scenes.

Why Intimacy Coordinators Became Essential After MeToo

Pugh's experience reflects a broader pattern Hollywood has been forced to confront. After the MeToo movement, studios began formally hiring intimacy coordinators to choreograph sex scenes and ensure actors are protected, respected and fully consenting.

'It's a job built on trust,' Pugh said, adding that the best coordinators 'make the whole environment safer and more effective.'

Their duties include:

• choreographing movements
• scripting physical beats
• setting boundaries in advance
• mediating communication between actors and directors
• ensuring no performer is pressured into anything unexpected

Pugh stressed that intimacy professionals allow actors to feel safe, saying: "It's about knowing you're never doing anything you don't want to do—and nothing you haven't rehearsed."

This marks a significant shift from earlier Hollywood practices, in which performers were often left to navigate awkward or unsafe demands on their own.

How Trained Coordinators Transform Sex Scenes

Working with qualified intimacy coordinators changed Pugh's life. She expresses her enthusiasm for how they break down scenes step by step, focusing on eye lines, body positions, and emotional tone. Intimacy coordinators are trained experts, sometimes with backgrounds in choreography, counselling, or stunt work, who serve as liaisons between the director and the actors to ensure clear communication about boundaries and gestures.

'It's how you begin by looking at each other, how long the eye contact is, how you break apart,' she informed. 'It becomes a kind of choreography, a way of working that respects everybody.'

She recalled one project in which the coordinator meticulously planned each moment, assuring that she and her co-star felt safe. 'I understood the dance of intimacy,' Pugh remarked, 'as opposed to just shooting a sex scene.'

Her remarks reflect those of performers such as Nicole Kidman, who has described intimacy professionals as necessary for interpreting emotionally charged material. 'And they know if they don't feel safe, there's access to changing that,' Kidman said.

A Divided Industry: Supporters and Sceptics

Despite its apparent benefits, Hollywood remains divided on intimacy coordinators. Some directors believe it limits creativity, while some actors worry it makes the set appear clinical. Others, including Robert Pattinson, have declined to assist depending on the nature of the job or their dynamic with a co-star.

Supporters say that intimacy coordinators remove uncertainty, protect actors from what they are 'unwilling to do', and prevent exploitative scenarios that were once uncontrollable.

However, Pugh's narrative reminds the industry why the role was formed in the first place. She adds that her suffering could have been completely avoided if a skilled professional had monitored the situation.

Pugh Calls for Accountability and Respect on Set

As Hollywood grapples with issues of exploitation and power imbalances, Pugh's message is clear: intimacy scenes should never be improvised or left to chance. Actors must be able to trust that they are heard and protected.

'There are good intimacy coordinators and bad ones,' she reminded, 'but the good ones have shown me how effective it can really be.'

Her narrative is not intended as a criticism of any particular filmmaker, but rather as a reminder that boundaries matter and that protecting artists should never be compromised.

With fresh faces entering the industry every year, Pugh thinks her honest opinion will help normalise discussions about safety and respect.