Gwyneth Paltrow told intimacy coordinator to 'step back' before sex scenes with Timothee Chalamet

Actor Gwyneth Paltrow is making a comeback to the screen later this year with Josh Safdie's Marty Supreme. The A24 film stars Gwyneth alongside Timothee Chalamet, and in a recent interview, the actor spoke about the experience of filming it. Gwyneth told Vanity Fair that they filmed a 'lot of' sex scenes in the film, and at a point, she asked the intimacy coordinator to step back. (Also read: Jennifer Aniston has a strange and ‘old-fashioned’ take on intimate scenes)

Gwyneth Paltrow on intimate scenes with Timothee Chalamet

Gwyneth explained that she and Timothee's characters "have a lot of sex in this movie." This meant that an intimacy coordinator was on set to help the actors. But Gwyneth said she wasn't too comfortable with the concept. “There’s now something called an intimacy coordinator, which I did not know existed," she said, adding “I was like, ‘Girl, I’m from the era where you get naked, you get in bed, the camera’s on.’ ”

Gwyneth said she and Timothee asked the intimacy coordinator to step back and let them perform. “We said, ‘I think we’re good. You can step a little bit back’. I don’t know how it is for kids who are starting out, but…if someone is like, ‘Okay, and then he’s going to put his hand here,’ I would feel, as an artist, very stifled by that.”

Intimacy coordinators in film

The emergence of intimacy coordinators in films have divided actors and fans both. While many performers have praised the addition of the new crew member, saying it fosters a safe and professional working environment, many feel it is unnecessary. In an interview with Variety, Jennifer Aniston dismissed the need for one and said, “They asked us if we wanted an intimacy coordinator. I’m from the olden days, so I was like, ‘What does that mean?’” They said, ‘Where someone asks you if you’re OK,’ and I’m like, ‘Please, this is awkward enough!’ We’re seasoned — we can figure this one out.”

Gwyneth Paltrow's acting comeback

Gwyneth Paltrow has acted only sporadically in the last decade, appearing largely only as Pepper Potts in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, apart from doing some voice roles. Marty Supreme will be her first full-length feature film role since 2015. The film is slated to be released on Christmas 2025.