Intimacy coordinators have become standard practice on film and TV sets. Notably, the years following the #MeToo movement have seen a clear need for these specialists to support actors on set in various ways.
Recently, I had the privilege of chatting with Mattea Kennedy, an intimacy coordinator with over 25 years of experience in multiple disciplines in film, TV and theater. We dove into the importance of having an intimacy coordinator on set, what she does, what a day on set looks like for her and more.
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This interview is condensed for length and clarity.
Melody McCune: We at Geek Girl Authority love a good origin story. What’s your origin story? How did you become an intimacy coordinator?
Mattea Kennedy: I started my career in live theater in London, England. I was a stage manager. That’s somebody who is in rehearsal and working with the director and performers. We unofficially did the job of intimacy coordinator before that role existed. Other departments would also step in and do their part, [such as] the wardrobe department, the makeup department or even the props department. We all would pick up the slack because there was no official person. So, I have a good background because I spent thousands of hours in rehearsal working closely with directors and performers.
MM: What exactly does an intimacy coordinator do?
MK: An intimacy coordinator is a specialist. We are brought in where there is nudity and partial nudity. That means sheer clothing or very minimal, see-through clothing or something like that, or implied nudity where we see somebody’s knees in a bathtub scene.
It could also be for a simulated sex scene or where there’s really hypersensitive material. So, maybe people aren’t connecting physically, but perhaps a character is speaking to another character about sex they had, and it’s graphic. We would call that hypersensitive material.
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MM: Why is it necessary to have one on set?
MK: Well, that comes from a few different directions. Firstly, performers deserve to clearly understand what their workday will bring. An intimacy coordinator can ask those questions upfront. So, when we see a script that says, “They fall to the bed and make passionate love,” that might be the only stage direction we get. But what does that mean? We don’t want the performer to figure it out on the day.
That is why an intimacy coordinator can talk to the director in advance and say, for example, “What is the tone? What are you looking for? How long do you think the scene is? What are the beats you are trying to achieve? Give us the outline of what this is in your mind.”
We will take that information to the performer and work with them to determine their boundaries and ensure they’re “risk-aware.” That means they know what we’re asking them to do beyond a normal day on set. So, that’s one side of it.
The other is it’s really good for production. It’s great for production to have this ethos where they stand by their production values and say, “We want a dedicated professional. We want someone who’s a specialist.” We would never expect a performer to perform a stunt without a stunt coordinator. By the same token, we don’t expect a performer to perform a simulated sex scene without a specialist.
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MM: Have there been any changes in the industry post- #MeToo movement? If not, what can the industry do to effectively change how intimacy is depicted on screen?
MK: That is an aspect. There have been changes. Sometimes, necessity is the mother of invention. Our industry—which is newer, so seven-ish years since its inception—strives to answer the call of the Time’s Up and #MeToo movements. We acknowledge, see and hear what has happened in the greater culture, and then in our industry, we answer that call and respond by providing this role.
MM: What’s a typical day on set like for you?
MK: It can be varied, depending on what we’re shooting. The first thing to do is always check in with the AD department, the assistant director, and make sure we are clear about what the day is. Once that information is secure, I will always check in with my performers at the top of the day. That is because for any scenes of nudity, implied nudity, simulated sexual content or very hypersensitive material, they will get what’s called a rider to their contract. They used to be called nudity riders.
We’re hopefully standardizing them as intimacy riders. This is to double-check that everything they’ve agreed to in the already negotiated rider still feels good. This is really important. For example, let’s say we have a performer, and they’ll be tied upside down, dangling out of a tree naked for whatever reason.
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They talked about that with their agent, they understand the risk, they’re very comfortable with it, they know exactly what’s being asked of them and everybody’s in agreement. Then, on the day, they say, “Do you know what? I’m so good with upside down in the tree, but I think I would prefer if I could have one wardrobe piece to have my genitals covered.”
We can always take the content off the table on the shooting day, but we would never say, “You’re going to be in a swimsuit, and that’s what’s agreed to in the rider.” And then, on the day, say, “Let’s try it with the swimsuit off.” You would never do that. We can always have less content and less nudity. We can always tell the story another way. But we will never go beyond the boundaries expressed in the performer’s rider.
A critical part of the beginning of the day is to double-check that they still feel great. Once that’s done, they actually sign that hard copy on the day if they haven’t done it already. Then, I will check in with their scene partner. Maybe they have more than one scene partner. Perhaps it’s a solo scene. Then, I’ll bring the cast together.
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So, say we have two people performing the passionate love they make on the bed. We’ve checked in with both people; they’re still really comfortable with everything expressed in the riders. The three of us go through the beats of those boundaries to remind somebody, “This person has a cracked rib. You can’t lean on their left thigh. Remember, double-check: did you not have peanuts this morning? We’ve got an anaphylactic person on set.” We run through it all again because we don’t know. Did they remember? How late did they work last night? How many shows are they on right now?
The intimacy coordinator reminds everybody of the boundaries, what we’ve agreed to and about their scene partner. Then, we go to blocking. We’ll do that on a closed set. That will be private, with the intimacy coordinator and the director.
Sometimes, the director is clear about what they want. Other times, they will hand it to the intimacy coordinator and say, “So, they fall onto the bed; we’ve agreed it’s five minutes, and these are the positions we’re looking for. Go away for 10 minutes; show me what you’ve got.” Or sometimes the director will be absolutely clear. “Here are the shots; this is what we’re doing.”
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Rehearsal on the shooting day is not long—10 minutes would be a luxury. Once that’s done, we have what’s called crew blocking. That means the other professionals come in—lighting, grips, props, wardrobe, whoever needs to see what this is. Then, it’s performed fully clothed. Everything is just blocked. It means you mark through the beats of movement.
The real take means the cameras are rolling; we do it for real. Whatever that simulation is, be very careful to remember that all sex on camera is simulated without a pornography license.
Also, the art of the intimacy coordinator is to ensure we provide modesty garments and barriers. We’re looking at body angles and making sure people look aroused if they’re supposed to look aroused because we understand, as human animals, what physiological signs of arousal look like. Part of my job is to make sure I’m helping the performers display some of those physiological signs.
Of course, I’m helped by my colleagues in the makeup department, and wardrobe people will help with modesty garments, maybe barrier wear. But I will look at that on the monitor when we’re shooting to ensure it has the realism and naturalism the director wants. When we’re done, I’ll check back in with the performers to make sure they feel comfortable, ask if anything came up for them and help them potentially decompress from the scene.
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MM: Do you have a favorite project you’ve worked on?
MK: Every project is so different. I find it fulfilling to work with anybody who says to me at the end of the day, “I didn’t think I needed an intimacy coordinator. I didn’t think it would add anything; you added so much. You helped me feel so confident.”
That helps me feel I’ve done a good job. My analogy is that it’s like someone swimming in a race. Maybe I don’t even know how to swim. I’m not their coach or manager, but I am in the bleachers for that swimmer. I’ve got their back, and I’m their person. It would feel different for them to swim that race if I wasn’t there.
Those days feel really good when a performer or director feels supported and gets what they need, even if it appears passive. A lot of the work happens before we step onto the set. I’ve enjoyed working with younger, emerging artists because they have a core understanding of the need for and appreciation of the role. It’s also nice to support people at the beginning of their careers because I know moving forward, they would never contemplate performing a scene with intimacy without a dedicated professional.
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MM: What else is on the horizon for you?
MK: I worked on a beautiful movie directed and written by Molly McGlynn, Fitting In, now screening across Canada. That was a really exciting project. I was involved in 30 scenes. A huge amount. That stars Maddie Ziegler, Emily Hampshire, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai and Djouliet Amara.
Probably coming out in late 2024-early 2025 is another incredible piece, Everything’s Going to Be Great, with Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Allison Janney and Bryan Cranston.
MM: Thank you for chatting with me, Mattea!
MK: Thank you, Melody!
Fitting In will be available on VOD on March 17. Be sure to visit Mattea’s official site to learn more about her background and intimacy coordination.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
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