Jane Fonda Gets Candid About the Painful Truth Behind Her On-Screen Sex Scenes
At 87, the Oscar-winning actress is reflecting on her early career and revealing how much she wishes intimacy coordinators had existed back when she needed them the most.
However, Fonda's assertions differ from those of actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who earlier said she didn't need an intimacy coordinator while filming "Marty Supreme" alongside Timothée Chalamet.
Hollywood legend Fonda is once again sparking conversation, this time about the behind-the-scenes challenges many actors silently endured for decades.
While at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, the veteran actress revealed just how isolating and uncomfortable filming sex scenes could be during the early days of her career.
In an interview with Women's Wear Daily, Fonda was asked about how the film industry has changed since the rise of the #MeToo movement. She didn't hold back.
"Every time you begin a movie, you have training. What to do if there's a problem. That never happened," Fonda said per PEOPLE Magazine, noting how little guidance or protection there used to be on set.
"I wish that we had them when I was doing sex scenes because it's hard," she continued. "You want me to say to a guy you're supposed to look like you're in love with and you say, 'But please don't uncover my breast on the left side.' You know, you don't do that."
This isn't the first time Fonda has shared raw, personal stories about the emotional strain of her early film work.
In the 2022 documentary "Body Parts," directed by Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, Fonda spoke candidly about her experience in the 1968 sci-fi cult classic "Barbarella," in which she played a sensual space traveler.
"I was at a place in my life where if you were asked to do something, especially by a man, you did it," Fonda admitted.
In recent years, intimacy coordinators have become an essential part of film and television sets, ensuring actors feel safe and respected while filming intimate scenes.
Many modern-day stars have praised their presence, and like Fonda, some wish they had this support earlier in their careers.
Oscar winner Kate Winslet is among those who have opened up about the emotional weight of navigating these scenes alone.
"I would have benefited from an intimacy coordinator every single time I had to do a love scene or be partially naked or even a kissing scene," Winslet told The New York Times. "It would have been nice to have had someone in my corner, because I always had to stand up for myself."
Winslet also described moments she now wishes she had handled differently. "'I don't like that camera angle. I don't want to stand here full-frontal nude. I don't want this many people in the room. I want my dressing gown to be closer,'" she said. "Just little things like that."
"When you're young, you're so afraid of pissing people off or coming across as rude or pathetic because you might need those things," Winslet added. "So learning to have a voice for oneself in those environments was very, very hard."
Although many celebrities see the need for intimacy coordinators, Paltrow, who recently returned to serious acting, doesn't think it is necessary.
While reflecting on her intimate scenes with Timothée Chalamet in the movie, "Marty Supreme," Paltrow shared her thoughts on intimacy directors.
She told Vanity Fair, "There's now something called an intimacy coordinator, which I did not know existed."
Paltrow added, "When 'Marty Supreme's' intimacy coordinator asked me if I'd be comfortable with a particular move during the filming of an intimate scene, I was like, 'Girl, I'm from the era where you get naked, you get in bed, the camera's on.'"
She emphasized that she and Chalamet were able to handle the intimate scenes with minimal external supervision.
"We said, 'I think we're good. You can step a little bit back,'" she recalled. "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."
After news of Paltrow's comments went viral, film executive Caroline Hollick criticized her for downplaying the importance of intimacy coordinators in film.
Hollick, speaking at the "Series Mania" panel titled Let's Talk About Sex! (And Consent), described the comment as "irresponsible."
She added per Deadline, "As a powerful woman in Hollywood acting with a man younger than her, well I'm sure [Chalamet] is chill but I thought it was quite an irresponsible thing to say."
Hollick stressed that intimacy coordinators play a crucial role on set, saying, "Bringing an intimacy coordinator on set empowers an actor because there is someone on side who is there to fight for them."
She highlighted how directors, producers, and writers all have their own agendas, but coordinators support the performer's comfort and safety.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Forbes
5 hours ago
- Forbes
Today's NYT Mini Crossword Clues And Answers For Monday, July 28th
Looking for help with today's NYT Mini Crossword puzzle? Here are some hints and answers for the ... More puzzle. In case you missed Sunday's NYT Mini Crossword puzzle, you can find the answers here: We've officially reached the end of July, with just a couple days left in the month after today. Friday kicks off August, so I guess you're stuck with me for the remainder of the month when it comes to these Mini Crossword guides. Speaking of which, let's solve today's! The NYT Mini is a smaller, quicker, more digestible, bite-sized version of the larger and more challenging NYT Crossword, and unlike its larger sibling, it's free-to-play without a subscription to The New York Times. You can play it on the web or the app, though you'll need the app to tackle the archive. Spoilers ahead! Before we get to the answers, here's the first letter for each word in today's Mini. Across 1A. Courtroom prosecutors, for short – D 4A. Fails to mention – O 7A. Finished the season on a hot streak – W 9A. Subtle distinction – N 10A. See 1-Down – R Down 1D. With 10-Across, completely and utterly – D 2D. Love, in French – A 3D. Mount where Moses received the Ten Commandments – S 5D. Grab from the grill with a gripper – T 6D. "There's no ___ thing!" – S 8D. Vietnamese New Year – T Okay, onto the answers! Remember, spoilers ahead! Across 1A. Courtroom prosecutors, for short – DAS 4A. Fails to mention – OMITS 7A. Finished the season on a hot streak – WON OUT 9A. Subtle distinction – NUANCE 10A. See 1-Down – RIGHT Down 1D. With 10-Across, completely and utterly – DEAD 2D. Love, in French – AMOUR 3D. Mount where Moses received the Ten Commandments – SINAI 5D. Grab from the grill with a gripper – TONG 6D. "There's no ___ thing!" – SUCH 8D. Vietnamese New Year – TET Today's NYT Mini This was a clever Mini Crossword thanks to 1-Down and 10-Across. Combine them and you get 'downright' which does mean 'completely and utterly' but also, the first word goes DOWN and the other goes RIGHT and I find that sort of thing clever if a bit trickier to solve. Indeed, I didn't get there until the end, having made my way (rather slowly, I should add) through the rest of this Mini. I found it a lot more challenging than yesterday's. I got DAS right off the bat, but then struggled with the other Across words. AMOUR and SINAI got me back on track, and then TONG and SUCH were simple enough. I was able to backtrack and get the rest of the Across words from there, finally ending on RIGHT/TET after 1:39. How did you do? Let me know on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. If you also play Wordle, I write guides about that as well. You can find those and all my TV guides, reviews and much more here on my blog. Thanks for reading!


USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
At his first Comic-Con, George Lucas previews Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
SAN DIEGO – George Lucas has amassed 50 years of cool stuff, and now he's going to have a place to put it. Even better, you can see it, too. Original sketches, paintings and assorted illustrations from the 'Star Wars' creator's personal collection – plus quite a bit representing that galaxy far, far away − will be on display at the new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. The building is under construction in Los Angeles' Exposition Park, will open in 2026, and is dedicated to 'cultural fantasy,' Lucas said. The Hollywood icon was joined on Sunday, July 27, at a Comic-Con panel about the museum by 'Star Wars' illustrator and production designer Doug Chiang, Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, and moderator Queen Latifah. It was Lucas' first time at Comic-Con in his legendary career, earning a standing ovation from the 6,500 faithful in Hall H. But instead of waxing nostalgic about "Star Wars" and his movies, Lucas previewed the creation of his passion project. Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox A video narrated by Samuel L. Jackson took the crowd on a tour of what will be in the space, from an exhibit on myths through the ages to displays featuring artists like Norman Rockwell, Frank Frazetta, Jack Kirby and R. Crumb. Some of the works in the museum include the first Flash Gordon character drawing from 1934 ('You can see all the smudges,' Latifah noted), original 'Peanuts' sketches from the 1950s and '60s, and an original drawing of the 'Iron Man' No. 1 cover from 1968. 'Star Wars' fans will find plenty to love, too, including actual vehicles like a Naboo starfighter from Lucas' prequel movies and speeder bikes from 'Return of the Jedi.' And here's another fun fact: The museum architecture contains no right angles, only curves. Lucas, 81, has collected 40,000 pieces of art in the past five decades. 'It occurred to me: What am I going to do with it all?' he said. 'I'm not going to sell it. I could never do that. It's not what art is.' He called the museum a "temple to the people's art" and discussed that art is "a personal thing" to us, "not how much it cost or what celebrity did it or whatever. And I don't think it's anything that anybody else can tell you, 'That's art, that's not art.' It doesn't work that way. If you have an emotional connection, then it's art. "I've discovered just from my experience of making movies and things that other people's opinions don't mean much." Del Toro, a board member for the Lucas museum, appreciates "the pieces we have that celebrate freedom from anarchy," he said. "Comics were the first one to punch Nazis before movies." And with art, "we're not eternal. But what we hold and cherish is." The recent fires made del Toro worry a little about his own large collection. "I draw the line at three houses full of stuff," he said with a laugh. "Now that this museum exists, maybe some of it goes there." And the Lucas museum very much reflects the man whose name is on it, said Chiang, whose own work will be on display. "George leads from the heart, and this museum is him. My hope is that it will inspire the next Norman Rockwell or Frank Frazetta."


USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
Tom Lehrer, singer and influential political satirist, dies at 97: Reports
Singer-songwriter Tom Lehrer, a satirist who gained prominence in the 1950s and 1960s for his acerbic take on politics and social life, has died, according to reports. He was 97. Lehrer died on Saturday, July 26, at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Lehrer's friend David Herder confirmed to The New York Times and The Associated Press. A cause of death was not disclosed. Representatives for Lehrer were not available for comment at the time of publication. Born in New York City to parents Morris and Anna Lehrer in April 1928, Lehrer showed a penchant for musical composition early on. The precocious musician began studying classical piano at the age of 7 and later pivoted to pop music. Around this time, Lehrer began composing show tunes, which would become the basis of his songwriting prowess. Lehrer displayed a similar level of mastery in his academic life. After graduating from the Loomis Chaffee School, a college preparatory school in Windsor, Connecticut, Lehrer enrolled at Harvard University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics. Lehrer's musical direction began to take shape during his time at the Ivy League university. He often wrote comic songs to entertain his friends, including the satirical college fight song "Fight Fiercely, Harvard." Lehrer later put together the "Physical Revue," a compilation of his academic satire songs named after the scientific journal Physical Review. Lehrer performed his parodies at coffeehouses and student gatherings throughout the Cambridge, Massachusetts, area. As interest in his music grew among the Harvard University student body, Lehrer went into the studio and recorded his debut album, "Songs by Tom Lehrer." Ozzy Osbourne dies: Black Sabbath singer and heavy metal icon was 76 The 10" LP, recorded in a one-hour studio session that cost $15, quickly sold out its 400-copy pressing and, after several reissues, reportedly went on to sell 350,000 copies. The album was rereleased in 1997 and inducted into the National Recording Registry in 2004. In a retrospective review of the album for the National Recording Registry, author Ronald L. Smith reflected that Lehrer pioneered the "sick" comedy genre. "The love song 'I Hold Your Hand in Mine' was about a severed hand. 'Be Prepared' urged Boy Scouts to pimp their sisters," Smith wrote. "'My Home Town' gleefully recalled a collection of idiots, perverts and the store owner named Dan: 'He was swell. He killed his mother-in-law and ground her up real well. And sprinkled just a bit over each banana split.'" Lehrer obtained a master's degree from Harvard in 1947 and remained in the school's doctoral program for several years, even amid his burgeoning music career. He also taught at universities such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of California, Santa Cruz, and his own alma mater, Harvard. Malcolm-Jamal Warner dies in drowning: 'Cosby Show' star was 54 Tom Lehrer becomes satire legend despite short-lived career Aside from his intellectual and musical pursuits, Lehrer also enjoyed a two-year stint in the U.S. Army after he was drafted in 1955. His military experience, which involved working at the National Security Agency, provided ample inspiration for his songwriting. Lehrer's sophomore album, 1959's "More of Tom Lehrer," featured the track "It Makes a Fellow Proud to Be a Soldier." Lehrer released his final album, the live record "That Was the Year That Was," in 1965, which earned him a top 20 entry on the Billboard 200 chart. Following a tour of Sweden, Denmark and East Germany in 1967, the witty singer-songwriter retreated from the spotlight, per the National Recording Registry. Lehrer didn't leave music fully behind, however. The musician, joining the faculty of the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 1972, taught a musical theater course in addition to teaching mathematics. Despite his relatively short career, Lehrer has inspired several musicians and satirists over the years, including "Weird Al" Yankovic, Swedish actor Lars Ekborg and Argentinian singer Nacha Guevara. Lehrer was not married at the time of his death. He had no children.