From the blistering horniness of \u201cWuthering Heights<\/a>\u201d to the BDSM antics of \u201cPillion<\/a>\u201d and the cultural phenomena of \u201cHeated Rivalry<\/a>\u201d and \u201cBridgerton,\u201d 2026 has graced us with a lot<\/em> of sex scenes. It has also put a greater spotlight on one of the newest roles credited in our favorite shows and films: the intimacy coordinator<\/a>. That also comes with all kinds of creative people (well, mainly directors and actors) commenting on whether they like having them on set.\u00a0<\/p>\n IndieWire spoke directly with intimacy coordinators about their work, since \u2014\u00a0just like boom ops and gaffers \u2014 much of their on-set work is meant to be invisible. Still, myths and misconceptions are persistent. Let\u2019s break them down to help understand what an intimacy coordinator actually does.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Intimacy coordinators have been around longer than they\u2019ve been credited, or even before the credit existed. The sex scenes in the 1996 erotic crime thriller \u201cBound<\/a>\u201d were choreographed by feminist writer and sex educator Susie Bright, two decades before the \u201cintimacy coordinator\u201d title existed, but the #MeToo<\/a> movement spurred the role\u2019s prominence. SAG-AFTRA and ACTRA have since published nudity guidelines, and Bectu\u2019s Intimacy Coordinator Registry was established in the UK and Ireland, with defined training and experience levels.<\/p>\n Though the choreography of sex scenes has drawn fascination, it\u2019s also where there are deep misunderstandings about the role. <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a myth that we\u2019re there to say, \u2018This is exactly what\u2019s going to happen from every hand to shoulder moment, and nothing may deviate,\u2019\u201d Robbie Taylor Hunt, whose credits include \u201cPillion\u201d and \u201cRed, White and Royal Blue<\/a>,\u201d said.<\/p>\n Though that may be the case in some productions, Taylor Hunt said, \u201cIn my experience, you\u2019re creating a container in which it\u2019s clear where touch is going to happen and where it\u2019s not. If everyone involved wants there to be freedom within a container of choreography, I will put things in place so that you can explore, knowing that it\u2019s not going to cross a line.\u201d<\/p>\n To that point, \u201cHeated Rivalry\u201d intimacy coordinator Chala Hunter said that establishing specificities allows actors to tell the story of the scene. She gives the example: \u201cI could say \u2018kissing with an open mouth but no tongue.\u2019 Then it\u2019s up to the actors to imbue that with all of their spirit, character interpretation, and physical impulse.\u201d<\/p>\n An intimacy coordinator\u2019s job is more than overseeing a scene of simulated sex. Ideally, the process begins long before anyone steps on set. <\/p>\n For \u201cHeated Rivalry,\u201d a show where sex is how two ice hockey players communicate in their enemies-to-lovers arc, Hunter\u2019s first port of call was a full breakdown of every intimate scene in the scripts. <\/p>\n \u201cConnor [Storrie], Hudson [Williams], and I spoke for hours. We went through all of the actions, scene by scene, in the entire series,\u201d Hunter said. \u201cI talked through their consent levels, boundaries, and their feelings about the scenes in immense detail.\u201d<\/p>\n That information also translates into the extensive paperwork required for the job: a nudity rider (an agreement of the actor\u2019s consent submitted to performers at least 48 hours in advance), facilitating confidential discussions with cast and crew, sourcing modesty garments, and addressing extensive closed or sensitive set protocols.\u00a0<\/p>\n As you would imagine, Hunter has a watchful eye on intimate scenes; however, she\u2019s also looking at the moment within the show\u2019s wider arc. <\/p>\n \u201cI had a whole spreadsheet system tracking what episode we\u2019re in and what came before,\u201d Hunter said. She was present to serve as a reminder of the tension and desire that would linger from preceding moments, especially important when shooting non-chronologically; the first intimate scene they shot concluded Episode 2.<\/p>\n \u201cI was there to track these characters\u2019 journey and their relationship with each other,\u201d Hunter said. \u201cThat\u2019s how intimately, no pun intended, I approach the work.\u201d<\/p>\n Not unless you think there\u2019s nothing sexier than striving for realistic portrayals, perhaps. Intimacy coordinators help navigate between the push-pull of reality and tone, which inform the choreography of an intimate moment. For instance, Taylor Hunt crafted explicit dom-sub sex scenes in \u201cPillion\u201d as well as the swooning romantic beats of \u201cRed, White and Royal Blue.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cThe creative choreography work becomes very different, whether we\u2019re doing something more frank or we\u2019re more interested in feeling romantic and sexual,\u201d Taylor Hunt said. <\/p>\n Hunter echoed that sentiment, noting the tone of intimacy (whether graphic or doting) can be subtly crafted: \u201cHow bodies move, unconscious gestures or mannerisms, and ways of breathing communicate how we\u2019re feeling about another person or a moment in time.\u201d<\/p>\n The parameters of intimacy coordination are much broader than just sexual. \u201cIntimate content\u201d can be any bodily function, from defecation and urination to childbirth and breastfeeding. There are also calls for familial intimacy to be considered, Waldrop said, with child actors being picked up and kissed or cuddled by adult actors.<\/p>\n One may assume that nudity goes hand in hand with eroticism for intimacy coordinators, but that wasn\u2019t the case for \u201cWuthering Heights<\/a>\u201d intimacy coordinator Miriam Lucia. <\/p>\n \u201cNudity is almost simpler; it\u2019s clear,\u201d Lucia said of Emerald Fennell\u2019s titillating take on Emily Bront\u00eb\u2019s novel. \u201cWhen it comes to a scene where there is no nudity, you\u2019ve got to make sure it\u2019s clear what\u2019s going on; it\u2019s all about the tension.\u201d<\/p>\n Instead of explicit nudity, the film<\/a> rests on stars Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi to deliver the heady energy. Despite them being established actors, Lucia said, \u201cI had the same conversations that I would have with somebody less experienced.\u201d The dialogue can even be reciprocal, Lucia said, with actors contributing suggestions about movement or camera angles.<\/p>\n Adelaide Waldrop, whose credits include \u201cMickey 17<\/a>,\u201d \u201cHedda<\/a>,\u201d and \u201cBridget Jones: Mad About the Boy<\/a>,\u201d also highlights the importance of arriving at the production and setting aside preconceived notions about a performer. <\/p>\n Waldrop said, \u201cYou can have the most ripped heartthrob-type male actor who feels incredibly vulnerable taking his top off because of the expectations of male actors\u2019 physiques, it\u2019s sometimes just as vulnerable as a female presenting actor showing full nudity of her breasts.\u201d <\/p>\n![\"Witch](\"https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/witchhatatelier.jpeg?w=300&h=168&crop=1\")
<\/div>\nMyth #1: Intimacy Coordination Is a New Phenomenon<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Heated](\"https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/connor-storrie-hudson-williams_1.jpg?w=650\")
Myth #2: Intimacy Coordinators Are There to Simulate Sex<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Heated](\"https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/francois-arnaud-robbie-g-k-.jpg?w=650\")
Myth #3: Intimacy Coordinators Are Hired to Encourage Vulnerability<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"'Wuthering](\"https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/MCDWUHE_WB036_747a20.jpg?w=650\")
![\"MICKEY](\"https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/MCDMISE_WB042.jpg?w=650\")