Jane Fonda shares view on intimacy coordinators after decades working without them

Jane Fonda has weighed in on the debate surrounding the use of intimacy coordinators on film sets, having worked for decades without one.

The 87-year-old has led an award-winning career spanning six decades of film, television and theatre. The use of intimacy coordinators are a comparatively new phenomena, introduced to the entertainment industry following the #MeToo movement and allegations of sexual abuse and harassment on set.

The role of an intimacy coordinator is multifaceted, with SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) defining it as: “Liaisons between actors and production, and movement coaches and/or choreographers on scenes that involve nudity, simulated sex and other hyper-exposed scenes.”

Their inclusion on film sets, however, has caused some controversy within the industry, with some actors and directors failing to see their use. Gwyneth Paltrow, Michael Douglas and Sean Bean are among the stars to have voiced their reservations on the subject.

Fonda recently waded into the debate in a new interview with Women’s Wear Daily.

“I wish that we had them when I was doing sex scenes because it’s hard,” she told the publication. “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.”

The roles of coordinators can include handling “modesty garments”, breath mints, and hand sanitiser. It also entails the choreographing of sex scenes, and ensuring everyone on set, including wardrobe and camera assistants, are fully prepared for shoots and comfortable asking for a break, or a support session with a psychotherapist.

Some celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow have refused to work with coordinators.

“There’s now something called an intimacy coordinator, which I did not know existed,” she told the Vanity Fair about her time acting with Timothée Chalamet on the set of their forthcoming film Marty Supreme.

“I was like: ‘Girl, I’m from the era where you get naked, you get in bed, the camera’s on.” Paltrow went on, explaining that she and Chalamet didn’t feel they needed to rely on the coordinator.

“We said, ‘I think we’re good. You can step a little bit back,’” said the actor.

Fonda won two Oscars for her performances in Klute (1971) and Coming Home (1978). She is also known for playing the titular lead in Barbarella (1968). Other performances include Barefoot in the Park (1967) and The Morning After (1986).

More recently, she starred opposite Lily Tomlin in Grace and Frankie, a hit Netflix comedy about two aging women who form an unlikely friendship. The show came to an end after seven seasons in 2022.