Gwyneth Paltrow’s thoughts on working with intimacy coordinators for her upcoming film with Timothée Chalamet might not go over too well with the internet.
After a soft retirement, Paltrow, 52, returned to acting for her first major role in 15 years in Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme which is set to release in theaters on December 25, a release date that is leading many film fans to assume the comedy-drama is a 2026 Oscars contender.
When Paltrow spoke to Vanity Fair about working on the film after a long hiatus, it was clear that a lot had changed in her time away from screen.
“There’s now something called an intimacy coordinator, which I did not know existed,” Paltrow said, alluding to filming sex scenes with Chalamet, 29. The A Complete Unknown actor plays the titular character, a 1950s ping-pong champion and hustler who seems to be having a fling with Paltrow’s character. Photos of the pair filming a makeout scene set the internet ablaze back in October.
While Paltrow seems to embrace the changes Hollywood has made in the years since the #MeToo movement, which she helped ignite, she says she and Chalamet opted to minimize their use of intimacy coordinators.
“We said, ‘I think we’re good. You can step a little bit back,’” Paltrow said. “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.”
Paltrow and Chalamet’s choice to not rely on an intimacy coordinator is one all actors have a right to exercise but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t illicit strong reactions online. Back in December, Best Actress winner Mikey Madison received backlash when she revealed that she didn’t work with an intimacy coordinator for the film.
“It was a choice that I made that the filmmakers offered to me if I wanted to bring on an intimacy coordinator or not,” Madison said during Variety‘s Actors on Actors series.
After sparking a spirited debate online, Variety spoke to intimacy coordinators in the industry who rejected Madison’s stance.
“We’re hearing from the people who have the most power on this set, but they can’t speak for how every extra felt on the film,” noted Lauren Kiele DeLeon. Others put blame on the film’s director and producer, Sean Baker. “What became really obvious to me is that [Baker] neglects to understand the power dynamics that are inherent on set,” intimacy coordinator Marci Liroff said. “It is next to impossible for a performer to say no to someone who has hiring and firing power.”
Given the sensitivity around the topic, Paltrow is walking a dangerous line with her statements but she’s characteristically nonchalant about it. “I was like, ‘Okay, great. I’m 109 years old. You’re 14,’” she said of filming sex scenes with Chalamet.
Before you go, click here to see all the actors who have shared their experiences with working with intimacy coordinators.
