10 Actors Who Actually Did It On Set
#10: Kerry Fox & Mark Rylance
“Intimacy” (2001) With a name like that, it’s no surprise that the lead characters would get intimate a lot in this two-hour film. As if that wasn’t controversial enough, it turns out that very little of it was staged. Allegedly, famed French director Patrice Chéreau pushed heavily for authentic reactions, and that meant a ton of actual friction in the sheets. Keep in mind, Fox and Rylance were both in long-term relationships at the time. In the years since, Rylance has admitted he was uncomfortable with how far he and Fox went in those scenes. But, unfortunately, they’re immortalized on film either way.
#9: The Whole Cast
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“Shortbus” (2006) This flick opens with some graphic self-pleasure, and only gets lewder from there. No matter if the characters are alone, with someone else, or in a massive crowd, almost every single scene ends with something R-rated. None of it could be fake, either, as that would’ve ruined the point of the film. After all, the whole pitch behind “Shortbus” was to convey intimate romance in a more cinematic manner. They definitely committed to the bit; particularly in the last scene. We can’t show what happens, but take our word for it: this is not a movie to watch with your parents.
#8: Willem Dafoe & Charlotte Gainsbourg’s Body Doubles
“Antichrist” (2009) It’s clear from the very first scene that the affection in this movie isn’t the kind you can fake. Let’s just say it gets very up-close and personal. Instead, the only question remaining is whether that’s actually Willem Dafoe’s equipment or not. The answer? A resounding no. Both he and his co-star were in happy marriages at the time, so they had body doubles come in for the steamier scenes. Even so, what you see onscreen is still very much real. Just not with the faces you think. Although, to be fair, the mountain of explicit content isn't even the most jarring part of this surrealist horror film.
#7: Kristine De Bell & Juliet Graham
“Alice in Wonderland” (1976) In this R-rated fairy tale, Wonderland is reimagined as a vessel for Alice to explore her sexuality. In fact, the film was originally conceived as a hardcore feature, going as far as casting several prolific adult film stars. While those elements were slightly toned down for the wide release, there’s still plenty of unfiltered love scenes. Especially with Alice herself, Kristine De Bell. At the very least, Queen of Hearts actress Juliet Graham has confirmed that their racy moment was 100% real. If that’s the case, we wouldn’t be surprised if De Bell’s other work in the film was authentic, too. Given all that, it’s no wonder this movie struggled to find distribution.
#6: Bill Paxton
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“Taking Tiger Mountain” (1983) To set the stage, this micro-budget sci-fi was filmed in black-and-white, without sound, and primarily using townspeople from neighboring areas. With all that in mind, it’s not too shocking to hear that they didn’t splurge on body doubles, either. That’s how we ended up with a movie where you see a young Bill Paxton receiving a very frank kind of pleasure. As he claims himself, they simply met some girls, and asked them if they’d be on camera without clothes. They said yes, and the rest is history. Later, in 2016, the film was restored and re-released as “Taking Tiger Mountain Revisited.” Now, you can enjoy Bill Paxton’s “method-acting” in all its 4K glory.
#5: Kieran O'Brien & Margo Stilley
“9 Songs” (2004) On the first day of filming, these two leads had a scene where they met up and kissed. It wasn’t until after lunch that the real graphic stuff began. There’s no sugarcoating it; we’re talking about the kind of content that required them to use condoms. Putting aside the film’s highly-controversial material, you’ve got to respect how game O’Brien and Stilley were. Even in a runtime of just 70 minutes, they really let the camera show all of it. And we do literally mean all of it, to the point “9 Songs” was initially rated X in Australia. Say what you want about this love story, but you can’t say it lacks passion, that’s for sure.
#4: Chloë Sevigny & Vincent Gallo
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“The Brown Bunny” (2004) Vincent Gallo wore a lot of hats for the making of this movie. He was the director, the writer, the producer and the lead actor. Infamously, he was also the recipient of some one-sided love-making from his co-star, Chloë Sevigny. Warranted or not, this incredibly candid moment sucked all the air out of the movie’s marketing campaign. For what it’s worth, Sevigny has defended the film and complemented Gallo’s sensitive approach to the subject matter. However, she also described it as the toughest thing she’s ever done. Despite all the dust it originally kicked up, “The Brown Bunny” has since been reevaluated as a damning critique of sexual exploitation.
#3: Robert Pattinson
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“Little Ashes” (2008) If one thing’s for certain, it’s that no one can accuse Robert Pattinson of phoning in a performance. Case in point: his work in the 2008 flick, “Little Ashes.” When he signed on to play Salvador Dalí, the script required him to get very, very cozy with his own body. But, Pattinson wasn’t content just acting it out. He further explained that faking something like that just “doesn’t work.” So, for the sake of cinema, Pattinson let the camera capture him as he really went for it. Unfortunately, his committed work didn’t save “Little Ashes” from getting torched by critics. Guess that kind of stuff doesn’t always sell.
#2: Melvin Van Peebles
“Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song” (1971) It’s not hyperbole to say this movie would not have been made without all of its erotic setpieces. See, director Melvin Van Peebles didn’t have the time or budget for counterfeit love scenes. Instead, he personally stepped up to the plate for all of “Sweetback’s” uncensored acts, and there’s a lot of them. There are so many that Van Peebles ended up contracting a sexually transmitted disease. However, he turned that tragedy into cold, hard cash by successfully filing for an injury on the job. The funds he received through worker’s compensation helped Van Peebles finish the movie on time. Talk about finding success in unexpected places.
#1: Sienna Miller & Hayden Christensen
“Factory Girl” (2006) If the rumors are to be believed, these lovebirds had a lot of fun on the set of this biopic. That’s plain to see in how convincing their romantic scenes are. Some might say, too convincing. “Factory Girl” hadn’t even hit theaters yet when early reports claimed that Miller and Christensen weren’t always acting during intimate moments. The official release only fueled the fire, with many fans finding their storyline oddly passionate. Miller’s publicist said it was just really good acting, but an insider reported that everyone’s assumptions were right: Christensen and Miller had really done it on camera. It seems that all is fair in love and movies.
