The film industry has always been known for portraying sex and sexuality, and sex scenes are a common feature in many movies and T.V. shows. These scenes can range from subtle gestures to explicit depictions of physical intimacy. However, while some actors embrace these scenes as part of their craft, others feel uncomfortable or even refuse to perform them.
This discomfort is understandable, as sex scenes can be highly intimate and personal moments, requiring actors to physically and emotionally expose themselves. The pressure to perform these scenes can be incredibly high for actors who are just starting out in the industry or trying to break into more mature roles.
Even though the industry pressures them, many famous people have turned down sex scenes, often citing personal reasons. Join FactsVerse as we explore some of the most notable examples of these celebrities and the motivations behind their decisions.
Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker has become renowned as the real-life Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City due to her impeccable taste in apparel and shoes. Parker has been very vocal throughout her career about refusing to strip for any film or television show. According to Business Insider, SJP has a “no nudity” policy in her contract, so she won’t be involved in any love scenes that require her to strip down to nothing. Beyond that, Parker’s contract strictly forbids the employment of body doubles in any sexually suggestive scenes featuring the actress. The presence of these clauses caused a problem on the set of a movie she worked on, despite her generally positive experiences with producers, showrunners, and directors.
Denzel Washington
In the 2013 film The Pelican Brief, which starred Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts, he resisted the opportunity to steal a passionate kiss from his co-star. Indeed, this is shocking news to receive, and some would question why he made that decision. In response to the speculation about his behavior, he said he was trying to avoid upsetting his Black female fan base. To a similar extent, many media outlets have speculated that this is because he is sensitive to the possibility of alienating his fans by conforming to Hollywood’s stereotyped beauty ideals.
Julia Roberts
This actress has been working for over three decades, and despite her extensive resume, which includes a wide variety of roles, she insists that she will never strip down for the camera. During an interview in 2007, she provided the following clarification: “To act with my clothes on is a performance, and to act with my clothes off is a documentary.”
Anna Kendrick
Like the many female actresses on this list, Anna Kendrick feels the same about having to strip for romantic moments. In each episode of Anna Kendrick’s new series, Love Life, viewers will observe her exchanging passionate kisses or climbing into bed with a different potential romantic interest. The American actress claims that she had no issues with acting out sexual situations for the show but that she would not participate in any sequences that required her to be nude.
She explained that she has never had an issue recording simulated sex scenes because she believes they are more about the role than her, whereas nudity is more about her.
Mandy Moore
Mandy Moore is an accomplished vocalist who has also acted in several films and has gained widespread recognition as the lead character on the hit NBC drama “This Is Us.” She also has decided that no reason or amount of money will convince her to undress for the camera. According to her, it would be really awkward to go down the street knowing that someone who had passed by had seen her without any clothing on. She stated that this would make her feel extremely uncomfortable. Accordingly, she has refused countless roles because of inflexible casting directors and won’t compromise on them.
Lena Headey
In the enthralling television show “Game of Thrones,” there was a lot of romance, excitement, and fight scenes, as well as other episodes in which the characters would reveal everything about themselves. However, Lena Headey did not feel comfortable showing off all of her curves, so she worked with a body double for those scenes. Responding to criticism of her choice, she insisted that she was not motivated by pride.
Candace Cameron Bure
Candace has participated in romantic scenes in the past, but as the years have progressed, she has decided to partake in them less frequently since she does not feel comfortable kissing more than one man at a time. Being a mainstay of seasonal and other romantically themed films, it’s reasonable to assume that she’d want to play it cool during passionate sequences in hopes of avoiding having to kiss men in T.V. shows or movies repeatedly. It’s not hard to see why she feels this way, given that she’s getting older.
Neal McDonough
Neal doesn’t seem like the type of guy who needs to force himself into romantic sequence since, frankly, he looks completely breathtaking without trying. However, he has already stated that, because of his religion, he cannot engage in romantic scenes because he would feel guilty. It’s simple to admire someone like him, who has strong morals and doesn’t want to do anything to bring shame on his religion or his partner. Also, he seems like the type of person who would be cheering for the demolition team in a movie, rather than sneaking off to make out with a bartender.
Kirk Cameron
known for his role in Growing Pains, Kirk is the brother of Candace Cameron Bure. Like Neal, Kirk isn’t willing to dishonor his wife in any way. Though his justifications for avoiding a love sequence in a film are understandable, Kirk has always been a tad irritating because he has a habit of imposing his beliefs and morals on others. It’s admirable when someone sticks up for their ideas, as doing so is justifiable and easy to appreciate. Although this is the case, it is prudent to avoid excessive preaching, as many individuals are offended by such efforts.
Rachel Bilson
Rachel Bilson is most known for her role as Summer Roberts, a popular high school student, on The O.C. She has also appeared in other notable television shows, such as Hart of Dixie. There is some room for negotiation when it comes to kissing sequences, but beyond that, Rachel is not interested. She told Women’s Weekly that she wouldn’t participate in any love scenes that required her to remove any clothing. Going nude is virtually a deal breaker for her, and she thinks movies may be erotic or sexual without displaying things. Consequently, she lost a role due to her belief in an R-rated movie.
Dwayne Johnson
While Dwayne has acted in love moments before, he has largely avoided them in recent years in favor of playing the action hero, husband, and father in a number of films. This decision has paid huge dividends for the actor. He doesn’t have to be much more than a shirtless mannequin for the ladies just because of his size and muscle tone. If you’ve been keeping up with his recent work, you’ve probably noticed that he’s been playing a lot of roles in which he’s a parent, a husband, or a character who is more concerned with saving the world than looking for love.
Will Smith
You probably don’t think of Will Smith as the type of actor who would say no to doing a love scene, but he actually did that once. It has been reported by The Whisp.mommyish that he once refused to do a passionate scene with a same-sex actor in a film. Later, he elaborated on his decision, explaining that he simply wasn’t in the right place mentally or emotionally to explore that facet of acting fully.
Janet Jackson
Although Janet Jackson is more known as a singer, she really had a starring role in the 1993 film Poetic Justice. According to The List, she insisted that Tupac Shakur have a blood test because she was unwilling to kiss him if the results came back negative. That’s unexpected and not the kind of stuff you typically hear.
Megan Fox
Megan Fox is yet another actress who has stated that she is not completely at ease performing a love scene in which she would be stripping her clothes off. Megan stated that she recently declined a role in an HBO series because she didn’t want to participate in those things, which she felt were demeaning to the actress portraying the character.
Lindsay Lohan
Given that she hasn’t always been viewed as the most moral person in the world for much of her career, you might ask what harm would acting sex scenes could possibly do to Lohan’s reputation. However, when she had to do an intimate scene with Charlie Sheen in Scary Movie 5, she had a body double. There have been speculations that she has been making an effort to turn her luck around by acting like a good girl, so to speak, but many people have a hard time maintaining this belief. Unfortunately, she has established a reputation, whether deserved or not, as someone who would likely do everything to get her career back, so avoiding love scenes may be one method to combat this perception.
Penn Badgley
The “You” actor has said he no longer wants to perform sexually charged sequences. It could look like he’s finished with the romantic lead role, but that’s not the case. Badgley revealed that his marriage is one of the reasons he no longer feels comfortable performing sex scenes in movies or television shows. The actor tied the knot with the singer in 2017, and in 2020 they became parents to their first kid together. He has specifically requested that there be no sexually explicit content included in the current season of his wildly popular Netflix series.
We’ve seen many famous people who have chosen to refuse to do sexually explicit acts on screen, whether it’s because of their personal values or the pressures they face in the entertainment industry. It’s important to respect their choices, but it’s not always easy. There have been significant changes in Hollywood and society’s expectations for how sex and relationships should be portrayed on screen, providing more options for actors regarding these issues. Ultimately, every actor has the right to decide what they are comfortable with and what they are not, and we should all strive to be more inclusive and understanding of these critical and sensitive topics.
That’s all for this video; it’s time to hear from you. Which actor/actress are you most and least surprised to find on the list?
