Liam Neeson Supports 'You' Star Penn Badgley's Sex Scene Criticism
KEY POINTS
- Liam Neeson said he doesn't like to do sex scenes
- Neeson shared that he gets "embarrassed" when watching intimate scenes
- Penn Badgley revealed that he discussed his wish to no longer film sex scenes with "You" creator Sera Gamble
Liam Neeson has joined "You" star Penn Badgley in speaking out against sex scenes.
Neeson, 70, got candid on his view of sex scenes during a new interview, admitting that he was uncomfortable with both filming and watching intimate scenes.
"I'll be honest, when I see a sex scene, I just can't look at them. I just get embarrassed," the "Taken" star told Vanity Fair. "I know they are choreographed and stuff, but I don't need to see that."
His comments came on the heels of those made by Badgley, who recently made headlines for his decision to reduce his sex scenes for his series "You," in which he plays Joe Goldberg, a serial killer who stalks, obsesses over and wins the love of different women.
"Yeah, I absolutely agree and support him," Neeson told the publication of Badgley. "I don't like to do them. I've done quite a few sex scenes and I would have preferred to leave it to the imagination, especially for ladies, the actresses."
Badgley recently shared on his "Podcrushed" podcast that he discussed his wish to no longer film sex scenes with "You" creator Sera Gamble ahead of filming Season 4.
"I asked Sera Gamble, [the] creator, 'Can I just do no more intimacy scenes?' This was actually a decision I had made before I took the show. I don't think I've ever mentioned it publicly, but one of the main things is, 'Do I want to put myself back on a career path where I'm always [the] romantic lead?'" the actor said.
But he acknowledged that intimate scenes are an important aspect of "You," and he didn't expect them to be removed completely.
"You can't take this aspect out of the DNA of the concept, so 'How much less can you make it?' was my question to them," Badgley explained, per Fox News Digital.
The Maryland native said Gamble was supportive. "She didn't even bat an eye," he recalled. "She was really glad that I was that honest, and she was sort of almost empowered. She had a really positive response, she appreciated my directness … and that I was being reasonable and practical … they came back with a phenomenal reduction."
The "Gossip Girl" alum also opened up about his desire to no longer shoot sex scenes during his recent interview with Variety.
"It's important to me in my real life to not have them," explained Badgley, who has been married to British-American singer, doula and actress Domino Kirke since 2017 and shares son James, 2, with her.
"My fidelity in my relationship," he added. "It's important to me. And actually, it was one of the reasons that I initially wanted to turn the role down. I didn't tell anybody that. But that is why."
But Badgley said his wife "encouraged" him to play the role. "And I wasn't going to listen to anyone more than her," he added.
The first half of "You" Season 4 is streaming now on Netflix. The remaining episodes will drop on March 9.
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