Film Executive Slams Gwyneth Paltrow Over Her Comments On Intimacy Coordinators

Former Channel 4 drama boss Caroline Hollick disapproves of Gwyneth Paltrow's comments on intimacy coordinators.

Paltrow inadvertently started a debate last week after she shared her thoughts on intimacy coordinators.

The actress was introduced to intimacy coordinators for the first time while filming "Marty Supreme" with co-star Timothée Chalamet and stressed that she didn't see the need for one.

Hollicks was speaking at "Series Mania" on Tuesday when the discussion focused on Paltrow's comments.

According to Deadline, the film executive, who now works for Peter Chernin's North Road, described Paltrow's comments as "quite an irresponsible thing to say," adding that it proved intimacy coordinators have "got caught up in the fringes of the culture wars."

Hollicks, who was speaking on a panel titled "Let's Talk About Sex! (And Consent)," continued, "Every now and then an actor makes a comment over whether they like intimacy coordinators or not."

She added, "Gwyneth Paltrow said she grew up in a time when [people in Hollywood] 'took our kit off and got on with it.'"

Hollicks berated Paltrow, saying, "As a powerful woman in Hollywood acting with a man younger than her, well I'm sure [Chalamet] is chill but I thought it was quite an irresponsible thing to say."

Hollicks explained that one has to "think really carefully about power and power structures" when considering the role intimacy coordinators play in movie making.

She said, "Bringing an intimacy coordinator on set empowers an actor because there is someone on side who is there to fight for them."

Hollicks added, "Producers have an agenda, writers have an agenda and directors have an agenda. So having someone to back the performer is important."

The film executive stressed the need for the movie industry to give intimate scenes the same status as stunt performers as it would allow creators to "dig deep into issues and say, 'These scenes are fun and sexy and that's OK too.'"

Hollicks also emphasized that she wasn't against having less sex on television but wanted even more of it.

She explained, "It's important we have more sex on TV, otherwise all people will see in terms of representation is pornography. It feels like with the explosion of pornography there is less sex on TV and research shows that Gen-Z don't like it, they want [traditional] romance."

Hollicks' comments come a week after Paltrow, who made her return to serious acting in the film "Marty Supreme," discussed the intimate scenes in the upcoming movie.

She revealed that the film introduced her to an intimacy coordinator and shared her thoughts on it.

Paltrow told Vanity Fair, "There's now something called an intimacy coordinator, which I did not know existed."

She added, "When 'Marty Supreme's' intimacy coordinator asked me if I'd be comfortable with a particular move during the filming of an intimate scene, I was like, 'Girl, I'm from the era where you get naked, you get in bed, the camera's on.'"

The seasoned actress revealed that she and Chalamet were comfortable enough to handle the intimate scenes without much external guidance.

She recalled, "We said, 'I think we're good. You can step a little bit back.' 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."

The intimate scenes in "Marty Supreme" generated much buzz on social media after set photos showed Gwyneth Paltrow and Chalamet kissing.

Paltrow teased that she and her costar "have a lot of sex" in the movie, adding, "There's a lot—a lot."

She also joked that she went straight to the point before she and Chalamet filmed the scenes. She said, "I was like, 'Okay, great. I'm 109 years old. You're 14."

Paltrow further described Chalamet as a "thinking man's sex symbol," adding that he is "a very polite, properly raised, I was going to say kid. He's a man who takes his work really seriously and is a fun partner."

Paltrow also shared details about her character in the movie during the interview.

The film follows Chalamet as a ping-pong prodigy navigating the high-stakes world of international table tennis. Paltrow portrays the wife of a rival player, whose unexpected connection with Chalamet’s character adds an intriguing twist to the story.

"This woman who is married to someone who is in the Ping-Pong mafia, as it were," Paltrow explained. "They meet and she's had a pretty tough life, and I think he breathes life back into her, but it's kind of transactional for them both."

Paltrow further elaborated on the complexity of their relationship, suggesting that their interactions are intense and calculated. As the film progresses, their evolving dynamic becomes a key element of the narrative.

"Marty Supreme" will be in theatres on December 25.