Michael Douglas of "Basic Instinct" and "Fatal Attraction," "The secret to bed scenes is... like a fight scene"

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The star of the legendary erotic thrillers "Fatal Attraction" and "Basic Instinct"

Actor Michael Douglas (82), who became a symbol of 1980s-1990s Hollywood erotic thrillers with "Fatal Attraction" and "Basic Instinct," revealed the secret to filming bed scenes. His answer was "trust," and matching the timing, or "happo," just like in action scenes.

According to British media LADbible, citing an interview on U.S. CNN, Douglas recently appeared on the CNN program "Coming Up" for an interview with host Elisabeth Wagmeister. On that occasion, he said regarding bed scene filming, "Whether or not there is an intimacy coordinator, the only way to pull it off is trust." An intimacy coordinator is a professional who manages actors' consent and boundaries in exposed or sexual scenes in films or dramas.

Douglas compared bed scenes to action sequences. He stated, "Sex scenes are very similar to fight action scenes." This can be interpreted to mean that, just as fight scenes require setting the timing and matching movements step by step, bed scenes must also be built on thorough prior agreements and synchronization. He added that gaining the trust of the co-actor is paramount, noting that he always "was very careful" on set. He further emphasized, "Ultimately, it is a matter of trust, and no one should take advantage of the other."

This statement is drawing attention because Douglas had previously criticized the intimacy coordinator system. In an interview with the British magazine Radio Times in May 2024, he criticized the system, saying, "It feels like management is taking control away from the film director." However, at that time, he also acknowledged, "It is true that there were terrible mistakes and sexual harassment." He also explained his own approach, stating, "In my experience as a male actor, I take responsibility for making the female co-actor comfortable and have sufficient conversations."

According to the British daily The Telegraph, he also said in the same year, "Even before coordinators existed, there were people who crossed the line, but we handled it among ourselves. Those people's reputations suffered." Two years later, rather than denying the necessity of the system, he has shifted the focus to the essence of "trust."

Intimacy coordinators became firmly established on film and television sets after the 2017 exposure of sexual crimes by Hollywood mogul producer Harvey Weinstein and the #MeToo movement. "Basic Instinct" (1992), in which Douglas starred alongside Sharon Stone, and "Fatal Attraction" (1987), in which he acted opposite Glenn Close, were both filmed during an era when such systems did not exist.

Douglas was also called the "King of Erotic Thrillers" due to the box office success of these two works. The son of Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for "Wall Street" (1987) and received the Academy Award for Best Picture as a producer of the film "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975).

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original