Penn Badgley and Other Actors Who Opted Out of Filming Sex Scenes
Establishing boundaries. Penn Badgley, Neal McDonough, and several other celebrities have openly shared their choices to refrain from filming sex scenes in future projects.
Upon the release of season 4 of You in February 2023, the Gossip Girl star discussed how his marriage to Domino Kirke influenced his time on the Netflix series.
“I asked [the show’s creator] Sera Gamble, ‘Can I just avoid intimacy scenes moving forward?’” Badgley shared during an episode of his podcast, “Podcrushed.” “This was actually a decision I made before I took on the role.”
He elaborated: “I don’t think I’ve ever brought it up publicly, but one of the main considerations was whether I wanted to pursue a career path where I was consistently the romantic lead. Fidelity in all relationships, particularly my marriage, is of utmost importance to me.”
At that time, the actor admitted that he contemplated scaling back on intimacy scenes the moment he accepted the role of Joe Goldberg. (You premiered in 2018.)
“It reached a point where I just didn’t want to do that anymore. Before accepting the role, I questioned, ‘Do I still have a career if I don’t do these things?’ Think about every male lead you admire. Are they sharing kisses? Are they engaged in more than that?” Badgley, who welcomed a son with his wife in September 2020, continued. “I told Sera, ‘Ideally, I would want to reduce it from 100 to zero.’ But I signed this contract; I committed to this show. I understand the essence of the concept and my question was, ‘How much can we minimize it?’”
The Easy A actor commended You‘s showrunner for granting him the freedom to decline future sex scenes, stating, “She didn’t hesitate at all. She was genuinely appreciative of my honesty, and her response was very positive. She valued my directness and my down-to-earth approach. They came back with an excellent reduction.”
In contrast, McDonough mentioned that his refusal to kiss co-stars led to him missing out on a role in ABC’s Scoundrels.
“I was [taken aback], and it was a tough situation for me,” the 100 actor recalled to Closer in 2019 about his choice to abstain from steamy scenes with Virginia Madsen. “Afterward, I struggled to find work because everyone perceived me as a religious zealot. I am indeed very religious. My faith and family come first, and I place myself second. That principle guides my life. It was a challenging few years. But I refused to back down, and it paid off. My career has been remarkable.”
The Massachusetts native, a practicing Catholic, also commended Desperate Housewives for accommodating his request. (McDonough portrayed Nicollette Sheridan’s husband on the popular drama from 2008 to 2009.)
“When [creator] Marc Cherry cast me, I made it clear, ‘I’m sure you know, but I won’t be kissing anyone,’” the Yellowstone star, who has been married to model Ruvé Robertson since 2003, added. “He responded, ‘But this is Desperate Housewives!’ I replied, ‘I know.’ He paused for about five seconds and said, ‘Well, I’ll just have to write better.’ And we enjoyed a fantastic experience.”
Keep scrolling to discover other stars who have publicly opted out of filming sex scenes:
