Rivals star Emily Atack has opened up about her negative experience on TV and film sets as she praises the use of intimacy coordinators.
The 35-year-old star most recently starred in sexy 80s romp Rivals on Disney Plus which did have a coordinator on set – a trained professional who can guide co-stars through intimate scenes – but this has not always been the case.
She told The Sun: ‘I’ve seen people roll their eyes about them and say, “I don’t need one.”
‘There’s a defensiveness about it, because they feel like they’re being accused of something they haven’t even done yet.
‘Intimacy coordinators are there for support if you feel uncomfortable, whether you’re a man or a woman.’
The mother-of-one’s career gained momentum after she starred as Charlotte in The Inbetweeners before going on to appear in Outside Bet and action movies like Lies We Tell and Get Lucky.
As she continued: ‘I’ve been sexually assaulted at work throughout my career, whether it’s on the actual set, or at a wrap party.
‘And since the #MeToo movement, it shows that people are listening and that there has to be a shift in behaviour on sets.’
In Rivals, Atack stars as Sarah Stratton, the second wife and former mistress of Paul Stratton, who is conducting an affair as she vies for her own power.
One memorable scene, which opens the show, saw her playing naked tennis with Alex Hassel’s character Rupert, in which her character cheekily covers herself up with the racquet and balls.
After the show came out, however, the comedian hit back at the ‘sexually aggressive’ comments coming her way.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, she admitted she ‘knew something like that would happen, just not this quickly.’
She added: ‘I can’t control people’s sexually aggressive behaviour, but I can continue with my campaigning and fighting for women’s freedom.
‘I should be able to do a scene like this and not receive negative attention. The two should not go hand in hand.’
Explaining what she goes through online, she recalled one woman on Instagram who told her: ‘“Pick a lane. You can’t play a racy role like that and get your clothes off and expect not to get messages. Why would you take that role?”’
To which she responded: ‘I wanted to say to her, “Are you telling me essentially to quit my job?” Why should I?
‘Women have to change their clothes; we have to change our routes home. I’m a professional. I’m never going to please everybody,’ she concluded.
The British actor, who got engaged to her partner Alistair Garner earlier this year, will reprise her role as Sarah in season two of this hit series.
Applauding the atmosphere on set, she told Radio Times: ‘I’m really proud of the Rivals gang because, throughout my life, I haven’t felt safe all the time, and we’re all so respectful of each other.
‘We have to do a lot of sexual scenes and we’re very looked after – it’s a really positive thing.’
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