Oscar hopeful sparks fierce backlash after refusing intimacy coordinator on set-Asyia Iftikhar-Entertainment – Metro

Mikey Madison has faced online backlash after admitting she didn’t use an intimacy coordinator on the set of the R-rated movie Anora.

The 25-year-old actor has received critical acclaim for her role as Ani, a Brooklyn sex worker who impulsively marries the son of a Russian oligarch (Mark Eidelstein).

Her fairytale is soon shattered when her husband’s parents make their way from Russia to put an end to their newly wedded bliss.

The Sean Baker movie has already scored the coveted Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival as well as five Golden Globe nominations with plenty of Oscars buzz for both the movie and lead stars.

The titular actor, however, has caused outrage as she revealed that the cast opted out of using an intimacy coordinator on set.

During her Variety Actors on Actors with Pamela Anderson, the Baywatch icon asked Mikey if she had an intimacy coordinator as that was ‘the big thing these days’.

Mikey plays a sex worker in the acclaimed movie (Picture: Neon/ AP)

The 25-year-old actor spoke about the ‘positive’ experience with Pamela Anderson (Picture: Alexi Lubomirski for Variety)

Intimacy coordinators on set have become an industry standard after the #MeToo movement to ensure the safety and comfort of cast and crew while choreographing and filming sex scenes.

The union Sag-Aftra released the first industry Standards and Protocols for the Use of Intimacy Coordinators in 2020 and has since implemented an accreditation system for training programmes and a registry for qualified professioanls.

The Scream star, however, confirmed they ‘didn’t’ make use of one, adding: ‘It was a choice that I made, that the filmmakers offered to me if I wanted to bring on an intimacy coordinator or not.’

She and co-star Mark decided it would ‘be best to keep it small’ between them, director Sean and his wife and producing partner Sammy Quan.

Mikey continued to Variety: ‘So I think that we were able to just streamline it, shoot it super quickly. They are less sex scenes, more sex shots – that’s what Sean likes to say.

‘And I think there’s a lot of humour involved in them as well so it was a very positive experience for me.’

The Hollywood star explained how she also understood his ‘dedication to authenticity’ after seeing his previous films and wanted to ‘immerse’ herself in it that she was ‘ready for it’.

Fans have said it should be industry standard to have an intimacy coordinator involved (Picture: Neon/AP)

She added: ‘[The role] requires a lot of her body and her skin. I’ve said it before, I think [Ani] wears her nudity more like a costume in a way.

‘She presents herself in this hyper-sexualised way cause it’s how she makes a living. It’s just what she has to do so I think I also, as an actor, approached it in a way of it being a job. So I was very comfortable.’

Filmmaker Sean Baker has also been criticised (Picture: Getty)

As such Mikey’s stance, and Sean’s decision to not hire a coordinator has left many fans dismayed.

‘Sean Baker promoting the idea that intimacy coordinators make a performance less authentic is setting a terrible precedent,’ @notsotroubled shared.

‘Not to remove agency from Mikey, but does a young up-and-coming actress getting her “big break” type role, and so may not want to be seen as difficult or demanding, really have a choice about something like that?’ @holyteerrain shared.

‘I’m glad the actors were comfortable during the nudity and sex scenes but I don’t think having an intimacy coordinator should be up for negotiation, this mindset isn’t used toward dance or fight choreographers,’ @myfairslady said.

‘Intimacy coordinators should be non-negotiable on set. this is like firing your HR department cause you think they’d kill your vibe,’ @kendallhosseini posed.

But some fans have leapt to her defence, emphasising that Mikey shouldn’t be targeted for her perspective.

‘She said it was a very positive experience, how is there discourse? like it’s already solved. she’s safe. unharmed. no one was hurt and it affects no one else. she’s also only talking about her own self, not speaking for anyone else,’ @jimmysoldout wrote.

‘A lot of you are only hearing what you want to hear. She’s talking about HER experience and what SHE wanted to do,’ @lneed5dollars shared

Anora has five Golden Globe nominations (Picture: Anora Productions, LLC./Augusta Quirk. Rights Reserved)

‘I really don’t like how all of you in the quotes decided to dogpile on and vilify a young girl in the industry for simply sharing her personal experience. She is NOT at fault for his behaviour!’ @TKino99 added.

Mikey’s latest comments come just months after she and Sean opened up about not using an intimacy coordinator on set to Variety.

At the time she explained that she, Sammy and Sean ‘would talk about different positions’ and then Sammy and Sean would ‘demonstrate what they wanted it to look like.’

She continued: ‘Those scenes were fun to shoot and all of the lap dance scenes were very fun to shoot as well because the environment on set was very comfortable.

‘After a little bit, I was almost too comfortable in those situations, especially walking around the club. All the women are naked, and I was too, and it was normal.’

In an interview with Metro, Mikey opened up about discovering about the sex work industry from scratch as she took on the role.

‘I was honestly able to learn from a blank slate in a way, which was amazing, and I’ve completely fallen in love with that community, and have so much admiration for all of these incredible people,’ Mikey shared.

And despite the widespread acclaim, Sean made clear that he wasn’t interested in creating movies for ‘mass consumption’.

He added: ‘Our film is a specialty film that just happens to be connecting with people. I never want to, in any way, shape or structure or design my film for the lowest common denominator.’

Metro has reached out to Sean Baker and Mikey Madison’s representatives for comment.

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