Olivia Colman Dislikes Intimate Scenes, Calls Them Disloyal to Husband

For Olivia Colman, portraying intimate moments on screen presents a challenge, particularly as a married individual.

“I dislike it. I truly dislike it,” stated the 51-year-old star of The Favourite, during her appearance on Amy Poehler’s “Good Hang” podcast on Tuesday, September 16. She confessed that her greatest apprehension lies in “revealing any flesh” or “simulating sexual acts” in front of the cameras. “It makes me feel as though I’m being disloyal,” she further explained, referencing her marriage to Ed Sinclair. They exchanged vows in 2001.

Colman mentioned that even with reassurances from the production team, suggesting she “can keep her jeans on” and use “a pillow” as a barrier between herself and her co-star, she continues to experience unease.

“I’m unwilling to engage in such acts with an unfamiliar person,” she clarified.

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Following Poehler’s agreement and praise for performers skilled in intimate portrayals, Colman expressed her gratitude for the implementation of intimacy coordinators. (SAG AFTRA defines an intimacy coordinator as someone who serves as a liaison and a movement specialist for actors and the production team concerning nudity, simulated sex, and other sensitive scenes.)

“Ita O’Brien, an intimacy coordinator, once advised me, just before simulating an orgasm … to envision sunlight warming my face,” she remembered.

Colman and Sinclair first encountered each other during their academic years in Cambridge, England.

“Our first meeting was during a drama practice session. I had attended a couple of rehearsals previously, and hadn’t found anyone especially captivating,” Colman recounted on Tuesday. “Then, I entered and caught sight of his left-side profile. At that moment, he was smoking a Ziggy, with his feet crossed, and he possessed a charming bump on his nose. Upon seeing his profile, I simply thought, ‘Oh, my goodness, I will marry him.’”

The couple exchanged vows in 2001, subsequently welcoming their son Finn in 2005, son Hall in 2007, and a daughter (whose name remains undisclosed) in 2015.

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Further into the broadcast, Colman disclosed that she actually bears her husband’s name as a tattoo on her forearm.

“It’s somewhat akin to him having marked his territory on me,” Colman quipped to Poehler, also noting that the decision to get the tattoo was entirely her “own.”

Colman has previously spoken glowingly about her union with Sinclair, affirming that he is her “closest companion.”

“I wouldn’t have achieved any of this had Ed not encouraged me, saying, ‘Go for it, we’ll manage,’” she shared with British Vogue in a 2023 interview, reflecting on her husband’s unwavering support for her professional life.

While she sometimes praises her husband publicly, Colman has largely succeeded in maintaining the privacy of her relationship and family life by relocating to rural England.

“We’ve relocated to the countryside, and it’s wonderful. It’s my native region. Our affection for London never diminished,” she informed British Vogue in 2023, explaining that the constant presence of paparazzi around her family made residing in London “challenging” and caused her “fear.”

“On one occasion, two vehicles pursued us, and I was experiencing a panic attack, utterly terrified,” she further stated. “I was weeping, while my children found it amusing.”

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