HBO must stick to very specific protocol for the sex scenes in Euphoria, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In a new interview, Euphoria showrunner Sam Levinson explained to THR how the “boundary-pushing” drama is “difficult” to shoot. HBO had to hire an on-set intimacy coordinator for the show, whose job is to make the actors feel at ease and maintain a “safe environment.”
“There’s funny legalities,” Levinson said. “Like, ‘Oh they’re not allowed to hook up in the front seat, the rider says that they can only hook up in the back seat.’ So if two people are kissing in the front seat of a car and it’s, like, heavy petting or something, [intimacy coordinator Amanda Blumenthal] would be like, ‘Sam, you have to cut.’ I’m like, ‘Why? They’re supposed to hook up.’ And she’s like, ‘Well, the rider says for the back seat, not the front seat.’ Just the way HBO legal would do the contracts, it’s very specific as to what you can show and what you can’t show [based on] how it’s written in the script.”
Levinson mentioned that there are “so many of these kind of technicalities” that he prefers having an intimacy coordinator so “I don’t have to deal with them.” Blumenthal has said before that she’s “always thinking about how to make sure that we’re honoring the actor’s wishes and boundaries and still getting the shot and telling the story.”
Before the series premiered, Euphoria star Zendaya took to Instagram to issue a warning, writing that the show “is for mature audiences. It’s a raw and honest portrait of addiction, anxiety, and the difficulties of navigating life today. There are scenes that are graphic, hard to watch, and can be triggering.”
She continued, “Please only watch if you feel you can handle it. Do what’s best for you. I will still love you and feel your support.”
