Key Takeaways
- Orlando Bloom called his love scene with real-life sisters Rooney and Kate Mara in Werner Herzog’s Bucking Fastard “carnal” but described the moment as sincere.
- Reddit users criticized the sisters’ shared sex scene as incestuous and “gross,” while others defended the actors by stressing that “it’s a job.”
- The film, loosely inspired by British twins Freda and Greta Chaplin, premiered at Venice on Sept. 3 and has no wide release date.
Orlando Bloom is fielding a wave of online criticism after describing a “love” scene he shot with sisters Rooney and Kate Mara, his co-stars in Werner Herzog's Bucking Fastard.
The 49-year-old actor discussed the reported threesome scene, which he called "carnal” during an appearance at the San Sebastián Film Festival, according to Variety.
Within hours came Reddit comments from users who objected to the premise of real-life siblings playing twins who share the same man.
“Can we just agree to leave carnal desire and innocent sisters out of the same sentence. Him talking about incest like it’s poetic is gross,” wrote one user.
"Ewww … this is appalling. What work should I definitely NOT look out for so I don't watch this filth?" wrote another commenter.
Another posted, "What the fuck is happening … why would the maras agree to this"
Others pushed back on the pile-on, arguing that it’s just a performance. "It's acting. You're not supposed to be attracted to and enjoy the sex scenes. It's a job," one reply read.
As explained by The Daily Beast, Bloom plays “sweet-talker” Gareth Mulroney in the film, a man caught between twins Jean and Joan Holbrooke, played by Kate, 43, and Rooney, 41. The sisters speak in eerie unison, share dreams, and fall for the same person.
The story draws loosely on British twins Freda and Greta Chaplin, who drew attention in the 1980s for speaking simultaneously and pursuing the same love interest. The project marks the first time the Mara sisters have worked together on-screen.
"My character, the Bucking Fastard, is sensitive too. And he's quite quickly out of his depth in some ways. It was a very sincere sort of moment that was created," Bloom said about his character, per Variety.
Herzog said he handed the scene over to his actors rather than trying to choreograph it himself.
"There are moments when a director has to step back. In the love scene, I said to Orlando: 'You are in bed, and you have two women in your arms. How you deal with it, I cannot give instructions.' It is beautiful because it has such charm and depth," the director said.
Bucking Fastard premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 3. A wide theatrical release date for the film has not been announced.
