Why Keira Knightley Refuses To Shoot Nude Scenes With Male Directors

Nude scenes have been a part of the cinematic art form for about as long as the medium has existed. While some are seen as tasteful and important in the context of the story these films are trying to tell, others are written off for providing meaningless shock value or simple titillation to largely male audiences.

Keira Knightley spoke to this secondary reasoning when she addressed the subject in an episode of the "Chanel Connects" podcast (via BBC). "It's partly vanity, and also, it's the male gaze," the actor explained. While she didn't close the door on ever shooting another nude scene, she laid out the caveat that it would need to be a pivotal scene shot by a female director.

"If I was making a story that was about that journey of motherhood and body [acceptance], I feel like, I'm sorry, but that would have to be with a female film-maker," the actor said. 

Knightley's concerns are understandable. In the wake of the #MeToo era, nude scenes have taken on a new dimension, especially as many actors have shared their experiences of being pressured into taking off their clothes on-screen or being uncomfortable with doing so on set.

As the talk went on, Keira Knightley, who has done nude scenes in movies like "Domino," "The Jacket," and the more recent film, "Colette," reiterated that there were just certain kinds of nude scenes that she was not interested in. "I don't want it to be those horrible sex scenes where you're all greased up, and everybody is grunting," the performer said. "I'm not interested in doing that."

Still, Knightley respects that there are some moments in movies and television where the addition of nude scenes can be worthwhile. "Saying that, there are times where I go, 'Yeah, I completely see where this sex would be really good in this film, and you basically just need somebody to look hot,' so, therefore, you can use somebody else," the actor mused.

Still, there's another, more personal reason why the actor isn't as interested in baring it all onscreen these days. "Because I'm too vain, and the body has had two children now, and I'd just rather not stand in front of a group of men naked," she explained. Given the way that actors have spoken out about not wanting to do these sorts of scenes for a variety of reasons in recent years, it seems likely that Knightley's fans will continue to support her, whether she decides to return to nude scenes one day or not.