Kristen Stewart Is 'Sick' Of Certain Sex Scenes For A Good Reason
Academy Award nominee Kristen Stewart is promoting her newest film "Love Lies Bleeding" — and given the film's content, the actor is speaking out about the type of sex scene she never wants to see again.
Stewart, her co-star Katy O'Brian, and the movie's director Rose Glass spoke to NBC News about the film's frank and honest approach to sexuality — Stewart and O'Brian's characters Lou and Jackie fall in love and share several intimate scenes in the film, and the three women spoke openly about how they approached this kind of storytelling differently for "Love Lies Bleeding." As Stewart put it, "It just felt like a love story that was showing all the dirty, real, good, fun stuff, which is all the bad stuff, actually. Love can absolutely destroy you and others, and you don't always make the most selfless decisions in love."
So what did Stewart, O'Brian, and Glass avoid in "Love Lies Bleeding?" As Stewart put it, she's sick of seeing the same kind of sex scene over and over — namely, ones where a couple starts kissing and then immediately gets down to business. "The run of the mill, like, just-go-for-it simulated sex thing is so rote, and it's like actors do have this default thing where, like, 'OK we're supposed to make out and have sex now,'" she said. "That's just not how people have sex, and I'm so sick of seeing it."
Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian worked hard to make their intimate scenes honest
Kristen Stewart went on to say that she feels as if "Love Lies Bleeding" shows every aspect of intimacy between two people, including conversation and physical communication. "Really nailing the details and talking about the physical experience more so than even seeing it, like verbalizing it, talking to each other, sharing space, like having it not be cut up into a ton of different shots, it felt like ... a really beautiful thing to deliver an experience that was, like, literal instead of faux," she said in the interview. Her co-star Katy O'Brian agreed, adding, "If anyone takes anything from this movie, it's to ask your partner what they like. You don't see that in a movie."
It's clear that Rose Glass and her two lead actors crafted a beautiful love story between gym manager Lou (Stewart) and a female bodybuilder (O'Brian), who end up committing a number of crimes after they run afoul of Lou's dangerous father Lou Sr. (Ed Harris). However, O'Brian admitted that there were still some awkward moments on set. Though there was an intimacy coordinator and everything was meticulously planned, she also said she felt like she was wearing a "diaper" when she donned multiple layers for one intimate scene in the movie. "It was a cute diaper," Stewart quipped.
Kristen Stewart's career has transitioned from teen fare to honest explorations of human sexuality
Fans only familiar with her role as Bella Swan may be surprised by Kristen Stewart's vast non-"Twilight" filmography, which now includes another wild departure in "Love Lies Bleeding." She's shed her reputation as a teenage ingenue over the past several years, thanks in large part to her work abroad and her wonderfully risky choices as a performer. Like her "Twilight" co-star Robert Pattinson — who has worked with independent auteurs like Robert Eggers ("The Lighthouse") and the Safdie brothers ("Good Time") as well as in franchise fare like "The Batman" — Stewart has worked hard to leave the vampire romance behind her, working on independent films after the saga ended in 2012.
Aside from "Snow White and the Huntsman" — also in 2012 — Stewart branched out, working with French director Olivier Assayas multiple times on his films "Personal Shopper" and "The Clouds of Sils Maria," the latter of which won the actress a prestigious César Award for her performance. Her Oscar nomination came courtesy of Pablo Larraín's mind-boggling biopic "Spencer," where Stewart transforms herself into the late Princess Diana and channels the royal's most desperate, intimate moments to paint a portrait of a deeply troubled and isolated woman.
This is to say nothing of her charming queer romantic comedy "Happiest Season" or her trippy venture "Crimes of the Future," where she worked with legendary weirdo David Cronenberg. The point is that Stewart is one of the most accomplished and fascinating performers of her generation ... and "Love Lies Bleeding" marks yet another leap for the actress.
"Love Lies Bleeding" is in theaters now.