Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars have weighed in on intimate chemistry tests between actors — and whether they’re even necessary.
If you missed it, Anne told V Magazine in April that in the 2000s it was “considered normal to ask an actor to make out with other actors to test for chemistry.”
Discussing these quotes and how times have changed in the industry, all the actors at the roundtable agreed that they’d found themselves in similarly awkward situations during their acting careers. What’s more, Jennifer and Nicole suggested that chemistry tests aren’t even necessary to make an onscreen partnership believable.
Still on the topic of chemistry tests, Jennifer said that the pressure can often dilute any natural chemistry between actors anyway, saying: “When you’re in an audition room, you’re already at a disadvantage.”
Jen also described herself as a “terrible auditioner,” noting that her nerves would make chemistry tests all the more difficult.
Although intimacy coordinators are widely used on movie and TV sets to make intimate scenes more comfortable for actors in situations like this, Jen has said previously that she’s been in the industry long enough to “figure” it out herself.
Speaking about her first-ever sex scene on The Morning Show late last year, Jen told Variety: “They asked us if we wanted an intimacy coordinator. I’m from the olden days, so I was like, ‘What does that mean?’ They said, ‘Where someone asks you if you’re OK,’ and I’m like, ‘Please, this is awkward enough!’”
In response, Jennifer assured producers that she and her costar, Jon Hamm, were “seasoned” pros and therefore didn’t need any support. “We can figure this one out,” she recalled saying.
At the time, Jennifer was criticized online for her seemingly “flippant” attitude, which fans thought minimized the importance of intimacy coordinators’ work and how they keep actors safe on set.
