Hollywood Sex Scenes To Change Under New SAG-AFTRA Contract

The negotiating committee on behalf of the actors' union fought to ensure clearer standards were part of their contract.

With the SAG-AFTRA strike tentatively over, the inclusion of intimacy coordinators is official protocol. The move will ensure safer sex scenes to better protect actors.

The negotiating committee on behalf of the actors’ union fought to ensure clearer standards were part of their contract. Previously, intimacy coordinators were common in the industry but not officially recognized. The new agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) is considered a “big win” for both SAG-AFTRA and current coordinators in regards to this element, as reported by Rolling Stone.

“This is the first contract where intimacy coordinators are mentioned [in the contract]. I just think it’s very common to have either an uncomfortable or possibly traumatic experience when it comes to this,” actor and activist Caitlin Dulany, a member of the negotiating committee, told Rolling Stone. “And it’s not healthy for us or our sets, so it’s a great victory to have this in our contract…This was a huge win, it was a huge gain, and we really pushed for it.”

SAG-AFTRA has been promoting a more widespread use of intimacy coordinators, even publishing a guideline and database for the increased usage for nudity and simulated sex scenes. The latest regulations as listed in the tentative contract state that producers must use their “best efforts” to secure an intimacy coordinator when warranted.

“Producer will use best efforts to engage an Intimacy Coordinator for scenes involving nudity or sex acts,” the contract reads. “Producer will also consider in good faith any request by a performer or a performer’s representative to engage an Intimacy Coordinator for other scenes. Producer shall not retaliate against a performer for requesting an Intimacy Coordinator.”

As for their future part of the union, President Fran Drescher announced its commitment in 2022 to bring intimacy coordinators as official members. However, the newest provisions to ensure they are part of production when necessary have to be ratified in a Dec. 5 vote by Screen Actors Guild (SAG) members.