Shooting an intimate love scene can often lead to discomfort for actors, but safeguards and intimacy coordinators typically ensure a safe and professional environment. However, things took a turn for the awkward when Theo James and Shailene Woodley were about to film a sex scene for the “Divergent” franchise due to some unexpected visitors.
James, who is married to fellow actor Ruth Kearney, was understandably caught off guard when his two older brothers arrived on set just as they were preparing to film the intimate scene with Woodley.
Theo James recalls the discomfort of filming an intimate scene while wearing sci-fi military costumes, adding to the awkwardness
“My sex scene with Shai was the last of the whole shoot, and my brothers had flown in for a trip to [Las] Vegas,” James shared with People in 2014 (via Female First). “Since filming was delayed, they literally walked off the plane and onto the set to see me getting funky. It was surreal.”
As if being interrupted during a scene with his on-screen girlfriend wasn’t awkward enough, James mentioned that his brothers teased him “for months” about the unfortunate timing of their arrival, which is expected from older siblings. However, it wasn’t solely the unexpected guests that added to the discomfort of filming the scene.
Theo James revealed that his costume added to the awkwardness of the situation. He expressed that, in addition to the nerves of filming an intimate scene with Shailene Woodley in front of his brothers, he also experienced physical discomfort due to the sci-fi-inspired quasi-militaristic outfits.
As he explained to MTV News in 2015, they didn’t have to fully undress because of the PG-13 rating of “Insurgent.” Instead, they only partially disrobed. “We ended up taking off our tops, but in the end we didn’t need to take our pants off,” James recalled. “But they’re these kind of dauntless black, quite uncomfortable pants.
And in retrospect, we felt like we probably should have, because … you’re supposed to be making love, or having sex, and you’ve both got really tight, black, uncomfortable pants on, and you’re covered in sweat.”
On the other hand, long-time actor Shailene Woodley stated that she felt completely comfortable while filming the scene. “Theo is a gentleman,” she told E! News. “It was like we were doing any other scene, in a way.”
She also pointed out that the director took measures to ensure a positive atmosphere for the actors during the shoot. It certainly seems that Woodley has no regrets about taking on this role.
