Caitriona Balfe Admits She Was Skeptical When ‘Outlander’ Hired an Intimacy Coordinator — ‘We’ve Been Doing This S*** Ourselves and Figuring It out for a While’
Caitriona Balfe, renowned for her part in the hit series Outlander, has candidly shared her initial skepticism over hiring an intimacy coordinator. Despite the show’s reputation for intense romantic narratives, Balfe was initially hesitant about the decision to bring on the specialist.
Transitioning from uncertainty to advocacy, Balfe’s perspective shifted as she witnessed the profound impact an intimacy coordinator could have. Her experiences, paralleled by co-star Sam Heughan’s own on-set challenges, underline a dynamic shift in the portrayal and handling of sensitive content in contemporary television.
Caitriona Balfe confesses that she was doubtful about having an intimacy coordinator on set
Balfe shared her initial reservations about the introduction of an intimacy coordinator on the set of Outlander during an appearance at the ATX TV Festival.
The show, celebrated for its charged romantic scenes between Jamie Fraser (Heughan) and Claire (Balfe), hadn’t always enlisted such expertise. It came as a surprise when Balfe expressed skepticism over the addition of Vanessa Coffey to the production team.
“We’ve also started working with the most incredible intimacy coordinator and it’s amazing, because I probably was one of the people like ‘I don’t think we need that, we’ve been doing this s*** ourselves and figuring it out for a while,’” Balfe stated, per Daily Record.
The Outlander star admitted that her previous doubts about an intimacy coordinator were unfounded. She recognized the significant benefits that an intimacy coordinator brings to the table, not only for her and Heughan but also for the show’s younger cast members.
Coffey, who is based in Glasgow, brings her expertise from working on several prominent series, such as Wednesday, The Witcher, and Vikings: Valhalla, to the sultry sets of Outlander.
‘Outlander’ star Sam Heughan opens up about ‘unnecessary’ nudity in an early scene
Heughan candidly spoke about a challenging time during the filming of Outlander that led to a significant change on set—the hiring of an intimacy coordinator.
Outlander is no stranger to provocative content, including scenes of sexual violence. Yet, Heughan shared a feeling of betrayal after filming a particularly explicit scene that he believed crossed a line.
In his memoir Waypoints: My Scottish Journey, Heughan described a loss of autonomy during the filming of this scene, deeming it extraneous. The scene in question was the traumatic assault Jamie suffered at the hands of his antagonist, Black Jack Randall (Tobias Menzies).
“The cock shot was unnecessary and did betray my trust in the creative team a bit,” Heughan shared, via Collider. “We don’t need to see the horror to imagine what the characters go through. Imagination is way more powerful.”
Heughan’s insistence led to a series of creative discussions with the Outlander team. Their conversations reinforced the idea that robust artistic expression thrives on challenging and questioning the narrative to ensure the integrity of the work.
Sam Heughan opens up about the need for intimacy coordinators on the set of ‘Outlander’
Heughan’s assertive dialogue with the Outlander crew brought about a positive change in his role. His actions lead to the removal of overtly explicit content from his scenes.
Reflecting on the past, Heughan contemplated that the approach to such scenes would have been different from today’s sensibilities. Thankfully, he believes there has been a shift in industry standards over time.
Elevated to a producer on the series, Heughan has taken a proactive step by appointing the show’s inaugural intimacy coordinator. The actor aimed to safeguard the cast while also enriching the portrayal of sensitive scenes.
“It’s important that everyone is protected, but also we find a way to explore these scenes and actually maybe get something more out of them,” Heughan stated.
Anticipation for the final season of Outlander is high. Unfortunately, Starz has yet to announce an official release date for the final run.
The Outlander crew is currently hard at work filming the last season, and the series is expected back sometime in 2024.
