Jenna Ortega has addressed the controversy of the three-decade age gap in her sex scene with co-star Martin Freeman in this year’s Miller’s Girl.
The film, which was released in the US this January, stars Freeman as the professor of an 18-year-old student, played by Ortega.
The movie has been described as an erotic thriller and explores the complex and intimate relationship between the student and her teacher, as well as involving some sexual scenes. However, the film has received some backlash as the two actors are 31 years apart in age.
Now, in an interview with Vanity Fair, Ortega has defended the controversial scenes, saying that the film is not endorsing the nature of the relationship it depicts.
“It’s not supposed to be a comfortable movie,” she said. “It’s supposed to be awful at times. Art isn’t always meant to be pleasant or happy, and everyone skips off into the sunset at the end. We all have fucked up experiences at one point or another.”
Freeman himself discussed the backlash earlier this year, describing the film as ”grown-up and nuanced”.
“It’s not saying, ‘Isn’t this great?’” shared The Office star. “Are we going to have a go at Liam Neeson for being in a film about the Holocaust?” he added, referring to Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List.
Following the release of Miller’s Girl, the movie’s intimacy coordinator Kristina Arjona explained that the actors worked in a comfortable environment.
“There were many, many people throughout this process, engaging with [Ortega] to make sure that it was consistent with what she was comfortable with, and she was very determined and very sure of what she wanted to do,” she said.
“Part of my job too is supporting her decisions. I adapt to whatever is the comfort level of my actors, especially on a production like this where there is a large age gap between the actors,” she continued.
“I’m hyper aware of both of my talent and making sure that we’re consistently checking in and that at no point are any of their boundaries being surpassed.”
In other Ortega news, she recently opened up about the Denzel Washington film that “changed the entire course of my existence”.
Back in May, Netflix released a teaser trailer for Wednesday season two, confirming the addition of new cast members Steve Buscemi, Billie Piper, Joanna Lumley and Thandie Newton.
The second season is currently in production and, at the time of writing, is expected to be released on the streaming platform by late 2024 or early 2025.
Filming of the show moved to County Wicklow and became the largest production ever shot in Ireland according to its local industry body.
For Screen Ireland – which has welcomed numerous films and TV shows over the years, including Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Wednesday will mark the “largest production to ever film in Ireland” in terms of production spend.
English (US) · 