Reese Witherspoon candidly discussed what it was like for her to engage in a sex scene for the movie “Fear” at the age of 19, opposite Mark Wahlberg.
She was asked about what it was like to film the infamous rollercoaster scene in the 1996 psychosexual thriller, where her character was observed acting out an orgasm — a rare moment in movies during that era.
“I didn’t have control over it,” Witherspoon said during a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar.
She responded matter-of-factly and said she requested a stunt double for the scenes that showed nudity below-the-waist, according to Harper’s Bazaar.
Reese Witherspoon: ‘Fear’ sex scene with Mark Wahlberg ‘wasn’t great’ https://t.co/2udoLUK4Ta pic.twitter.com/SHtdZJVsVz
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“It wasn’t explicit in the script that that’s what was going to happen, so that was something that I think the director thought of on his own and then asked me on set if I would do it, and I said no,” Witherspoon said.
It wasn’t something she felt she could be part of, and noted she was young in age at the time.
“It wasn’t a particularly great experience,” Witherspoon said to Harper’s Bazaar.
She noted this was one of many situations in her career that ultimately shaped her and created an opportunity for growth, both as an actress and on a personal level.
“I’m certainly not traumatized or anything by it, but it was formative,” she said. (RELATED: Director Christopher Nolan Features Nudity And Sex For The First Time In “Oppenheimer”)
“It made me understand where my place was in the pecking order of filmmaking.”
Witherspoon went on to talk about the bigger picture and how the situation could be used as an opportunity for improvement.
“I think it’s another one of those stories that made me want to be an agent for change and someone who maybe can be in a better leadership position to tell stories from a female perspective instead of from the male gaze,” she told Harper’s Bazaar.