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Henry Cavill Sparks Debate After Saying He's 'Not A Fan' Of Sex Scenes In TV And Film

Henry Cavill
Karwai Tang/WireImage/GettyImages

The 'Argylle' star expressed his dislike of gratuitous sex scenes on the 'Happy Sad Confused Podcast,' calling them a 'cop-out' if they add nothing to the story.

British actor Henry Cavill made it clear that he is not a fan of gratuitous sex scenes in Hollywood.

Cavill is known for his breakout leading role in Showtime's TV series The Tudors, as well as fighting for justice in his snug red and blue bodysuit as the Man of Steel in the DC Extended Universe films.


He currently stars in the spy comedy action film Argylle.

The 40-year-old sat with Argylle film director Matthew Vaughn on the Happy Sad Confusedpodcast and reminisced about their long history of working together since 2006's Stardust.

The Hollywood colleagues also discussed a range of topics about the production process, including stunts, auditions, and sex scenes.

Regarding the latter, Cavill said:

“I don’t understand them–I’m not a fan."

He added:

"I think there are circumstances where a sex scene actually is beneficial to a movie, rather than just the audience, but I think sometimes they’re overused these days."

Cavill, who has earned the distinction of "World's Sexiest Man" and was one of GQ's 50 best-dressed British men, prefers to keep his clothes on in movies unless it is integral to the storyline.

He added:

“It’s when you have a sense that you’re going, ‘Is this really necessary, or is it just people with less clothing on?’”

In a 2015 interview with Men's Health, Cavill admitted to getting aroused while shooting a sex scene on The Tudors, and he mentioned the concerns actors might experience while filming steamy scenes.

"That's where you start to get more uncomfortable and you're thinking, 'There's not a performance here. There's not a piece which is gonna carry through to the rest of the movie.' "

Although the trained actor clarified sex scenes can be beneficial as a storytelling tool, he said:

"Most of the time, the human imagination is gonna trump it."
"And so, it can be a little bit of a cop-out if a TV show or a movie is just filled with gyrating bodies and you’re going, ‘Okay, but what is this doing for us apart from the idea of, 'Oh, naked person, great?' "

The topic started when Vaughn expressed that he doesn't "understand" sex scenes in movies, which led to Cavill agreeing with him.

You can watch the interview here.

Henry Cavill & Matthew Vaughn talk ARGYLLE, WARHAMMER, HIGHLANDER I Happy Sad Confusedyoutu.be

Many moviegoers agreed with Cavill and shared their thoughts.



Not everyone shared his point of view.








While intimate bedroom scenes can be sexy for audiences, filming them is as awkward as you imagine.

Many actors have opened up about being uncomfortable on set during racy takes, which is understandable given they're being watched by a whole production team.

According to W magazine, Nicole Kidman said she felt that filming sex scenes made her feel, "very exposed and vulnerable and deeply humiliated at times."

Kirsten Dunst flat-out hates doing it and has the mindset of "Let's get this over with as fast as possible."

Actors in committed relationships like Sons of Anarchy star Charlie Hunnam especially have a difficult time.

He told Elle:

"I try to be sensitive to the fact that we're doing something intimate, but also keep a clear boundary."
"Because I'm in a very committed relationship, and I'm also cognizant that it's not my girlfriend's favorite part of my job. It's a delicate balance to strike.

Olivia Wilde, who in recent years has expanded her resume as a director, said:

"People imagine it's this really glamorous and sexy thing, but I always laugh because in reality there are 50 people in the room."

The Don't Worry Darling director is aiming for a new standard in Hollywood to make actors feel more comfortable by having a closed set, where only the necessary actors and crew are allowed.

The introduction of intimacy coaches has also helped ease anxiety for the actors involved.

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