Teen Actress Forced to Do Nude Scenes

Modern film sets often employ intimacy coordinators, while child actors are protected both legally and statutorily; so it may seem unbelievable that 12 year-old actresses would be forced to perform nude scenes against their will. Yet this has happened many times on set – including numerous incidents where teenage stars were sexualised on set. Due to the #MeToo movement, more actresses have spoken up and advocated for change within the industry.

Brooke Shields caused much controversy when she appeared in Pretty Baby at just 12 years old, featuring numerous nude scenes that many saw as exploitative of her body. Shields herself later stated that she agreed to these scenes without ever being forced or pressured into performing them.

April Pearson has always been candid about her time on E4’s Skins. In a recent TikTok video, she revealed that she still finds some sex scenes uncomfortable to film during her time on the show. Nicholas Hoult, director of Skins, advised April to film two versions of a scene with different types of exposure, so that they could select which version later when making decisions on which scenes would go into production.

SAG-AFTRA provides some protection for performers through a nudity clause, which stipulates that producers inform actors of any expected sexual scenes before auditions begin, obtain separate written consent for those scenes, and enforce closed sets. Unfortunately, however, directors and producers often push actors beyond what was agreed upon or to perform more than agreed to.