In the Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast features in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy actors and creators. Join host and senior editor Vinnie Mancuso for this guide to living the creative life from those who are doing it every day.
When Mam Smith first pivoted from stunts into the then-relatively-new position of intimacy coordinator for the third season of HBO’s “Westworld,” the transition wasn’t exactly smooth. “It was 2019, and nobody knew what [intimacy coordination] was,” Smith tells us on the latest episode of In the Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast. “They thought I was like HR and they were all in trouble. You know, the word police, the thought police, the action police. I was like, no, I’m here to facilitate. I’m here to help. I’m here to create communication.”
Luckily, the industry has since softened on the invaluable role, and Smith has become a cornerstone of intimacy coordination. In addition to series like Taylor Sheridan’s “Landman” and “Lioness,” Smith has worked on Seasons 2 and 3 of Sam Levinson’s HBO series “Euphoria,” and she kept her professional relationship with Zendaya going on Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers” and Kristoffer Borgli’s “The Drama.”
“Like any relationship dynamic, the more you can build trust and create a shorthand, [the easier it gets],” Smith says about collaborating with Zendaya. “She’ll see me and know, ‘OK, Mam’s got this.’ She knows what I’m capable of. She knows I have her back. She knows I’m going to protect her…. She’s in a challenging position, because she’s so powerful in this industry. She’s worked so hard, and there’s a lot asked of her. It’s really important that she be protected and supported. So we’ve developed a relationship where I can do that.”
But Smith’s commitment to protecting actors extends to everyone she meets on set. For the new or unsure, she emphasizes that the “restrictions” of intimacy coordination actually enhance the creative experience.
“We do what we call body mapping. You talk to an actress or an actor [and ask], ‘Where is safe to touch and where isn’t?’ You go through it. ‘OK, not my bum. I don’t want you to touch my side fat. This will pull me out of the scene. This is good. My ears are sensitive,’ ” she explains. “You set those parameters, then all the rest is fair game. So now you can be free, and you’re not worried, Oh, did I just cross a line? We actually are so clear on what our container is so you can be free within that.”
In this episode, Smith breaks down what goes into intimate scenes on “Euphoria,” the state of onscreen sex as a whole, her advice for actors who are new to the experience, and much more. Listen and subscribe to hear the full conversation:
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