Key Points
Rob Lowe discusses disappearing Hollywood intimacy trends
A24's 'Babygirl' breaks recent on-screen sexuality norms
Actor recalls past industry practices around intimate scenes
Changing perspectives on sexuality in film storytelling
Reflecting on how attitudes towards on-screen intimacy have shifted in recent years, the 59-year-old actor, known for his roles in 'The West Wing' and 'Parks and Recreation', told 'Sex and the City' star Kristin Davis, 59, on his 'Literally!' podcast about the changing landscape of film and television, reports 'Female First UK'.
He said, "Nobody has sex scenes in movies anymore". Rob did acknowledge studio A24's recent release 'Babygirl' featured raunchy sex scenes, which he described as "great". But he reflected on how the industry had changed since he starred in the 1988 thriller 'Masquerade', recalling how the studio had distanced itself from the project because it was "too sexy".
He said, "They're like, 'It's so brave. She's so brave'. (This actress is) brave because she has a sex scene? Like, that's brave now. In our day, it was required".
As per 'Female First UK', directed by Halina Reijn, 48, 'Babygirl' starred Nicole Kidman, 56, as a CEO whose life is upended when she embarks on a passionate affair with an intern, played by 27-year-old Harris Dickinson.
The film, which won Nicole best actress award at the Venice Film Festival, features several intimate scenes as her character explores a submissive kink.
Rob also recalled about an informal industry guideline from earlier years, saying, "There was the page 73 rule. Back in the day, the sex scene was always on page 73. You got a script and were like, 'Am I going to be naked in this?' "And you didn't have to read the whole script. You just went to page 73 because that middle second act... what do you do? It's the toughest sledding in storytelling so they 'Blue Lagoon' it. But now, it's so brave".
Discussing broader shifts in Hollywood, Rob said, "I always feel, like, out of chaos comes opportunity. My attitude is always you make the most of it (and) disruption is actually a great time to build new things".
If you can be one of the nimble ones and you could be one of the forward-thinking ones not entrenched and not trying to recreate yesterday but try to imagine tomorrow, it's your time", he added.
