Jenna Ortega was "comfortable" with Martin Freeman bedroom scene in Miller's Girl despite age gap

9 February 2024, 15:35

Watch Jenna Ortega in the Miller’s Girl trailer

By Sam Prance

The director behind Miller's Girl also said that Jenna Ortega "scared the sh--" out of her while filming the movie.

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Miller's Girl has broken the internet with its controversial Jenna Ortega and Martin Freeman bedroom scene. Now, the film's intimacy coordinator, Kristina Arjona, has opened up about the scene, how it was filmed and how Jenna Ortega felt about it.

As soon as Miller's Girl debuted in US cinemas last month (Jan 26), viewers began losing it over how disturbing it is. The movie tells the story of 18 year-old student Cairo Sweet (Ortega). In the film, Cairo begins a questionable relationship with her much older, married, creative writing teacher, Jonathan Miller (Freeman), and it's leaving audiences on edge.

In one scene, Jonathan's character begins to get intimate with Cairo. It's then revealed that Jonathan is really masturbating while reading an assignment that Cairo has written about a sexual relationship between a teacher and a student. The scene has since gone viral with many disturbed due to the age gap between the characters, and actors Jenna (21) and Martin (52).

Now, the team behind Miller's Girl have shared that Jenna Ortega was "comfortable" while filming the controversial scene.

Miller&squot;s Girl intimacy coordinator insists Jenna Ortega was "comfortable" with Martin Freeman bedroom scene — Miller's Girl intimacy coordinator insists Jenna Ortega was "comfortable" with Martin Freeman bedroom scene. Picture: Lionsgate

Speaking to the Daily Mail about the scene, intimacy coordinator Kristina Arjona said: "There was many people throughout this process, engaging with [Jenna] to make sure that it was consistent with what she was comfortable with, and she was very determined and very sure of what she wanted to do."

She continued: "Part of my job too is supporting her decisions. I adapt to whatever is the comfort level of my actors, especially on a production like this where there is a large age gap between the actors."

Kristina ended by saying: "I’m hyper aware of both of my talent and making sure that we’re consistently checking in and that at no point are any of their boundaries being surpassed. And again, making sure – especially with someone who’s significantly younger – that they are giving continuous consent."

Martin Freeman and Jenna Ortega in Miller's Girl. Picture: Alamy via Lionsgate

Meanwhile, Miller's Girl director Jade Halley Barltett praised Jenna in a recent interview with What To Watch. She said: "She definitely went to a place with Cairo that... it's even tricky to explain. Jenna, I mean she's a savant. You watch her heart break in real-time and then you watch her calcify It's a very subtle thing that I think is quite terrifying."

Jade added: "And there are some moments that Jenna has when she is looking at Jonathan or when she is talking to him when she is like I almost believe...She's like a vampire, a 900-year-old vampire. There's something very ancient that she does that really scares the shit out of me, excuse my language."