Suranne Jones reveals she used an ‘intimacy expert’ to overcome her fears while filming wild sex romps as ‘first modern lesbian’ Anne Lister in Gentleman Jack
She plays the ‘first modern lesbian’ in steamy new period drama Gentleman Jack.
But Suranne Jones admits her role as amorous 19th century land owner Anne Lister came with the assistance of an intimacy expert, employed by show writer Sally Wainwright, to make her wild romps as believable as possible.
The actress, 40, worked with co-ordinator Ike Wainwright while filming the show’s sexually charged scenes in order to give them a greater degree of authenticity.
Assistance: Suranne Jones admits her role as amorous 19th century land owner Anne Lister in Gentleman Jack came with the assistance of an intimacy expert, employed to make her wild sex scenes as believable as possible
‘I was quite nervous about the sex scenes we had to do, because I thought they should be approached as sensitively as they could be,’ she told The Mirror.
‘One of the great things she brought was an articulacy – we could talk about the scenes. She just started talking about body parts and positions in a matter of fact way, which just liberated us all.
‘As well as helping us sculpt the sex scenes, the positions, she’s also there to provide support to the artists.’
Realistic: The actress, 40, worked with co-ordinator Ike Wainwright while filming the show’s more intimate scenes in order to give them a greater degree of authenticity
In the show, aired on America’s HBO network, Anne began her love affair with Marianna Lawton, played by Lydia Leonard, and it wasn’t long until the pair had a steamy romp.
Suranne stars as the titular character- who has been given the nickname due to her ‘unfeminine’ dress and demeanor.
Previously speaking about how they decided to portray Anne in the sex scenes the Doctor Foster star told Oprah Magazine: ‘We went into the way that she had sex, she identified as butch, and didn’t like to be penetrated, she felt like she was ‘womanised’ if she was touched on the breasts.
‘We looked at how different sex was with Marianna, and how free she was with her.
Historical: The drama, based on a true story, focuses on the life of 19th-century Yorkshire heiress Anne Lister, who is determined to marry her female lover, Ann Walker
‘Then we looked very sensitively at the new relationship with Walker, Sophie and I were very delicate with that storytelling.’
The drama, based on a true story, focuses on the life of a 19th-century Yorkshire heiress who is determined to marry her female lover, Ann Walker.
It follows the romance between landowner Anne and heiress Ann who are believed to have met in 1832, in a time when homosexuality was both a crime and a taboo.
Involved: Show writer Sally Wainwright (pictured) employed the intimacy expert to help Suranne on set