Michael Caine is sharing his thoughts on the need for intimacy coordinators during amorous scenes in film and television projects.
The 90-year-old actor, who is currently promoting the film The Great Escaper, told The Daily Mail in an interview published online Saturday that he was unfamiliar with the concept of a project hiring someone to help ensure performers’ safety and well-being during the filming of intimate scenes.
“Really?” Caine responded when asked for his thoughts on the role. “Seriously? What are they? We never had that in my day. Thank God I’m 90 and don’t play lovers anymore, is all I can say.”
The two-time Oscar winner continued, “In my day, you just did the love scene and got on with it without anyone interfering. It’s all changed.”
Caine also said he tries to comport himself in ways deemed politically correct before adding, “But it’s dull. Not being able to speak your mind and not being able to call anyone ‘darling.’” He went on to say, “I like to learn from friends who are younger than me.”
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to the actor’s team for further comment.
The Intimacy Directors International nonprofit organization was established in 2016, and the role became more prevalent on sets in the entertainment industry in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
Caine has recently suggested that Oliver Parker’s The Great Escaper, which co-stars the late Glenda Jackson in a story about a World War II veteran going to great lengths to celebrate the 70th anniversary of D-Day, may be his final film. His previous roles include playing a lothario in the acclaimed 1966 feature Alfie.