The intimacy coordinator behind Euphoria has claimed the actors were ‘pushed’ to be vulnerable on set – and called for sex scenes to be less explicit – as the show faces mounting fury over ‘demeaning’ fetish content featuring Sydney Sweeney.
Mam Smith, 51, one of Hollywood’s most prominent intimacy coordinators, made the candid admission on the In the Envelope podcast as fans and critics slam the show for ‘oversexualising’ its female stars.
Speaking about her work across multiple seasons of the controversial HBO teen drama, Smith revealed: ‘These actors were pushed – they were asked – to be so vulnerable, that creating a safe container was so important.’
Smith, who worked as a stunt performer for 25 years before becoming an intimacy coordinator following the MeToo movement in 2018, confessed she would now prefer to see ‘more creative ways’ of depicting intimate scenes rather than graphic content.
She said: ‘I don’t know that things need to be sexually explicit. Lots of times, letting them fill in the gaps will keep people engaged rather than withdraw… I’m probably talking myself out of work.’
Euphoria’s season three – also starring Zendaya, Jacob Elordi and Hunter Schafer in recurring roles – has been slammed by horrified viewers who branded disturbing scenes in the early episodes featuring Sweeney, 28, a ‘humiliation ritual’ for the actress.
The controversial first episode, which dropped on HBO Max last month after a four-year hiatus, showed Sweeney’s character Cassie dressed as a dog with a collar and leash while posing for racy OnlyFans content.
The intimacy coordinator behind Euphoria has claimed the actors were ‘pushed’ to be vulnerable on set – and called for sex scenes to be less explicit
The show – which returned last month – faces mounting fury over ‘demeaning’ fetish content featuring Sydney Sweeney
In shocking scenes, Cassie is seen licking water from a bowl and biting down on a shoe while pretending to be a dog for her online subscribers, as her fiancé Nate calls her a ‘prostitute’.
The second episode showed her dressed as a sexualised baby while topless and covered in food.
Variety reported the show appears to be leveraging Sweeney’s real-life image, with critics arguing she has been held back from showcasing her acting skills as the programme taps into her public persona.
Viewers have accused creator Sam Levinson, 41, of blurring the line between storytelling and sensationalism, with some claiming the creative direction risks turning exploitative.
‘This is basically a humiliation ritual for everyone involved,’ wrote one horrified viewer on social media.
The season premiere also featured graphic scenes of Zendaya, 29, swallowing bags of fentanyl while dry heaving and vomiting as her character Rue works as a drug mule.
Smith – who worked on Euphoria season two and three, plus the special episodes – described the production of the latest season as ‘constantly challenging, all day, every day’.
But she insisted the ‘whole production was interested in creating that space’ for actors to feel safe given the vulnerable nature of the content.
Smith also claimed Levinson was ‘super open’ to having an intimacy coordinator when she first joined the team, recalling: ‘We immediately were able to find a workflow that supported his work, and it allowed the actors to feel safe.’
The second episode showed Sydney dressed as a sexualised baby while topless and covered in food
Mam Smith, 51, one of Hollywood’s most prominent intimacy coordinators said: ‘These actors were pushed – they were asked – to be so vulnerable, that creating a safe container was so important’ (Zendaya seen as Rue)
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Euphoria director defends Sydney Sweeney’s ‘degrading’ OnlyFans storyline as he praises actress for ‘becoming brilliant’ under pressure
Reflecting on how her role has improved actors’ privacy on set, she added: ‘On Euphoria… I would step in and the PAs would be like, ‘OK, we’ve closed the set, come take a look.’
‘Before, I’d have to go, ‘Please, close the set, I want to block this, this area is too exposed.’ We would go through this thing, and we’d have to convince different departments to cooperate.
‘They just didn’t see the asset, but the more you get into a routine, the more people are aware and understand how it works, and the value it brings, the easier it is to integrate. So that’s been a real arc for me.’
She added, however, that she was concerned by the amount of explicit content in television these days.
‘I work as a director as well, and I think there are ways to tell stories where you let the audience lean in and come to you,’ she said. ‘And that’s really the goal of these productions… to have your audience engaged.’
Smith has worked with Zendaya across three projects – Euphoria, Challengers and The Drama – which she says has allowed them to develop a trusted relationship.
‘She sees me and knows, OK, Mam’s got this,’ Smith said. ‘She knows I have her back, so I’m gonna protect her.’
She added Zendaya is ‘in a challenging position because she’s so powerful, in this industry she works so hard, and there’s a lot asked of her’.
Sam recently said that Sydney ‘becomes brilliant’ on set ‘if you push a little bit’.
Speaking as part of The Hollywood Reporter’s Directors in Focus event, he said: ‘What’s interesting is if you push it a little bit, she becomes brilliant…
‘You just do a few more takes, and she can reach these levels that are very honest emotionally, but also deeply funny. She’s able to anchor the scene with this kind of madness and chaos going on around her.’
