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Lionsgate’s Miller’s Girl sparked major controversy when it was released earlier this yr for its sexual scenes between an 18-year-old female character and an older teacher. Now, actor Martin Freeman is reacting to the backlash that the film received over its eroticism and his age gap with co-star Jenna Ortega.
While speaking with The Times in a recent interview, Martin, 52, described his and Jenna’s movie as “grown-up and nuanced.”
“It’s not saying, ‘Isn’t this great?’” he said, referring to the plot. Calling the backlash “a shame,” the English actor went on to ask, “Are we gonna have a go at Liam Neeson for being in a movie in regards to the Holocaust?” Martin was referring to the 1993 movie Schindler’s List.
Per the synopsis of Miller’s Girl, Jenna’s 18-year-old student character, Cairo, “embarks on a creative odyssey when her teacher assigns a project that entangles them each in an increasingly complex web. As lines blur and their lives intertwine, professor and protégé must confront their darkest selves while straining to preserve their individual sense of purpose and the things they hold most dear.”
Although the Wednesday series star, 21, has not openly discussed her erotic scenes with Martin, the film’s intimacy coordinator, Kristina Arjona, spoke with Each day Mail shortly after the movie premiered.
“There was many, many individuals throughout this process, engaging with [Jenna] to make certain that it was consistent with what she was comfortable with, and he or she was very determined and really sure of what she desired to do,” Kristina explained to the outlet in February, adding that solid members “even have the choice on the day to vary their mind in the event that they don’t wish to do any of the weather that we’ve discussed.”
The coordinator acknowledged that “a part of [her] job is supporting [Jenna’s] decisions” and in addition identified that, with an age difference reminiscent of the one featured in Miller’s Girl, the goal for Kristina was to make sure each actors were comfortable.
“I adapt to whatever is the comfort level of my actors, especially on a production like this where there’s a big age gap between the actors,” Kristina noted. “‘I’m hyper aware of each of my talent and ensuring that we’re consistently checking in and that at no point are any of their boundaries being surpassed. And again, ensuring — especially with someone who’s significantly younger — that they’re giving continuous consent.”
