Actor Martin Freeman defended his film “Miller’s Girl” amidst recent criticism over the sex scenes between him and 21-year-old actress Jenna Ortega in the movie.
In an interview with U.K outlet “The Times,” Freeman addressed the backlash the film received in February, particularly regarding the scenes involving his character, a teacher, and Ortega’s character, one of his students. Many social media users expressed discomfort and criticized the depiction of the sexual relationship between the two characters.
Freeman acknowledged the controversy, emphasizing that the film does not glorify or endorse such relationships. He explained that the discomfort viewers felt was intentional and served a purpose in conveying a “grown-up and nuanced” perspective on the topic. Freeman also compared the criticism to other films that use disturbing imagery to evoke emotions, questioning the inconsistency in judging such content.
The film’s on-set intimacy coordinator, Kristina Arjona, also defended the production, stating that both actors were comfortable with the scenes and that their boundaries were respected throughout filming.
Despite the backlash, age gaps in relationships, similar to those depicted in the film, are not uncommon in Hollywood. Numerous celebrity couples have significant age differences, highlighting the double standard in societal perceptions of age gaps in real-life relationships versus their portrayal in media.
