Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh’s on-screen chemistry has made headlines following a humorous and slightly awkward experience during the filming of their upcoming movie We Live in Time. The two actors, who star as romantic leads in the film, were so caught up in filming an intense love scene that they both failed to hear the director call “cut,” resulting in the scene continuing longer than intended. The candid story was shared by Garfield himself during a recent public appearance at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, where he reflected on the incident.
While promoting the film on Friday, Garfield described the situation as both amusing and a little embarrassing. He recalled filming a “very intimate, passionate sex scene” with his co-star Pugh, and how the unexpected continuation of the scene led to a slightly uncomfortable yet laughable moment on set. “It was an intimate, closed-set situation,” Garfield told the audience. “But we were so immersed in the moment, we didn’t hear ‘cut.’”
A Surprising Mistake During the First Take
According to Garfield, this moment occurred during the first take of the love scene, which was shot in a controlled and private setting. The crew had minimized personnel on set to make both actors feel comfortable, with only the essential crew members present, such as the camera operator and the boom operator. The director, John Crowley, was in another room nearby, overseeing the filming from a monitor. As with many love scenes, ensuring that the actors feel safe and respected is key, and closed sets are a common practice in Hollywood for such moments.
The scene in question had been meticulously choreographed ahead of time. However, as Garfield explained, both he and Pugh were so engrossed in the scene that they missed the director’s signal to stop. “The scene becomes passionate, as we choreographed it,” Garfield recounted. “And we get into it, as it were, and we go a little further than we were meant to just because we never heard ‘cut.’” The situation left the pair wondering if something had gone wrong, as they had an inkling that the take was running longer than expected.
Director’s Location Led to the Confusion
Part of the reason for the miscommunication was the director’s location. Crowley was not in the same room as the actors; he was monitoring the scene from an adjacent room, likely to provide the actors with more privacy and to maintain the sensitive atmosphere of the scene. This is a standard practice in film production, especially for love scenes, where directors often position themselves out of sight to avoid adding any extra pressure on the actors. However, this distance inadvertently contributed to the delay in the actors realizing that the scene had officially ended.
“I feel like we were both kind of telepathically saying to each other, ‘this definitely feels like a longer take,’” Garfield added, sharing the internal thoughts both actors had while continuing the scene. As they carried on with the choreography, neither one of them immediately stopped because they still hadn’t heard the director say anything.
Realization and an Awkward Silence
It wasn’t until Garfield and Pugh glanced over at the crew members that they finally realized something was wrong. Both the camera operator and the boom operator, who were among the few people allowed on set, had turned their backs to the action. In an attempt to give Garfield and Pugh as much privacy and respect as possible, the crew had chosen to avert their eyes from the ongoing scene, leaving the actors alone in their passionate embrace.
The actors, now aware that they had gone beyond what was planned, finally stopped. “It was a really funny and kind of awkward moment,” Garfield admitted with a laugh. Despite the brief discomfort, both Garfield and Pugh took it in stride, recognizing the importance of maintaining trust and communication in such scenes.
Garfield emphasized how safe both he and Pugh felt in the environment that had been created for them. “We both felt really safe in that moment,” he shared. “Even though the scene went on longer than it was supposed to, we trusted the process and each other. We’ll let this progress and we’ll just carry on.”
The Importance of Closed Sets and Actor Safety
In the world of filmmaking, especially when it comes to intimate scenes, ensuring the actors’ comfort and safety is paramount. Closed sets, like the one Garfield and Pugh were working on, are designed to limit the number of people present during filming, which helps create a more private and secure environment. It allows actors to perform without feeling overly self-conscious or exposed to a large crew, which can be crucial when filming scenes of a personal or sensitive nature.
Actors also often work closely with intimacy coordinators—trained professionals who help choreograph and guide scenes involving physical intimacy to ensure that boundaries are respected, and everyone involved feels safe. These coordinators have become an important part of film sets in recent years, especially in the post-#MeToo era, when there has been a heightened focus on actor safety and consent.
While Garfield didn’t specifically mention the presence of an intimacy coordinator during his retelling of the incident, it’s likely that the film employed one, as many productions now do. Regardless, the situation demonstrated the level of trust and professionalism between the two actors.
About We Live In Time
The upcoming film We Live In Time, which stars both Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh, is already garnering attention due to its stellar cast and intriguing premise. According to an official synopsis, the film follows the story of two individuals whose lives change forever after an unexpected encounter. While the full details of the plot are being kept under wraps, it’s clear that the relationship between Garfield and Pugh’s characters is central to the film’s narrative.
Directed by John Crowley, who is known for films like Brooklyn, the movie is expected to explore themes of love, fate, and the unpredictable nature of life. Given the buzz surrounding Garfield and Pugh’s on-screen chemistry, fans are eagerly anticipating its release.
Set to premiere in U.S. theaters on October 11, We Live In Time promises to deliver an emotional and engaging story, with both Garfield and Pugh bringing their undeniable talent to the screen. Their recounting of behind-the-scenes moments like this only adds to the excitement and curiosity around the film, as audiences await to see how their chemistry translates on screen.
This behind-the-scenes story not only highlights the importance of trust and professionalism in the world of acting but also serves as a reminder of how actors sometimes become so immersed in their roles that they temporarily lose track of time. For Garfield and Pugh, the incident became a humorous anecdote, but it also sheds light on the complexities of filming intimate scenes in a respectful and safe manner.
The Information is Collected from People and Yahoo.