I May Destroy You's Michaela Coel says it's "thoughtless" and "inconsiderate" to film without intimacy coordinators
The hard-hitting drama dealt with topics of rape and sexual assault.
Michaela Coel has praised the intimacy coordinators who worked on BBC One drama I May Destroy You, stating that filming without such integral team members is "thoughtless" and "inconsiderate".
The miniseries featured several disturbing scenes as it explored events stemming from the rape of author and influencer Arabella (played by Coel), as well as other instances of sexual assault.
In order to depict such abuse, the team behind I May Destroy You hired dedicated intimacy coordinators to ensure that the actors involved felt safe and looked after during filming.
After Coel won the award for Leading Actress at the Virgin Media BAFTA TV Awards 2021, she dedicated the prestigious prize to intimacy coordinator Ita O'Brien and her team.
"I've shot without intimacy directors and I've shot with Ita and team members that Ita's trained, and the confidence that it gives you to be able to really tell a story that looks harrowing, that looks inappropriate, whilst being totally appropriate, whilst being protected, means that you're able to properly tell that story," she said in a press conference following her win.
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Coel added: "It's a very vulnerable place for not just actors, for the crew as well, because the crew might have had experiences and it triggers things for them.
"So to have her there protects everybody and if you don't have people like Ita on set when you're shooting things like that, I think it's quite thoughtless. It's really inconsiderate and it shows a lack of mindfulness."
I May Destroy You earned universal acclaim from critics and audiences alike for its powerful discussion of sexual assault and consent, picking up the BAFTA for Best Miniseries earlier in the evening.
Despite this runaway success, Coel has insisted that there will not be a second season of the groundbreaking drama, but the actor, writer and producer is currently working on a different project in collaboration with the BBC.
Check out our BAFTA TV Awards 2021 live blog and our full list of BAFTA TV Awards 2021 winners.
I May Destroy You is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
