Minka Kelly says she was asked to strip down during her first day on set of “Euphoria.”
The actress, 41, revealed in a new interview that she pushed back on a nude scene – written for the second season of the Emmy-winning drama – because she “didn’t feel comfortable.”
“That was my first day as a guest on this new show, and I just didn’t feel comfortable standing there naked,” Kelly told Vanity Fair.
She noted that the show’s writer and director, Sam Levinson, was open to her tweaking the character of Samantha, the wealthy mother of a young boy Maddy (Alexa Demie) babysits.
During the scene, Kelly’s Samantha returns home after a night out with her husband, and Maddy helps her unzip her gown.
“[Levinson] thought it would be more interesting if my dress fell to the ground,” Kelly recalled. “I said, ‘I’d love to do this scene, but I think we can keep my dress on.’ He was like, ‘OK!’ He didn’t even hesitate. And he shot a beautiful scene and got exactly what he wanted.”
Kelly appears in Season 2 of “Euphoria,” portraying the mother of a boy who Maddy babysits.Eddy Chen/HBOFellow “Euphoria” star Sydney Sweeney, who has filmed her fair share of nude scenes for the HBO series, previously revealed she asked Levinson, 37, to cut some of them.
“There are moments where [my character] Cassie was supposed to be shirtless and I would tell Sam, ‘I don’t really think that’s necessary here,’” she said in a recent interview with the Independent. “He was like, ‘OK, we don’t need it.’”
Sweeney, 24, told the outlet that Levinson was very receptive to her requests.
“I’ve never felt like Sam has pushed it on me or was trying to get a nude scene into an HBO show,” she explained. “When I didn’t want to do it, he didn’t make me.”
The actress said show creator Sam Levinson was receptive to her feedback.Instagram/@minkakellySweeney also noted that “Euphoria” has an intimacy coordinator on set who assists the cast with X-rated scenes.
Ahead of the show’s Season 2 premiere in January, Zendaya (who portrays Rue) posted a disclaimer to Instagram, reminding her followers that the show is for “mature audiences.”
“This season, maybe even more so than the last, is deeply emotional and deals with subject matter that can be triggering and difficult to watch,” she wrote at the time.
“Please only watch it if you feel comfortable. Take care of yourself and know that either way you are still loved and I can still feel your support. All my love, Daya.”
