Filming intimate scenes can be difficult, it requires actors to be incredibly vulnerable, and I’d imagine it can be a nerve-wracking experience. In the new film My Policeman David Dawson explained that the intimate scenes in were a “special” experience, crediting his scene partner, one of the biggest musicians in the business right now, Harry Styles for being so good to work with.
The film follows the story of Tom, a gay cop (played by Styles) in the 1950s. Tom is married to Marion (played by Emma Corrin), and he is having an affair with Patrick (played by David Dawson). They are in a complex love triangle, that is even more complicated because of the lack of acceptance toward gay people in the ‘50s. Throughout the film, there are many sex scenes between Styles and Dawson’s characters. When it came to filming the scenes and making sure both actors were comfortable Dawson told THR:
That was one of the most special things I took away from this project. Because initially, when you read the script and you know that there are these intimate scenes, you hope that the person you’re going to be going through this process with is someone you can wholly put your trust in and will communicate with you and is void of ego. And I got all of that and more in Harry.
Earlier the actor had noted that Styles is “down to Earth” and “a good Northern lad,” he also said they communicated openly throughout the entire shoot. Then the journalist asked Dawson if he ever found himself pondering the fact that he was shooting sex scenes with one of the biggest pop stars on the planet. He responded, saying:
I suppose less that, and more that when they called ‘cut,’ the two of us did laugh. That’s how odd the situation is. There were only about four other people that needed to be with us in that room, and suddenly when ‘cut’ is called you notice that, you know, the DP is there. But we all just had a laugh, because that’s the best way to deal with it.
I’d imagine shooting sex scenes must always be a bit awkward. It’s nice to know that the two actors and the crew were able to create a safe environment to ensure they were able to tell this important story. As the review of My Policeman for CinemaBlend says, this story is very important, and “it’s important to remember that are generations of LGBTQ+ folks that society ultimately failed.”
Overall, the initial reviews of the film have been good, and have praised Styles’ performance. I personally can’t wait to see this trio of actors together when the movie comes out. You will be able to watch My Policeman with an Amazon Prime subscription on November 4, and you can check out the 2022 movie schedule for more fall film recommendations.
