5 Things We Learned From Intimacy Coordinator Lizzy Talbot

When Saturday Night Live’s Kate McKinnon and Bridgerton actor Regè Jean Page spoofed director Julie Anne Robinson prepping for a sexy scene with the help of an intimacy coordinator, it was more than just a humorous skit. It launched the relatively new role of intimacy coordination into the cultural mainstream.

Just a few years earlier, intimacy coordinators were explaining what they did and justifying their purpose on set. Bridgerton was one of Lizzy Talbot’s first jobs as an intimacy coordinator. But now, she’s one of the most sought-after experts, helping shape everything from the swoon-worthy romance of Bridgerton to the steamy drama of The Hunting Wives, both done in collaboration with Robinson.

Advocacy is a critical part of the work says Talbot. She helps voice concerns, establish boundaries, and set clear expectations before cameras roll. The job is also deeply creative.

“Everyone can think, ‘Oh gosh, here comes the intimacy coordinator, no fun’s allowed anymore,’” Talbot says. “There’s a place for professionalism, but you could definitely have fun with these types of scenes, because at the end of the day we’re physically storytelling. There can be a lot of joy and a lot of excitement and so much creativity within that.”

Here are five things we learned from Talbot about collaboration, creativity, and trusting your instincts.

1. Take a leap and trust you’ll figure it out.

When Talbot joined the first season of Bridgerton, intimacy coordination was still in its infancy in the industry. She had to convince filmmakers and producers to make space for this new role in a very established system. Fortunately, she immediately hit it off with Robinson, who was directing the pilot. Bridgerton allowed Talbot to begin defining the job in real time.

“This role was pretty untested,” says Talbot. “I remember walking on set... and nobody knew what I did. The role was kind of expanding and shifting and changing and getting its shape.”

“It takes a brave and strong person,” says Robinson, to establish a new onset role. Despite stepping into an environment where many people were unsure what an intimacy coordinator actually contributed, Talbot embraced the challenge. Looking back, she acknowledges that she wasn’t quite sure how intimacy coordination would be integrated on and off set but she felt strongly that it was an important part of the filmmaking process.

“What I did in 2018 is so different now from what I do in 2026,” she says. “The role has evolved dramatically in that time.” But thankfully she relied on her instincts and drew upon her experience as a movement director to guide her. Sometimes growth requires stepping into unfamiliar territory and trusting that you have the resources to learn along the way.

2. Set yourself up for success.

One of the biggest misconceptions about intimacy coordinators, says Talbot, is that their work begins when the cameras start rolling. In actuality, eighty percent of the job happens before you get on set.

“A lot of it is a huge amount of unsexy paperwork and spreadsheets,” she says. Talbot’s preparation includes script breakdowns, risk assessments, actor meetings, rehearsals, costume logistics, consent documentation, and extensive communication between actors, directors, production teams, and legal departments.

For example, Talbot starts by breaking down the script, reviewing every scene and working out the level of intimacy required. “I typically color code the [scenes] into red, orange, and green, kind of like a traffic light,” she says. Red involves simulated sex or nudity. Orange might include a heavy makeout scene where there’s a lot of body contact. A green scene might be a peck on the cheek or adults sitting next to minors who are not their own children.

“When you turn up on the day, you can shift and change and move as appropriate, but you’ve got a plan, and a lot of problems have been solved beforehand,” she says. A good strategy to ensure success on any project.

3. Meet people where they are.

One of Talbot’s important principles on the job is deceptively simple—meet people where they are. “Everyone has such a different experience,” she says. “There’s no one-size-fits-all in this job.”

Whether she’s working with actors who are experienced in filming intimate scenes or performers navigating them for the first time, Talbot avoids imposing a strict process and expresses the importance of creating an open and collaborative environment. “I just try and meet actors where they are,” she says. “You’re not trying to impose something on an actor’s process; you’re working together to create this story.”

“I love to have an actor and the director together to chat through everything,” she adds. “It’s nice for the actors to be able to hear firsthand the creative vision for the scene.” Before meeting with the director and/or producer, Talbot discusses practicalities and hears what the actor is or isn’t comfortable doing. If necessary, she can step in and discuss a need to adjust the vision.

That philosophy extends beyond working in film. Talbot believes successful collaboration requires reading the room, understanding different personalities, and knowing when to step forward and when to step back.

4. Things can change. Embrace it.

Talbot shares that flexibility is essential when you are working as an intimacy coordinator. While discussing how she evaluates scenes, Talbot says sometimes what looks straightforward on paper can quickly become more complex on set with real people.

“A green can quickly become an orange, or an orange can quickly become a green,” she says, referring to the system she uses to categorize scenes based on intimacy requirements. “This can all shift and change depending on someone’s comfort level.”

“For example, sometimes the scene calls for everything to be seamless and beautiful like almost ethereal in how that physicality manifests, but then I’ve worked on shows where you really need to lean into like the awkwardness of something,” she says.

Rehearsals can augment or change the original plan. “It’s then when you find out that something that I thought would work really well doesn’t work,” she says. “And this new idea that we’ve had together as a collaborative effort... that’s better than anything that we had come up with before.”

Rather than resisting change, Talbot embraces it as part of the creative process, and notes the importance of pivoting while also working within the boundaries established beforehand with the actors and crew.

5. Bodice rippers are a misnomer.

Period dramas may have popularized the term “bodice ripper,” but Talbot says the reality is far less dramatic. “Whenever I see something described as a bodice ripper, I just start falling about laughing,” she says. “Those things don’t rip off.” In fact, historical costumes are often incredibly complex. “There is so much that goes into these costumes,” Talbot says. “You could not rip that off if you tried. It’s all about the magic of film and TV.”

Creating the illusion of effortless romance requires careful planning, creative camera work, and a healthy dose of strategic editing. Sometimes the most intimate moments audiences see on screen involve practical considerations—from corsets and petticoats to boots that simply won’t come off elegantly.

As Talbot puts it: “Getting undressed is a bit of a circus, especially when you are in five layers.”