Michael Fassbender’s cinematic love

The key to a good sex scene, says Fassbender, is making your co-star feel comfortable.

Michael Fassbender isn’t afraid to get intimate on screen, said Kyle Buchanan in New York. In recent movies, the German-Irish actor has bedded, spanked, and whipped Keira Knightley, and romped with a bevy of burlesque starlets. The key to a good sex scene, he explains, is making your co-star feel comfortable. “The most important thing is to say, ‘Let’s talk about this,’” says the 34-year-old. “You have to say, ‘What lines do you have that you don’t want me to cross? Do you mind if I touch your breasts? Can I kiss your breasts? Just so you know, I’m not taking advantage and taking the p--- out of this situation.’” Sometimes, he adds, alcohol can help loosen things up. “You take a couple of shots of tequila and, you know, get groovy.”

Fassbender thinks that his parents would be proud of his recent explicit performances, particularly the full-frontal nude shots in his movie Shame. “Women parade around naked all the time [in films], but the guy conveniently has his pants on,” he says. “I remember my mom complaining about that, saying, ‘This is such bulls---, it’s always the women who are naked.’ So I did this one for you, Mom!”

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us