When you're watching a titillating scene on the big or small screen, provided it's well-acted, it's easy to forget what goes into making the moment actually seem sexy. Scenes like these generally feature not-necessarily-romantically-involved actors grinding up against each other in front of camera people, directors, production assistants, and the like. Filming these shots is perhaps more comfortable for leading players, who can potentially request a closed set with the bare minimum of personnel. But the extras on HBO's upcoming series Westworld are signing on for a bit more than that.
According to Deadline, an agreement for the extras hired by Central Casting to shoot a Westworld sex scene is rather, well, extensive. The contract includes a clause informing actors that they'll not only be required to be nude and witness others naked, they'll also be asked to "participate in graphic sexual situations." According to the agreement obtained by Deadline, the gig may require extras to: "appear fully nude; wear a pubic hair patch; perform genital-to-genital touching; have your genitals painted; simulate oral sex with hand-to-genital touching; contort to form a table-like shape while being fully nude; pose on all fours while others who are fully nude ride on your back; ride on someone’s back while you are both fully nude." Or, possibly, "other assorted acts the Project may require."
Does this thing read like Christian Grey's contract to anyone else?
The actors' union, SAG-AFTRA, says the extras have the right to withdraw their consent at anytime even if they sign the agreement, Deadline reports. So, that must come as a relief to anyone totally skeeved out by the vagueness of that last "other assorted acts" bit. SAG-AFTRA told Deadline that a union rep will also be on set to monitor the situation.
We have to wonder if this contract was leaked in order to generate some buzz about just how sexy this new show is going to be — sexy, or Game of Thrones-level predatory, depending on your perspective.
HBO describes Westworld, which stars Evan Rachel Wood, Anthony Hopkins, James Marsden, Ed Norton, and Thandie Newton, as "a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the future of sin." The series is inspired by Michael Crichton's 1973 movie of the same name, about a futuristic adult theme park where androids fulfill people's fantasies. Ohhhh. Now the bit about painted genitals is making a bit more...nope, sorry, still doesn't make sense.
Watch a teaser for the show below.
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