Lili Reinhart is pulling back the curtain on what filming intimate scenes actually looks like.
The “Riverdale” alum discussed her experience making “The Love Hypothesis” during an appearance on Owen Thiele’s “In Your Dreams” podcast. She explained why romantic scenes that appear convincing on screen can feel completely different for the actors filming them.
Reinhart said kissing a co-star while she is in a real-life relationship has never created an issue for her because the process is highly technical.
“You really are acting,” Reinhart said.
Rather than getting lost in the moment, Reinhart said actors remain aware of the camera and the dozens of crew members surrounding them.
Lili Reinhart Says Intimate Scenes Can Feel ‘Awkward’
Reinhart acknowledged that viewers sometimes wonder how actors avoid developing feelings for their co-stars. This is especially true when their characters share intimate moments.
Her experience has been much less romantic.
“It is just awkward and weird,” she said of filming those scenes.
Reinhart explained that a camera can be positioned nearby while more than 40 crew members watch the performance. Rather than viewing the moment romantically, the crew members are focused on doing their jobs.
She occasionally feels nervous immediately before kissing a co-star, but compared it to ripping off a bandage. Once the actors kiss for the first time, the initial awkwardness begins to disappear.
Reinhart also said she has been fortunate to have positive experiences with the male and female co-stars she has kissed throughout her career.
She joked that she had to kiss nearly everyone on “Riverdale,” particularly during its final season. She then quickly clarified she meant on the show rather than off camera.
Getty‘The Love Hypothesis’ Scene Required Careful Coordination
“The Love Hypothesis” presented Reinhart with another challenge.
The actress discussed filming an intimate scene for the movie and described how carefully the physical movements needed to be coordinated with her scene partner and the production crew.
The conditions themselves made the shoot more difficult. Reinhart said the scene was filmed on a soundstage during an extremely hot period in Toronto. Also, the air conditioning could not run while cameras were rolling.
That left Reinhart and her scene partner sweating while repeatedly performing the choreographed scene.
At one point, Reinhart briefly considered how the situation might appear intimate. Then she looked around at crew members who were completely unfazed by what they were watching.
One person simply informed her that she was out of frame.
Reinhart said moments like that demonstrate the difference between what audiences eventually see and what actors experience on set.
“I think the perception is, of course, ‘Oh my God, this is so hot,’” she said. “But it’s not hot to shoot it.”
She credited editors with helping transform the technical footage into the intimate sequence audiences ultimately see.
Privacy was another consideration. Because part of the scene took place in a hotel room with a window facing the street, Reinhart said she wanted the production to make sure passersby could not see inside while she was filming. Additionally, crew members were positioned outside to help prevent that situation.
Although Reinhart said she expected the finished movie to show more than it ultimately did, she felt the scene was handled “quite tastefully.”
For Reinhart, the experience offered another reminder. Creating convincing on-screen intimacy involves far more coordination, crew members and technical considerations than viewers may realize.
