Sebastian Stan, who stars in the romantic drama Monday, reflects on appearing nude in the film. To most fans, Stan is perhaps best known for portraying Bucky Barnes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But, for his new project, audiences are seeing a very different side of the actor.
Directed by Argyris Papadimitropoulos, who previously helmed Suntan, his latest feature chronicles an intense romance between Mickey (Stan) and Chloe (Denise Gough). Taking place over the course of a long weekend in Greece, the relationship begins with a drunken fling at a party. But, as the weeks and months pass, the characters go from strangers to lovers. The film has been cited for capturing the intensity of what Mickey and Chole go through, as early bliss gives way to disagreement and resentment. Stan has gone the extra mile to promote Monday by posting a viral Instagram photo. Still, in new remarks, the actor admits that the decision to go ahead with a nude scene was made after careful consideration.
Speaking with The Wrap to promote Monday, which is currently available in select theaters and VOD, Stan revealed that he was open to appearing nude on-camera so long as it was authentic to the story that Papadimitropoulos wanted to tell. Still, he adds that trust was ultimately a big factor that led to him agreeing to do the scene. You can read Stan’s quote below:-
“If it was truthful and made sense, then OK. Obviously, trust was a big thing here. I knew we were trying to tell such an honest depiction of a relationship that we were going to be open to whatever that meant, as long as it remained truthful and made sense.”
Stan’s comments are echoed by Gough, who shared that she felt absolutely safe with Papadimitropoulos as a director but also acknowledged that doing a nude scene was a big ask to make of an actress. Taken together, their experiences speak to the importance of creating trust when filming potentially difficult and uncomfortable scenes. Still, even in the absence of a positive relationship between an actor and a director, or in a situation where agreements can’t be reached, there have been campaigns to ensure rules are firmly established before filming begins. These rules, sometimes referred to as riders or waivers, would establish guidelines to make sure potentially challenging moments are understood and agreed to beforehand. Ruth Wilson, who left The Affair because she didn’t feel safe on-set, has been a supporter of these initiatives.
In the case of Monday, at least, everyone appears to have been on the same page. The film centers around two people who believe, at least initially, that they’re in an epic romance together. It helps when bringing that to the screen, to show the full scope of how Stan and Gough’s characters behave with gleeful abandon. The duo appears naked, in public, in a scene that could have felt uneasy and forced. Thanks to collaboration and communication between the filmmaker and the performers, however, the moment retains a sense of realism.
Source: The Wrap