‘Euphoria' star Minka Kelly, like Sydney Sweeney, pushed back against nude scenes: 'We can keep my dress on'
The stars of the hit HBO series described how supportive creator Sam Levinson has been
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Like her co-star Sydney Sweeney, Minka Kelly didn’t think twice about setting boundaries while on the set of "Euphoria."
The actress recently recalled how her character Samantha hired Maddy (Alexa Demie) as a babysitter and then has the teen unzip her dress in the second season episode, which aired in January. According to the 41-year-old, creator Sam Levinson originally wrote a more risqué scene than the one viewers saw.
"[Levinson] thought it would be more interesting if my dress fell to the ground," Kelly told Vanity Fair. "That was my first day as a guest on this new show, and I just didn’t feel comfortable standing there naked."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The "Friday Night Lights" alum, who was asked to guest star after seeing a brief character description, told Levinson that she wasn’t comfortable stripping down for the storyline.
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Minka Kelly described how she responded to a scene that made her feel uneasy. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Fashion Scholarship Fund)
"I said, ‘I’d love to do this scene, but I think we can keep my dress on,’" said Kelly.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Levinson, who is known for writing every episode of the hit HBO series, didn’t question Kelly’s decision.
"He was like, ‘OK!’" said Kelly. "He didn’t even hesitate. And he shot a beautiful scene and got exactly what he wanted."
Kelly noted she appreciated Levinson’s willingness to flip the script so quickly to ensure the cast is at ease while filming.
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Sam Levinson attends HBO's ‘Euphoria’ Season 2 Photo Call at Goya Studios on January 05, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO)
"That can be frustrating and can throw people off, but I actually trust and feel safe with a director who’s not afraid to change his mind," Kelly told the outlet. "At the end of the day, the goal is what ends up on-screen. We’re all here to facilitate his vision."
Back in January, Sweeney told The Independent that she asked producers to cut some of her character’s nude scenes. Like Kelly, the actress said Levinson supported her decision.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"There are moments were [my character] Cassie was supposed to be shirtless and I would tell Sam, ‘I don’t really think that’s necessary here,’" the 24-year-old explained. "He was like, ‘OK, we don’t need it.’ I’ve never felt like Sam has pushed it on me or was trying to get a nude scene into an HBO show. When I didn’t want to do it, he didn’t make me."
The outlet noted that the set has an intimacy coordinator to ensure everyone is comfortable. Sweeney described that not every set she’s worked in has made her feel as secure.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sydney Sweeney stars as Cassie Howard in ‘Euphoria’. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO)
"I’ve had experiences where I want to go home and scrub myself raw because I feel disgusting," Sweeney admitted without naming the project in question. "I didn’t feel comfortable with my castmate or the crew, and I just didn’t feel like my character would be doing it. That made me even more self-conscious. I didn’t feel like I was able to speak up."
Sweeney also told the outlet that there’s "a stigma against actresses who get naked on screen."
"When a guy has a sex scene or shows his body, he still wins awards and gets praise," she said. "But the moment a girl does it, it’s completely different."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}New episodes of "Euphoria" air Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.