Keira Knightley refuses to film love scenes directed by a man
The Pirates of the Caribbean idol revealed she had a ‘disclaimer’ in her movie contracts
Keira Knightley has had huge success, especially from Gen Z and Millennials for her strong female characters in movies like Pirates of the Caribbean and The Imitation Game. Recently, she again won hearts with her position on the set of love scenes.
During her chat for the Chanel Connects podcast, the actress said, “I don’t have an absolute ban [on filming n-de scenes], but I take care of men a little. The actress revealed that the reason behind this is not because she refuses to be revealing, but mainly because of the male gaze. “Part of it is vanity and part of it is the male gaze,” she said.
What is the male gaze?
According to Laura Mulvey, the Male Gaze theory is that women in the media are portrayed as subjects, primarily seen from the perspective of a heterosexual male. For this reason, women are often portrayed as passive subjects or objects that evoke desire in men.
The 35-year-old also added that “a no-say-no clause” has been added to her contract when she signs movies now. She made the addition after becoming a mother in 2015. Keira Knightley added that she would prefer to work with a female director for films that revolve around women’s stories and issues.
“If I did a story that was about this journey of motherhood and the body
[acceptance], I feel like, I’m sorry, but it should be with a female director,” she said. She believes that a woman can better understand female characters and portray them more accurately. “If it was about motherhood, how amazing this body is, how suddenly you look at this body that you have to know and that is yours and it is seen in a completely different way and that changed in ways that are unfathomable to you before you became a mother, so yeah, I’d be totally game to explore that with a woman who understood that.
“But I feel very uncomfortable now trying to portray the male gaze,” Knightley said. Her body went through major changes after having two kids, and she’s not too comfortable filming scenes directed by a group of men. “Because I’m too vain, and the body has had two kids now, and I’d just rather not stand in front of a bunch of n-ked men.”
Keira Knightley realizes that there are certain scenes where it is absolutely crucial to add a love scene in movies because it drives the narrative forward and serves as a major plot point. However, she shows discomfort with the idea of this scene being shot and directed by a man if she is in it. The actress said, “I don’t want it to be those awful love scenes where you’re all pumped up and everyone’s groaning. I’m not interested in doing that. Saying there are times when I’m like, “Yeah, I totally see where that sx would be really good in this movie and you just need somebody to look sexy” so you can use someone else.
