Actress Brooke Shields opened up about the care and sensitivity her co-star Keith Carradine exhibited during the filming of the controversial 1978 movie, Pretty Baby.
In the movie, Shields - now 59 - portrayed the character of Violet, a young girl raised in a New Orleans brothel and forced into prostitution by her mother.
Based on historian Al Rose's 1974 book, Storyville, New Orleans: Being an Authentic Illustrated Account of the Notorious Red-Light District, the film sparked significant controversy due to its theme of child sexual exploitation and Shields' on-screen nudity, considering she was only 11 at the time of filming.
Shields acted opposite Carradine, now 75, who played E.J. Bellocq, a photographer who ends up caring for Violet after her mother leaves her before entering into an intimate relationship with her - which was based on a true story.
The film caused controversy for adult scenes involving the then 11-year-old actress. Credit: Paramount/Getty Images
The film featured a scene in which an 11-year-old Shields had to kiss her much older male co-star Carradine, who was 29 at the time, in what would be her first ever kiss in real life too.
During an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, Shields addressed her feelings towards the difficult role then and now, and how Carradine helped her through that particular scene.
Despite admitting she felt exploited by filmmakers as a child, Shields reflected on Carradine's decency and professionalism. She said: "Keith Carradine took such good care of me. He looked at me and he said, 'You know, this doesn’t count as a first kiss.' That was gracious and protective and caring on a level that I don’t even think I knew at the time. I'd never kissed a boy before."
She further explained her thoughts about the film, saying: "It was about these males needing me to be in a certain category [of beauty] to serve their story. And it never was about me. It was never protective of me. It was fun and loving at times, but it was ― I was just there. I was a pawn."
In her recent Hulu documentary, also titled Pretty Baby, Shields shared more about her struggles with the intimate scenes and revealed that she was scolded by the director, Louis Malle, for showing visible disgust during takes. It was Carradine who stepped in, asking for a break and reassuring her that it was all "pretend" and "make-believe".
Lana Wilson, the documentary's director, emphasized the reality of the situation in an interview with Rolling Stone: "This is a moment I wanted to feature and unpack because, even if child Brooke was fully cognizant of the role she was playing, and even if she realized that acting was pretend, I can’t help but think: 'This is an actual 11-year-old girl having to kiss an actual 29-year-old man.' That inescapably is real. And the impact of that is real, too."
In an industry often marred by instances of inappropriate behavior, it's heartening to hear stories of actors like Carradine who handle sensitive situations with care and respect.
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