Film & TV2 min(s) read
Published 10:01 13 Aug 2026 GMT
Actress Margo Stilley has spoken about her decision to appear in 9 Songs, the controversial 2004 film that became famous for featuring unsimulated sex scenes.
Stilley, who played American exchange student Lisa, starred opposite Kieran O’Brien, who portrayed a British scientist with whom she had an intense relationship.
The film attracted significant controversy because of its unusually explicit content and divided audiences and critics, having also prompted backlash for the sexual content, with some viewers finding it overly explicit.
Despite the backlash, Stilley has continued to defend her decision to take the role.
Speaking to the Irish Examiner in 2008, she recalled the hostility surrounding the movie's release, saying: “People were really angry.”
She claimed that some people went as far as calling her offensive names during press conferences.
When questioned about why she had agreed to appear in such scenes, Stilley responded: “I didn’t invent sex! There’s a huge sex industry out there that’s worth billions.”
She also rejected suggestions that director Michael Winterbottom had taken advantage of her because she was inexperienced as an actress at the time.
“People ask me if I felt that [director] Michael Winterbottom took advantage of me because I hadn’t acted before, but they forget that I developed the character,” she said.
Stilley admitted that she was surprised by how strongly audiences reacted to both the movie and her performance.
“I was genuinely shocked by the response to the film – and especially to my role, as I was not at all like my character Lisa,” she explained.
The actress criticized the one-dimensional view some may have of the film, and maintained that 9 Songs was not designed simply as pornography, but rather as an artistic exploration of intimacy and relationships.
She also rejected the suggestion that appearing in such an explicit movie had restricted her career, saying: “I don’t get seen only for roles as women who have sex a lot.”
Following 9 Songs, Stilley went on to appear alongside Simon Pegg in How to Lose Friends and Alienate People.
She later worked with Cillian Murphy and Sienna Miller on Hippie Hippie Shake.
Before moving into acting, Stilley worked as a model and moved to Italy after leaving college.
She eventually relocated to London, where she secured the 9 Songs role after being introduced to the casting team through an Israeli advertisement.
The film divided critics, and continues to divide public opinion on whether it is justified or not.
