Film & TV3 min(s) read
Published 11:40 30 Apr 2026 GMT
Actress Olivia Colman opened up about how her sex scene with Emma Stone went, while on a talk show.
The Crown star rose to fame with a number of comedic roles in the 2000s, before moving on to more dramatic TV and film roles, culminating in an Oscar for Best Actress for her role in The Favourite.
In the 2018 period black comedy film, Colman plays Princess Anne, while co-star Stone stars as a chambermaid called Abigail.
The pair share a heated moment on-screen during the film, too, which Colman saw as an opportunity to play a prank on her American counterpart.
While Colman also won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in the title, she seemed to do so while having a fun time on set, utilizing a sponge in a creative way during a sex scene.
Speaking on The Graham Norton Show back in 2018, Colman was completely candid when lifting the lid about her time filming for The Favourite.
Fans of the British actress know that she's got a bubbly personality and enjoys a curse word or two, as she previously revealed that her favourite is the C-word.
It made her retelling of the story even more entertaining, as the 52-year-old shared that she rushed to the make-up department to see if there was a spare sponge.
She told guests that Stone's character essentially had to "finger" Colman, and that the former was nervous in the build-up to the big scene.
Apparently, it was in case she accidentally touched anything she shouldn't be, but Colman had already thought about this.
The actress behind Princess Anne had put a sponge between her legs to prevent this from happening, but the sponge was already wet,
Colman recalled: "Her face was a picture... She was going up my leg, and she went 'urgh!'"
Colman's story made headlines, so Stone was naturally asked about the topic on The Jonathan Ross Show, years later.
She explained: "She tells the story as if it was a surprise, but I asked for that sponge.
"I gotta diddle Olivia Colman in the movie, right, and so I have to reach up her skirt. And there's just nothing there, and you have to kind of move your arm as if something's happening.
"So we put a damp sponge... and then I just sort of had to fondle a sponge," she admitted.
Colman has since admitted that she doesn't like filming sex scenes, as it can make her feel like she's being unfaithful to her husband.
Speaking on the Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast, she explained: "Anything where I have to show any skin, I don't like. Pretending to have sex… I don't like it. I feel like I'm being unfaithful.
"Even when they go, 'You can wear your jeans,' or a cushion between you. I don't want to do that. I don't want to do that."
Olivia has been married to her husband Ed Sinclair for 25 years, and while she doesn't want to do them anymore, she praised those who can pull off an intimate scene.
Amy Poehler added: "The people that are good at it, I'll watch them all day long, and they're comfy. But the on-screen orgasm…"
Olivia responded: "No, absolutely not… Thank God for intimacy coordinators," revealing that she'd previously been told to just imagine the sun is hitting her face when she's trying to fake a climax.
