The Couple Next Door star Eleanor Tomlinson on why she said no to nudity
The Couple Next Door's Eleanor Tomlinson has opened up about her feelings about nudity on screen, revealing shy she said no in the new series.
In Channel 4's upcoming erotic thriller, the Poldark actress portrays Evie, whose one-night affair with her neighbour Danny (Outlander's Sam Heughan) may have repercussions.
Ahead of the series' arrival next week, Tomlinson told The Times about sticking to her guns when it came to nudity on camera.
Related: Poldark's Eleanor Tomlinson got rejected for Peaky Blinders role
"I have done nudity before but, for me, it's based on each project and how necessary I feel it is. And I didn't feel like it was for this," she began.
"I mean, there was a conversation where they were pushing for it and the harder they pushed for it, the more I felt like saying, 'No, you're just not being creative here. There are so many more interesting ways that you can show this.'
"So much of it comes down to the chemistry between the actors and working with the intimacy coordinators," continued Tomlinson, who went on to argue that showing "everything" instantly "pauses" the concentration of viewers.
"I think because [The Couple Next Door] is so obviously about sexual exploration, it would have been such an obvious choice to have nudity in it. I actually think not having it makes it more interesting [...] For me it has to be character-driven."
Related: Outlander's Sam Heughan talks crafting sex scenes on new show
According to the star, committing to nude scenes threatens to follow performers around for the rest of their careers.
"There's an element of self-preservation that comes into it because you're opening yourself up to be screenshot and paused, and those pictures end up online and will forever be there," Tomlinson pointed out.
"So it's a very serious thing that you have to decide."
The Couple Next Door premieres Monday, November 27 on Channel 4.
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