**Allison Williams Reflects on the Absence of Intimacy Coordinators on ‘Girls’ Set**
Allison Williams, best known for her portrayal of Marnie Michaels in the acclaimed HBO series ‘Girls’, has expressed regret that the show did not benefit from having an intimacy coordinator during its production. Williams, who played a central role across all six seasons from 2012 to 2017, believes that the presence of such a specialist could have greatly improved the experience for cast and crew involved in sensitive scenes.
Speaking candidly on the ‘Not Skinny But Not Fat’ podcast, the 37-year-old actress discussed the challenges the cast faced when preparing for the show’s numerous intimate sequences. Williams remarked that having an expert solely devoted to guiding actors through sex scenes—now standard practice in the film and television industry—would have been incredibly valuable. “It would have been great, because we had so many sex scenes to prep and work through,” Williams said, reflecting on how an intimacy coordinator could have taken ownership of those moments and made the process smoother for everyone.
One particularly memorable example cited by Williams involves a scene in the fourth season premiere, ‘Iowa’, where her character shares an explicit encounter with Desi, played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Without an intimacy coordinator, Williams noted that it fell to the show’s creator Lena Dunham and executive producer Jenni Konner to step in and demonstrate how the scene should be performed. Describing the moment, she explained, “I have this picture of Lena and [Jenni] acting out the moment where Desi was going down on me… and I have a picture of them where I think Jenni is leaning over a windowsill and Lena is leaning behind her like smiling being like, ‘This is what we picture’.” She noted that while their support was welcome, such assistance should not have been their responsibility.
The landscape of on-set protocols has changed significantly since the conclusion of ‘Girls’ in 2017, as the industry became more attentive to the physical and emotional wellbeing of actors during intimate scenes. That same year, HBO made a landmark move by hiring Alicia Rodis, a stuntwoman, as an intimacy coordinator for the drama ‘The Deuce’. This step led to intimacy coordination becoming a standard requirement across all of the network’s productions.
Williams, who has since worked with intimacy coordinators on other projects, is unequivocal in her praise for the impact they have. She noted that having someone ensure clear boundaries and communication in advance means that actors arrive on set far more comfortable and better prepared. “By the time everyone shows up to do it, none of that is being litigated on that day. You already know what you’re wearing for your nude covering, what the rules are, if your co-star feels comfortable with a certain type of kissing or not,” she explained. Williams emphasised how such preparation leads to a far more respectful and relaxed working environment.
The actress’s reflections highlight not just the ever-evolving standards in Hollywood, but also the cost of their former absence. Where once actors were left to negotiate complex and sometimes uncomfortable moments without support, the inclusion of intimacy coordinators now recognises the importance of consent, safety, and professionalism on set.
Williams’ comments add to a growing chorus of performers advocating for better protocols and resources in productions with intimate content. Her experience underlines the broader shift in the entertainment industry, where increased transparency, communication, and care are becoming the norm rather than the exception.
As more productions follow in these footsteps, it is clear that the lessons learned from shows like ‘Girls’ have left a lasting impact on best practices in television and film. Williams’s candid discussion serves as a reminder of how far the industry has come, and how it continues to grow in prioritising the wellbeing of its artists.