Richard Armitage has opened up about going nude in intimate scenes in Netflix’s affair thriller Obsession.
The raunchy four-part drama, which tells the story of a surgeon who embarks upon a sex-fuelled affair with his son’s girlfriend, debuted on the streaming service on Thursday and has already got fans talking.
In one particular scene, Richard’s character William Farrow, is seen fully naked after emerging from a shower. Others feature nudity during moments of intimacy between William and Anna, which also explore themes of BDSM.
Speaking to Hello, Richard said it “really was” liberating to be nude on the show, describing his “laissez-faire” approach to it.
“My attitude is ‘It’s the body, it’s the human body’. Just be a little bit laissez-faire about it. If you are uncomfortable with it, then it’s your problem. Don’t be uncomfortable about it,” he said.
Name checking the show’s “amazing” intimacy coordinator called Adelaide Waldrop, he continued: “She was sort of part director, part psychologist and part choreographer. There were doors opened and places that we could go to and explore without inhibitions with everybody involved in that process and with everyone feeling not just comfortable with it, but sort of excited about what we were going to try and do.”
Richard said he also tried to approach the show’s attitude to sex and nudity “like a European”.
“Like how the French deal with cinema, see their view of the human body and their view of relationships and intimacy. They’re much more relaxed,” he said.
“I kept saying to myself, ‘You’ve thrown enough punches, pulled enough triggers and swung enough swords in your life, and done all kinds of things surrounding violence’. It doesn’t get the same raised eyebrow. This is an exploration of human desire,” he added.
Obsession is streaming on Netflix now.