Ethan Hawke opens up on directing daughter Maya in sex scenes
Topics: Maya Hawke, Film and TV
Stewart Perrie
Featured Image Credit: Paul Best/Getty Images for ABA. Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for ABA
Topics: Maya Hawke, Film and TV
Ethan Hawke has opened up about the experience of directing his daughter in his latest film.
Stranger Things star Maya Hawke portrays the late US novelist Flannery O’Connor in the biopic and it focuses on her struggle of publishing her first title.
While the author doesn't have any love interests in Wildcat, Maya also acts as several of O'Connor's characters from her short stories.
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In those scenes, things get a little steamy.
While filming a sex scene can be awkward, you can imagine how intimidating it would be if it was your dad yelling 'cut' and 'action'.
However, it seems that Maya and Ethan were totally cool with it.
In an interview with Variety, they said they were more concerned with the two actors who played the suitors for Maya's characters.
“We needed to take care of Rafael and Cooper,” Ethan explained to the outlet.
“I think it was weird for them... We were so comfortable with it. I couldn’t care less.”
Maya added: “We made sure to have an intimacy coordinator on set for them. So that they felt safe and comfortable and not like they were being spied on…”
Ethan then jumped in saying: “...by some creepy dad."
Interestingly, the two also addressed the idea of nepotism being at play in Wildcat.
Adam Sandler was recently criticized for having his daughters and wife cast in his latest film, and Maya and Ethan are no exception to the same scrutiny.
Funnily enough, Maya was more worried about how the public would perceive this element than shooting a raunchy sex scene in front of her dad.
"I had moments of insecurity about it while we were shooting the movie,” she said.
”But the internet doesn’t have a lot of nuances. My dad has been a massive teacher for me, and we want to work together. We like being with each other.”
Her dad added: "If someone wants to criticize us for working together, that’s totally fair. You have to let people have their opinion.
"You just have to try to do a good job when you’re onstage.”