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Rivals was marketed as a show that was equal opportunity when it came to full frontal nudity — but did it deliver?
Based on Jilly Cooper‘s novel of the same name, Disney+ and Hulu’s Rivals is about a feud between two men for control of a television station in 1980s Britain. It stars an ensemble cast including David Tennant, Aidan Turner, Katherine Parkinson, Victoria Smurfit, Alex Hᴀssell, Nafessa Williams, Emily Atack and Danny Dyer.
Executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins took some of Us by surprise when he teased the show’s Sєx scenes before the premiere.
“We’ve been equal opportunities in our nudity,” Treadwell-Collins told The Times before Rivals premiered last month. “There’s a willy for every pair of тιтs.”
Related: Celebrities Who Wore Prosthetics On Screen for Full-Frontal Scenes
While some actors such as Cooper Koch on Monsters exposed themselves in full-frontal scenes, others have chosen not to go completely ɴuᴅᴇ — and opted for body prosthetics instead. Eric Dane, who plays Cal Jacobs on Euphoria, previously explained what goes into working on such a vulnerable part of the project. “Those scenes are very […]
Treadwell-Collins specifically discussed Parkinson’s involvement, adding, “Honestly, she wanted to do the Sєx scene. She was like, ‘I really want to show my boobs. I’m in my mid-40s and they look good.’ In that scene, you can see she’s crying with happiness and it makes you cry too. She looks like a f—ing queen.”
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After some fact-checking, Us counted five women who went topless compared to only two of the men who dropped trou. Correct Us if we are wrong but that doesn’t even out — for now. Fans are still awaiting news on whether Rivals was renewed for season 2, which would be the perfect time to right the wrong.
For now though, there are still several season 1 scenes for viewers to rewatch — including that provocative scene with Hᴀssell, 44. (The introduction to his character, Rupert, didn’t leave much to the imagination when Maclean’s Taggie walked in on him playing tennis ɴuᴅᴇ, and Hᴀssell has since revealed whether any prosthetics were involved.)
“It was discussed how comfortable I was,” he told the Metro in October. “Whether or not it would be me or prosthetics or digital. In the end, we just went for it. My hair’s dyed, I’ve got a fake tan and my eyelashes are curled but apart from that it’s all me.”
Related: Celebrities Who Opened Up About Doing Full-Frontal Nudity
Theo James, Dakota Johnson and more actors have opened up about their ɴuᴅᴇ scenes — and broke down the experience of going full frontal. James raised eyebrows with his performance as Cameron during season 2 of The White Lotus, particularly in a memorable scene where Harper (Aubrey Plaza) accidentally snuck a peek at Cameron (James) […]
Tennant, 53, meanwhile, complimented the show for providing an intimacy coordinator due to Rivals‘ more risqué scenes.
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“These things are never comfortable, but that’s why the environment that’s created is really important,” he shared. “The arrival of the intimacy coordinator on sets has been hugely beneficial to everyone.”
Tennant continued: “Recreating that kind of intimacy is not something you get excited about doing, but you want to make sure that in that environment everyone feels safe and looked after, and that it can be as comfortable as possible.”
Rivals is currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.