Olivia Colman has taken on some major roles in her time, some of which have required her to perform some very wild scenes. However, someone could argue that her work on Wicker was particularly challenging. As part of directors Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson’s romantic dramedy film, Colman had to shoot sex scenes involving a character made out of wicker. Now, as the steamy and bizarre movie celebrates a solid first week at the box office, Colman is talking about how “cripplingly embarrassed” she was when it came to the love scenes.
The Oscar-winning Colman recently spoke to Entertainment Tonight and talked about developing chemistry between her and co-star Alexander Skarsgård. As the fan-favorite actress confessed, it wasn’t easy. In fact, she credited the fact that Skarsgård was wearing a wicker suit as an advantage, in addition to some help from the crew:
I am quite square, so it helped me enormously that between us was a wicker suit. [Alexander and I] trusted each other, and the directors are a married couple. And so it was – there was lots of laughter.
Reviews for Wicker have been positive, with many opining that that beneath the smutty concept is a heartwarming story. Fortunately, Olivia Colman was able to overcome her embarrassment, and her performance is a major reason why the film seems to be working for audiences. Not that I’d expect anything less from the celebrated Best Actress recipient.
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What was also invaluable was that Wicker had an intimacy coordinator amid production. Although that person wasn’t on staff to answer questions about splinters and other hazards of making love with a wooden being, they did help Colman and Alexander Skarsgård craft the scenes and make the whole experience less uncomfortable:
We had Ita O’Brien, who was our intimacy coordinator. A good intimacy coordinator is invaluable. They can take away the embarrassment. They choreograph it, so there’s no ‘I don’t know what I’m meant to do with my hand or what’s meant to happen next.’ She made it so easy. ‘Cause, you know, I would find that sort of thing cripplingly embarrassing. I’d really rather put poo in my eye than have to do that. [Laughs] But it was so much fun with everybody involved.
It’s good to hear Olivia Colman’s positive thoughts on the filming experience. She isn’t the only one who’s seemingly enjoyed the film and its rollout either, as the marketing team has gone above and beyond in making this movie a viral sensation on social media. Everything from inspired posters to that wild popcorn bucket has gotten this unconventional movie in the eye of the mainstream, which will only lead to continued success at the box office.
Also, it’s funny to hear yet another story about a Skarsgård doing sex scenes in prosthetics, and weird it has happened twice. Just a couple of years ago, Alexander’s brother, Bill, talked about what a gory mess and gross ordeal it was to film the sex scenes for Nosferatu. I suppose they now have a shared experience to talk about should they get together for the holidays?
As for Olivia Colman, she can now hang her hat on the fact that she’s part of one of the strangest movies of 2026. Unfortunately, that does mean she might have to sit through some painful Wicker jokes come awards season, because I know the Golden Globes and Oscars writers are going to have a field day coming up with content for that.
I can see Alexander Skarsgård having a litany of jokes coming his way as well, and not just for Wicker. I still can’t get over those see-through shoes he rocked on the red carpet, and I’m still wondering why anyone would want that. I digress, though, as this is about the work. And both Skarsgård and Colman should be commended for their efforts.
Wicker is now playing in theaters, so check your local listings for showtimes.
