Reese Witherspoon recently spoke candidly about her uncomfortable experience while shooting intimate scenes with Mark Wahlberg for the 1996 film, Fear. At the time, Witherspoon was just 19 years old, and Wahlberg was 23. Reflecting on this time during her interview with Harper’s Bazaar for their August 2023 cover issue, the Oscar-winning actress, now 48, revealed how this experience influenced her future work as a producer.
One of the memorable scenes in Fear involves Witherspoon’s character, Nicole, being sexually stimulated by Wahlberg’s character, David, on a theme park ride. Witherspoon shared that she didn’t feel in control during the scene, which later motivated her to tell stories from the female gaze as a producer.
During the filming of the teen flick, Witherspoon requested a stunt double for the below-the-waist scenes. She explained that it wasn’t explicitly written in the script, but the director came up with the idea and asked her to do it on set. Witherspoon declined and said, “It wasn’t a particularly great experience.”
While looking back on the incident, Witherspoon clarified that she wasn’t traumatized by it but admitted that it was a formative experience. It made her realize her place in the pecking order of filmmaking and how important it is for actors to have control over their bodies and boundaries on set.
Reese Witherspoon’s willingness to open up about this challenging experience sheds light on the importance of empowering actors, especially young ones, to have a voice and agency in intimate and vulnerable scenes. Her determination to tell stories from a female perspective as a producer reflects her commitment to creating a more inclusive and respectful filmmaking environment for future generations.