Intimacy coordinators praised on Outlander by stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan; Blood of My Blood actors discuss the 'uneasy intensity' during filming of intimate scenes
Outlander: Blood of My Blood, the highly-anticipated spin-off of the popular Starz series, made its debut this year with a significant focus on intimacy coordination. Unlike the earlier seasons of Outlander, where the role of the intimacy coordinator was less prominent, Blood of My Blood features a dedicated coordinator, Vanessa Coffey, who plays a crucial role in staging and filming intimate scenes.
Actors like Hermione Corfield, who plays Julia, and Jeremy Irvine, who portrays Henry, have praised the importance of having an intimacy coordinator. Corfield notes that having a scene partner with "your back" and the coordinator's support makes a big difference for comfort during intimate scenes. Irvine, who shared his thoughts on working with an intimacy coordinator, emphasized how it fosters trust and collaboration, especially early on in filming intimate scenes.
The love story between Julia and Henry was showcased prominently in the premiere episode, with an intimate scene taking place while they were driving through the Scottish countryside. This scene, reminiscent of Claire and Jamie's iconic moments on Outlander, was carefully staged and filmed by Coffey to ensure comfort, trust, and safety for the actors.
In contrast, earlier seasons of Outlander did not specifically spotlight or widely discuss the intimacy coordinator's role. However, Blood of My Blood seems to represent a more formalized and visible use of intimacy coordination, reflecting evolving industry standards to prioritize actor safety and narrative integrity during intimate scenes.
The first episode of Blood of My Blood focused largely on Brian (Jamie Roy) and Ellen (Harriet Slater) in the 18th century. The love stories of these characters will continue to be shown on Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on Starz, or streaming on Hulu or the Stars app.
The Outlander spinoff, titled Blood of My Blood, premiered with two episodes in the 2025 TV schedule. In Blood of My Blood, the spinoff wasted no time in getting steamy, with two of the four leads already sharing intimate moments on screen. The buzz surrounding the new show continues to grow, making it a must-watch for fans of the original Outlander series.
In the debut of Blood of My Blood, actors Hermione Corfield and Jeremy Irvine acknowledged the significance of an intimacy coordinator, Vanessa Coffey, in staging and filming intimate scenes, emphasizing that her presence fosters comfort, trust, and safety. As the first episode of Blood of My Blood aired, it showcased a focus on intimacy coordination, reflecting a more formalized approach to this critical aspect of entertainment, which includes daily blends of interviews, movies-and-tv features, and broader discussions on the role of intimacy coordination in the industry.
