Emily Osment was an early adopter of intimacy coordinators on Young Sheldon — but not for herself. The actress has revealed she requested one for her teen co-star Montana Jordan, saying the age gap between them made her uncomfortable.
Emily Osment as Mandy McAllister and Montana Jordan as Georgie Cooper (Credits: Deadline)
Osment joined Young Sheldon in its fifth season as Mandy McAllister, who becomes romantically involved with Jordan’s Georgie Cooper. At the time, Osment was around 29 or 30, while Jordan was just 18. The revelation comes from journalist Jessica Radloff’s new book, Young Sheldon: The (Juicier-Than-Meemaw’s-Brisket) Inside Story of the Hit Comedy.
Why Emily Osment Requested An Intimacy Coordinator For Montana Jordan
“That made me uncomfortable. He was a baby! A baby with a mullet,” Osment said in the book. “So I spoke to [producer] Tim Marx, and obviously they were not able to get one that late in the day, but for the next few episodes they had one there, since the relationship between them escalates.”
Osment stressed that the request was about protecting both performers. “It made everything easier having one there. I think it’s something that’s really important,” she said. “I don’t know if Montana even knew if he could ask for that. Like, let’s give him the option, too. Make him comfortable.”
She added: “And he’s such a sweet kid, I think he would just eat his discomfort. But I love those guys, and I’m really happy it got to the point where they were able to do that [for us].”
Young Sheldon Director Admits They ‘Dropped The Ball’
Director Alex Reid, who directed 36 episodes of Young Sheldon, admitted the production had initially overlooked the need for a coordinator because the show had no sex scenes — only kissing scenes. “They totally dropped the ball” on filming those scenes, he said.
Reid recalled a telling behind-the-scenes photo: “I have a photo between takes of them sitting in that car when we shot that, and they’re looking off in other directions. I showed it to Emily and she said, ‘Yeah, that was so uncomfortable for both of us, because we didn’t know each other.'”
He added that the awkwardness was not only about the lack of a coordinator: “It’s just you’re having to make out with somebody you just kind of met. Obviously they worked that out, and they have a great chemistry now, but that was kind of embarrassing.”
Series co-creator Steve Molaro backed Osment, saying she had “every right to ask” for an intimacy coordinator, and noting that eventually she was comfortable without one. The episode is a reminder of how recently on-set intimacy practices have changed — and how a single request from a cast member can change the working conditions for everyone on set.
Also Read: Young Sheldon Star Iain Armitage Says He Was The ‘Most Happy’ About The Show Ending | Anna Faris Was ‘Hurt’ By Chuck Lorre’s Comments About Her ‘Mom’ Exit
Source: Deadline — read the full story there.
