Gillian Anderson admits doing sex scenes are ‘never a joy’ but is what is ‘expected’ as an actor as she spills the beans on getting intimate for film roles

Gillian Anderson has admitted that taking part in sex scenes are ‘never a joy’ but is what is expected in her job as an actor.

The Hollywood icon, 56, stars alongside Jason Issacs in Marianne Elliot’s big-screen adaptation of Raynor Winn’s 2018 memoir, The Salt Path, in which one scene sees their characters get intimate in a tent. 

But while getting frisky with someone you barely know for a role can come with awkwardness, Gillian insists that she used to the unexpected demands when it comes to filming intimate scenes.

The X Files star, whose career had spanned over 30 years, told The Sun: ‘That is something you just expect as an actor. That’s part of what one does. I had an experience for many, many years working with the same actor every day.

‘I’ve also done sex scenes on the first day of working, which is never a joy at any time during filming.’

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Gillian Anderson has admitted that taking part in sex scenes are ‘never a joy’ but is what is expected in her job as an actor [pictured in November]

The Hollywood icon, 56, stars alongside Jason Issacs in Marianne Elliot’s big-screen adaptation of The Salt Path, in which one scene sees their characters get intimate in a tent

However, Gillian went on to say that when it come to filming romantic scenes with co-star Jason, 61, things were rather smooth sailing thanks to his ‘amenable’ personality, with the pair physically on the same page. 

She added: ‘You’re thrown stuff all the time and just show whatever you’re given. And Jason makes it very easy. He’s very amenable, he’s very likeable. And certainly physically, we feel like we’re the same language — certainly by the end.’

She went on to say that their journey felt like it was ‘baked into us’, adding they felt they were ‘part of the same conversation’.

It comes after Gillian took a leaf out of her Sex Education character, Jean Milburn’s book, as she confessed to enjoying having sex in ‘uncomfortable tight quarters’.

The actress has become a notable supporter of female sexual empowerment, after her lauded role playing a sex therapist on the hit Netflix show.

And in a new interview, she cheekily admitted to being up for getting frisky in a tent or a car, when ‘needs must’.

Gillian’s latest role in The Salt Path sees her playing Raynor Winn opposite Jason as her husband Moth, in the real-life story of the couple who became homeless after a business deal with a friend went wrong.

After Moth was then diagnosed with a rare and incurable degenerative brain disease, the couple decided to make a 630-mile trek along the Cornish, Devon and Dorset coastline armed with only a tent and limited supplies.

While getting frisky with someone for a role can come with awkwardness, Gillian insists that she used to the unexpected demands when it comes to filming intimate scenes [pictured with Eric Stoltz in 2000’s The House of Mirth]

‘That is something you just expect as an actor. That’s part of what one does. I had an experience for many, many years working with the same actor every day’ [pictured in April]

‘Jason makes it very easy. He’s very amenable, he’s very likeable. And certainly physically, we feel like we’re the same language — certainly by the end’ [Pictured with Jason in May]

In response to one scene in the film that sees Gillian and Isaac’s characters get intimate inside their small tent, The Sunday Times probed the X-Files star on whether she would recommend the location for an amorous encounter.

A grinning Gillian affirmed: ‘Well, sex in the back of a car, sex anywhere, I mean, yeah, why not? Uncomfortable, tight quarters, but needs must.’ 

The Scoop actress also admitted that she doesn’t feel any shame in discussing sex and even released a book about women’s sexual fantasies in September.

She explained that it was through doing Sex Education, filming scenes speaking openly about topics like sexual pleasure, genitalia and sexual orientation, that she first realised how comfortable she felt and how vital the conversations were.

She said: ‘In playing Jean, having [sex] become a regular topic, I realised that I didn’t have shame around it. 

‘Also, I suddenly realised the degree to which there still was so much shame around it and the degree to which the show helped many demographics blast through some of that.’

Gillian lamented that having frank conversations about sex, was still regarded as tabboo and shameful, with even couples struggling to be open with each other about their desires.

She said: ‘In 2025 some of us seem to struggle to have that conversation with our partners. The conversation about “I prefer it like this” or “Can we take ten more minutes so I can actually get more pleasure out of this exchange?”. 

It comes after Gillian took a leaf out of her Sex Education character, Jean Milburn’s book, as she c onfessed to enjoying having sex in ‘uncomfortable tight quarters’

The actress has become a notable supporter of female sexual empowerment, after her lauded role playing a sex therapist on the hit Netflix show (pictured on show)

And in a new interview, she cheekily admitted to being up for getting frisky in a tent or a car, when ‘needs must’ (seen in September)

In response to one scene in the film that sees Gillian and Isaac’s characters get intimate inside their small tent, The Sunday Times probed the X-Files star on whether she would recommend the location for an amorous encounter

‘Some of it is the fear that the partner might feel judged that they’re doing something wrong, when actually that’s not what you’re saying.’

Gillian’s book, Want, was inspired by Nancy Friday’s 1973 classic My Secret Garden and compiles anonymous letters from women around the world revealing their deepest fantasies – including her own.

She previously explained that both women and men have been getting their hands on it in an effort to understand how women feel about sex when they have the freedom of being totally anonymous. 

And she admitted that she had included one of her own fantasies into the book, but remained tight-lipped on which it was.