Allison Williams Reflects on Lack of Intimacy Coordinators on ‘Girls’

LOS ANGELES, CA — Actress Allison Williams spoke about her experience filming the HBO series ‘Girls‘ during a podcast interview on June 24, 2025. Williams, who portrayed Marnie Michaels on the show from 2012 to 2017, emphasized the lack of intimacy coordinators at the time and how beneficial they could have been.

Williams, now involved in other projects with intimacy coordinators, stated that having one on the set of ‘Girls’ would have made a significant difference. ‘We had so many sex scenes to prep and work through,’ she said. ‘It would have been so helpful to have someone who’s like the department head of sex scenes.’

Reflecting on a specific memory, Williams recalled filming a scene in the Season 4 premiere episode entitled ‘Iowa’ where her character, Marnie, had an intimate moment with Desi, portrayed by Ebon Moss-Bachrach. ‘I have this picture of Lena and Jenni acting out the moment where Desi was going down on me,’ Williams noted, referring to series creators Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner. ‘It should have been someone else’s job,’ she added, recognizing they were preoccupied with their roles.

Since the end of ‘Girls,’ the industry has seen a rise in the employment of intimacy coordinators, particularly after the #MeToo movement. Williams stressed the importance of these coordinators for ensuring smooth and respectful communication between actors and directors while maintaining everyone’s boundaries. ‘By the time everyone shows up to do it, none of that is being litigated on that day,’ she explained, mentioning how knowledge of rules and comfort levels beforehand enhances the filming experience.

Dunham has also previously expressed her desire for an intimacy coordinator on ‘Girls,’ stating that it would have helped to alleviate anxiety about discussing scene comfort levels. ‘I’m just so happy that we’re reaching a time where sets in general are a more carefully monitored thing,’ Dunham added.

All six seasons of ‘Girls’ are currently available for streaming on Max, and Williams’ latest project, ‘M3GAN 2.0‘, is set to hit theaters this Friday.