Emily Osment says she asked producers for an intimacy coordinator on the set of “Young Sheldon” after growing uncomfortable filming kissing scenes with co-star Montana Jordan, citing the age difference between them.
Osment, 34, made the request known in Jessica Radloff’s new book, “Young Sheldon: The (Juicier-Than-Meemaw’s-Brisket) Inside Story of the Hit Comedy.” Jordan was 23 when the book quotes Osment discussing the issue.
“That made me uncomfortable. He was a baby! A baby with a mullet,” Osment said of Jordan.
“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,” she said. “It made everything easier having one there. I think it’s something that’s really important.”
Osment, best known for “Hannah Montana” and “Young & Hungry,” said she wasn’t sure whether Jordan understood he had the same option to request a coordinator for himself.
“Like, let’s give him the option, too. Make him comfortable,” she said. “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].”
Director Alex Reid said the production initially went without an intimacy coordinator for the kissing scenes because the CBS sitcom had no sex scenes planned, calling it an oversight.
“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,'” Reid said.
“It wasn’t even about the lack of an intimacy coordinator. It’s just you’re having to make out with somebody you just kind of met,” Reid added. “Obviously, they worked that out, and they have a great chemistry now, but that was kind of embarrassing.”
Co-creator Steve Molaro said Osment had “every right to ask” for the accommodation, adding that eventually “she was comfortable without one.”
Background on the storyline
“Young Sheldon” ran for seven seasons on CBS, from September 2017 to May 2024. Osment joined the cast at age 30 to play Mandy McAllister, an older weather forecaster who becomes romantically involved with Jordan’s character, George “Georgie” Cooper Jr. Jordan was 18 at the time he began playing the role opposite Osment.
Their characters’ relationship proved popular enough to spawn a spin-off series, “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.”
Add comment