Nude scenes have always been a taboo topic in Hollywood. While some actors have stood firm in their decision not to undress on camera, other actors don’t mind showing off their goods, or at least are willing to do it for the right role.

Most recently, Netflix viewers were shocked to see that Jennifer Lawrence went full-frontal for a scene in the comedy No Hard Feelings.

In the movie, Lawrence stars as Maddie Barker, an Uber driver and bartender who answers a Craigslist ad from Percy’s (Andrew Barth Feldman) parents to help him have some romantic experience before he goes off to college.

The scene shows Lawrence’s character Maddie going skinny dipping with Percy before their clothes are stolen.

The scene: Jennifer Lawrence’s raunchy summer comedy and box office hit No Hard Feelings is now on Netflix, and the actress has opened up about her nude scene in the film

The scene: Jennifer Lawrence’s raunchy summer comedy and box office hit No Hard Feelings is now on Netflix, and the actress has opened up about her nude scene in the film

A naked Maddie then runs across sand to aggressively reclaim them from a group of pranksters.

While many wondered if the Hunger Games actress used a body double for the comedic scene, she revealed that she eagerly filmed the scene herself.

‘Everyone in my life and my team is doing the right thing and going, “Are you sure? Are you sure? Are you sure?”‘ she told Variety.

‘I didn’t even have a second thought. It was hilarious to me.’

Most stars don’t do nude scenes for their own amusement. Instead, many find it to be a rite of passage for their acting careers or feel it is the only way to accurately portray a role.

Nudity was extremely common in films from the early 70s considering certain censorship rules hadn’t been put in place.

Even though Hollywood started to increase censorship as time went on, directors found creative ways to push the boundaries and still incorporate the nudity they had in their artistic vision.

Here are all those actors who brought that vision to life themselves instead of by using body doubles.

Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie in Don’t Look Now (1973)
Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie decided to strip down for a particularly emotional scene. After losing their youngest child, they console each other by making love
Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie decided to strip down for a particularly emotional scene. After losing their youngest child, they console each other by making love
Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie decided to strip down for a particularly emotional scene. After losing their youngest child, they console each other by making love

Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie starred in the heart-wrenching thriller Don’t Look Now.

The two actors decided to strip down for a particularly emotional scene. After losing their youngest child, they console each other by making love.

The scene was so authentic that rumors began to circulate that they had unsimulated sex.

‘It was clear to me they were no longer simply acting. They were f***ing on camera,’ executive producer Peter Bart wrote in his 2011 book.

In fact, Christie’s boyfriend Warren Beatty flew to London to demand the scene be cut from the film.

However, Sutherland has shut down Bart’s claims.

‘Peter Bart mendaciously writes that he witnessed the shooting of the love scene in Don’t Look Now and saw sex,’ he told The Hollywood Reporter at the time.

‘Not true. None of it. Not the sex. Not him witnessing it. From beginning to end, there were four people in that room. [Director] Nic Roeg, [DP] Tony Richmond, Julie Christie and me. No one else. Wires under the locked door led outside, and this was 20 years before video monitors.’

The scene was so authentic that rumors began to circulate that they had unsimulated sex
The scene was so authentic that rumors began to circulate that they had unsimulated sex
The scene was so authentic that rumors began to circulate that they had unsimulated sex

In fact, Christie’s boyfriend Warren Beatty flew to London to demand the scene be cut from the film
In fact, Christie's boyfriend Warren Beatty flew to London to demand the scene be cut from the film
In fact, Christie’s boyfriend Warren Beatty flew to London to demand the scene be cut from the film

He also explained that there was nothing particularly sexy about the filming process.

‘They’re idiots,’ the Canadian-born actor told reporters in attendance. ‘There were two cameramen in there. The takes were 15 seconds long, maximum. “All right, Julie, hold your head, OK, turn your head a little to the side….”‘

Christie, however, paints a different picture.

In a new documentary on Nicolas Roeg, Christie, now 75, says the director ‘managed to get the extraordinary thing that happens when you are making love.’

‘I loved the squirming bits and all those things you don’t see,’ she said on a BBC4 Arena programme.

‘It was just flesh squirming and rolling and touching, and God I thought it was absolutely lovely.’

She added that the scene captured the moment that ‘you know you don’t exist, the other person perhaps doesn’t even exist. It’s just bodies that are existing.’

‘It wasn’t even necessarily sexy, what it was – it reminded you of making love.’

Malcolm McDowell and Helen Mirren in Caligula (1979)
Malcolm McDowell, Helen Mirren and practically the entire cast of Caligula had to film nude
Malcolm McDowell, Helen Mirren and practically the entire cast of Caligula had to film nude
Malcolm McDowell, Helen Mirren and practically the entire cast of Caligula had to film nude

Malcolm McDowell, Helen Mirren and practically the entire cast of Caligula had to film nude.

The erotic historical film depicted the rise and fall of the Roman Emperor Caligula through a series of sex scenes and orgies.

To McDowell, it wasn’t a huge deal considering censorship rules weren’t as strong during the time period.

‘I used to be naked all the time, because the censor suddenly allowed nudity in films in the late 1960s, and it was almost as if it was written into my contract,’ he told Telegraph UK.

To McDowell, it wasn’t a huge deal considering censorship rules weren’t as strong during the time period
To McDowell, it wasn't a huge deal considering censorship rules weren't as strong during the time period
To McDowell, it wasn’t a huge deal considering censorship rules weren’t as strong during the time period

Mirren had a similar sentiment: ‘Does it really matter? I was doing nude scenes [from] the first moment I started doing movies… It was the era’


Mirren had a similar sentiment: 'Does it really matter? I was doing nude scenes [from] the first moment I started doing movies... It was the era'
Mirren had a similar sentiment: ‘Does it really matter? I was doing nude scenes [from] the first moment I started doing movies… It was the era’

However, it doesn’t mean Mirren necessarily enjoyed the act. Fortunately, she felt much more comfortable on the set of Caligula because everyone was nude
However, it doesn't mean Mirren necessarily enjoyed the act. Fortunately, she felt much more comfortable on the set of Caligula because everyone was nude
However, it doesn’t mean Mirren necessarily enjoyed the act. Fortunately, she felt much more comfortable on the set of Caligula because everyone was nude

Mirren had a similar sentiment. ‘Does it really matter? I was doing nude scenes [from] the first moment I started doing movies… It was the era… It seemed to be nothing to get your knickers in a twist over,’ she told People in 2015.

However, it doesn’t mean Mirren necessarily enjoyed the act.

‘I always hated it. Always. It’s not fun to be on a film set and be one of the only ones naked,’ she said of filming nude scenes.

Fortunately, she felt much more comfortable on the set of Caligula because everyone was nude.

‘It was like showing up for a nudist camp every day. You felt embarrassed if you had your clothes on in that movie,’ she said.

Isabella Rossellini in Blue Velvet (1986)
Blue Velvet was an especially scandalous film at the time of its release. Pictured are Kyle Maclachlan and Isabella Rossellini are pictured in the 1986 film
Blue Velvet was an especially scandalous film at the time of its release. Pictured are Kyle Maclachlan and Isabella Rossellini are pictured in the 1986 film
Blue Velvet was an especially scandalous film at the time of its release. Pictured are Kyle Maclachlan and Isabella Rossellini are pictured in the 1986 film

Blue Velvet was an especially scandalous film at the time of its release.

Isabella Rosselini plays a lounge singer named Dorothy who is having an affair with sadist Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper). When Jeffrey (Kyle MacLachlan) discovers their secret, she begins to become intimate with him as well.

Frank catches them and ends up beating them both up. By the end of the film, audiences sees the toll the abuse has taken on her nude, bruised body.

This raised concern from reviewers about Rossellini’s safety while filming.

However, the Italian American actress spoke out, claiming she found the concern insulting.

‘That is suggesting that David Lynch used me or photographed me badly to ruin my reputation. I resent that because first of all I think it would hurt his feelings,’ she told The New York Times in 1986.

‘But also it takes away from me, from my judgment. It says that I’m so helpless that a director can make me do something I don’t want to do. I’m not a kid. I understood the film. It’s beyond that – I loved it.’

She also opened up about how important it was for her to maintain her natural appearance while appearing nude on screen.

Isabella Rosselini played a lounge singer named Dorothy who is having an affair sadist Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper). When Jeffrey (Kyle MacLachlan) discovers their secret, she begins to become intimate with him as well
Isabella Rosselini played a lounge singer named Dorothy who is having an affair sadist Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper). When Jeffrey (Kyle MacLachlan) discovers their secret, she begins to become intimate with him as well
Isabella Rosselini played a lounge singer named Dorothy who is having an affair sadist Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper). When Jeffrey (Kyle MacLachlan) discovers their secret, she begins to become intimate with him as well

A final nude scene featuring Rossellini bruised concerned reviewers in regards to Rossellini’s safety while filming. However, the Italian American actress spoke out, claiming she found the speculation insulting
A final nude scene featuring Rossellini bruised concerned reviewers in regards to Rossellini's safety while filming. However, the Italian American actress spoke out, claiming she found the speculation insulting
A final nude scene featuring Rossellini bruised concerned reviewers in regards to Rossellini’s safety while filming. However, the Italian American actress spoke out, claiming she found the speculation insulting

‘I didn’t want to lose weight or be lit in a protective way or do three weeks of intensive exercise. That would have made me so embarrassed, to try to look better, to try to titillate. Then I could never have done the scene,’ she explained.
The actress then proceeded to express that due to all the nudity and violence involved in her scenes, only a select few crew members were allowed to be on set during her scenes.

‘Some of the crew might have thought that I was not very friendly,’ she shared.

‘But when you have to do things that could be embarrassing, people tend to make a joke to relax you.

‘I was afraid maybe someone would say the wrong thing, the thing that would freeze me. By doing a part like that you expose yourself to people’s thoughts, you know, “Is she suffering; is she going through hell?” Or “She’s eating like hell; isn’t she on a diet?” I knew that was going on and I avoided it very carefully.’

She posed nude again for Madonna’s book Sex, but faced backlash after her comments following Blue Velvet.

‘[Madonna] wanted it to be openly bisexual. So I agreed to be in it, but I did say, especially after Blue Velvet that I didn’t think I had it in me to do another naked scene. I was so persecuted. There were so many complaints,’ she told Vulture.

She added: ‘Either they’re scandalized and say “why did you do it” or they say someone is exploiting you or you’re an exhibitionist.’

‘There’s a puritanical streak. There are many things I loved about becoming an American, but this is the part I can’t quite figure out. What is the logic? How does it work?’