Movie Scenes Where the Actors Really Had Sex

Sex scenes in movies are often an integral part of cinema that can bring a realistic feel to the story, its characters and emotions.

Actors are known for giving their all to bring a character to life, sometimes so much so that they defer to "The Method."

Method acting is a technique in which actors fully immerse themselves in their characters, embodying their emotions, behaviors, characteristics and traits to create a more believable performance. Sometimes, though certainly not often, method acting extends to sex scenes.

Filming a sex scene can be extremely daunting for an actor as they have all eyes on them as they try to simulate an intimate act while making sure it comes across as authentic.

However, over the years some actors have gone the extra mile, actually getting down and dirty, so to speak, on camera—fully immersing themselves in the scene and captivating audiences in the process.

Below, discover five controversial movie scenes where the actors really had sex.

Dogtooth

Yorgos Lanthimos' 2009 psychological drama centers around three teenagers who are held captive by their controlling father who is determined to keep them in a perpetual state of childhood.

According to the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification), some "real," unsimulated sex takes place in the film.

Nevertheless, Dogtooth scored a staggering 93 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. "It'll be too disturbing—and meandering—for some, but Dogtooth is as disturbing and startlingly original as modern filmmaking gets," the site describes the film.

The Brown Bunny

Vincent Gallo's 2003 erotic drama film starring himself and Chloe Sevigny was controversial upon release for its unsimulated love scene in which Sevigny performs real oral sex on Gallo—something many believe was completely unnecessary, overshadowing the film itself.

In 2011, however, the actress discussed the intimate scene with Playboy, admitting she had no regrets about filming the controversial and up-close scene.

"What’s happened with that is all very complicated. There are a lot of emotions. I’ll probably have to go to therapy at some point. But I love Vincent. The film is tragic and beautiful, and I’m proud of it and my performance. I’m sad that people think one way of the movie, but what can you do?" she told the outlet.

Little Ashes

Robert Pattinson portrays legendary artist Salvador Dali in this critically panned 2008 film. Yet, it's not the eccentric character he plays that's so head-turning, but rather one of the film's unsimulated intimate scenes.

"I once decided to quit acting; it was when I did Little Ashes. I played Salvador Dali and had to do a lot of scenes where I was naked, and I also had to masturb---. I mean really. My orgasm face is recorded for eternity," Pattinson told Germany's Interview magazine.

When asked why he didn't just fake it for the camera, the actor added, "[It] just doesn’t work, so I pleasured myself in front of the camera."

Caligula

This Malcolm McDowell-starring 1979 film follows the story of Roman Emperor Caligula's penchant for tyranny, control and sexual prowess.

Caligula was produced by Bob Guccione, the founder of Penthouse magazine, and he wanted the film to be filled with sex, resulting in a movie that has been called an erotic retelling of history.

"We've done with cinematic images what so many authors and historians have done with words," Guccione told Penthouse about the film's controversial unsimulated sex and or-y scenes.

Blue Movie

This hard-to-find 1969 erotic film directed by legendary artist Andy Warhol has an alternate NSFW title, F--k, which makes a whole lot of sense considering the film features a reported 10 minutes of unsimulated intercourse.

Released during the so-called Golden Age of P-rn, Blue Movie was the first adult film featuring explicit sex to receive a wide theatrical release in the U.S., and was even briefly the subject of a controversial court ruling in the late '60s after the film was confiscated from a theater.

Constantin-Film

Bonus: Don’t Look Now

The 1973 psychological horror film portrays a couple, played by the late screen legend Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie, who grieve their young daughter's death while restoring an old church in Venice.

Mid-way through the intense film, the pair reportedly engage in—depending on who you ask—actual sex on screen during a lovemaking scene. While some over the years have claimed the scene was filmed unsimulated, others have refuted the rumors, heralding the actors' chops for its authenticity.

Regardless, the BBFC in the U.K. called the sex scene "tasteful and integral to the plot," but branded the movie with an adults-only X rating.