Nicholas Galitzine's Dad Insisted on Watching His“ Mary & George ”Sex Scenes: 'Pretty Uncomfortable'
The actor discussed his family's response to some of what his career demands of him with Leo Woodall for Variety's 'Actors on Actors' series
Rory Mulvey/Starz
Nicholas Galitzine as George Villiers in 'Mary & George'Nicholas Galitzine has filmed his fair share of sex scenes, but Mary & George introduced a new layer to the experience.
In conversation with Leo Woodall for Variety’s Actors on Actors series, Galitzine, 29, revealed that his family came with him to the premiere of the Starz series, and things got a little awkward.
"It was pretty uncomfortable," the actor recalled. "My dad, in this hypermasculine way, was like, 'I’m going to watch this. Men watch their sons do sex scenes.' It was like, 'Dad, you really don’t have to. I get that you’re proud.'"
Galitzine admitted that his family is "definitely weirded out" when it comes to some of what his career requires — while Woodall, 27, has the opposite experience because his whole family is in the business.
"My dad, my stepdad, my grandma. It goes way, way back to a woman called Maxine Elliot," he told Galitzine.
Sex scenes aside, Mary & George — which tells the story of George's attempts to seduce King James I and become his “all-powerful lover," at the behest of his mother, Mary Villiers — was daunting for another reason.
Julianne Moore starred as Galitzine's scheming mother in the series, and when Woodall asked if it was "intimidating" to work with the Oscar winner, 63, Galitzine admitted, "Maybe at first. But immediately, we’re scheming."
Rory Mulvey/Starz
Julianne Moore as Mary Villiers, Nicholas Galitzine as George Villiers in 'Mary & George'"She actually goes by 'Juju' sometimes," Galitzine continued. "I felt like that was a bit too familiar. But you do think, 'Julianne Moore, icon,' and then you meet her in person and she’s so grounded."
The series also came with some physical challenges, as the Idea of You star fractured his ankle, cut his chin open and got a black eye all while filming the period drama.
"The same day [that I broke my ankle], one of my costars, in trying to hold me down, slammed my head into a table. So, I had a black eye and a broken ankle,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “Tony [Curran] head-butted me at one point. He also cut my chin open with one of his rings. I really went through the wars on this production."
Rory Mulvey/Starz
Nicholas Galitzine as George Villiers in 'Mary & George'Despite the literal blood, sweat and tears, Galitzine said he's "so pleased with the final result."
"None of it, obviously, was purposeful, and it mirrored the epic-ness of the journey that I went through over the show, both as Nick and as George."
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Mary & George can be streamed in full on Starz.
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