Rosie O’Donnell Found Intimate Scene With Cynthia Nixon 'Horrifying'

Rosie O’Donnell described filming an intimate scene with her longtime friend Cynthia Nixon on "And Just Like That..." as "horrifying" due to her discomfort with the depiction of intimacy between friends. O'Donnell played a nun who shares a sexual encounter with Nixon's character, Carrie Bradshaw, in the "Sex and the City" spin-off.

"First of all, I love [Nixon]… and have so much respect for her," O’Donnell said during an appearance on Amy Poehler’s "Good Hang" podcast. "The kissing wasn’t hard, but the laying in bed and the wanting us to act like we had just done it… I was like ‘Uhh.’ But I’m a little immature when it comes to that."

O’Donnell, 64, explained that she did not know the full extent of the scene when Nixon, 60, initially approached her about a guest spot. "I said, ‘Of course, I’ll do it with you,’ you know. And then I read it, and I’m, like, in bed with just the sheets. I’m like, ‘Oh, my God,'" O'Donnell recalled.

The actress also shared that she felt nervous with Nixon because the only other sex scene she had filmed in her career was with the late Julian McMahon during her time on FX’s "Nip/Tuck." She noted that showrunner Michael Patrick King encouraged them to be more comfortable, but O'Donnell felt she couldn't push past her unease.

"It’s weird to kiss your friends," Poehler observed, to which O'Donnell agreed. "Yes, exactly."

During a May appearance on "Radio Andy," Nixon spoke highly of O'Donnell’s performance, calling her "amazing," "centered," "wonderful," "real," and "tender." Nixon revealed that King had envisioned a role for O’Donnell in the series for several seasons, but it had not previously materialized.

"Finally, we snagged her for the pilot of Season 3," Nixon said. "She’s one of the best actresses that we have. She stands up for injustice wherever she sees it. She puts her money where her mouth is. She loves her children and her wife. I admire her greatly."

Despite her on-screen discomfort, O’Donnell expressed deep admiration for Nixon, calling her "the real deal." The two actresses have maintained a friendship since Nixon's appearance on "The Rosie O’Donnell Show," which aired from 1996 to 2002.