Emily Osment Requested Intimacy Coordinator for Kiss Scene with Teen Co-Star
The 'Young Sheldon' actress sought the professional's presence due to the age difference with Montana Jordan.
Emily Osment, 34, revealed that she requested an intimacy coordinator for a kissing scene on 'Young Sheldon' due to her discomfort with the age difference between herself and her co-star, Montana Jordan, who was 18 at the time.
Osment, who played Mandy McAllister opposite Jordan's Georgie Cooper, was 29 when the scene was filmed for the show's fifth season. She detailed the situation in the book 'Young Sheldon: The (Juicier-Than-Meemaw's-Brisket) Inside Story of the Hit Comedy,' stating that her concern was not about kissing someone she had just met, but specifically about Jordan's age.
"My discomfort was that he was 18. He was a baby! A baby with a mullet," Osment said.
According to the book, show producer Tim Marx agreed to have an intimacy coordinator present, though one was not immediately available for that particular day of filming. Osment noted that the production had not previously considered hiring an intimacy coordinator, but one was present for subsequent episodes, making romantic scenes easier.
Osment also emphasized her desire to ensure Jordan felt comfortable and aware that he could also request such a professional. She described Jordan as "such a sweet kid" and expressed concern that he might have felt unable to voice his own discomfort.
"I don't know if Montana even knew if he could ask for that. Like, let's give him the option, too. Make him comfortable," she added.
Steve Molaro, a co-creator of 'Young Sheldon,' affirmed in the book that Osment "had every right to ask for that." The episode's director, Alex Reid, acknowledged that discussing an intimacy coordinator had not occurred prior to Osment's request, as the show typically did not feature sex scenes. Reid stated that the production "totally dropped the ball on that" but affirmed that Osment's instinct was correct.
'Young Sheldon,' a prequel to 'The Big Bang Theory,' premiered in 2017. Jordan portrayed Sheldon's brother Georgie throughout the series, while Osment joined later, appearing in 39 episodes across the final three seasons. Both actors have reprised their roles for the spinoff series 'Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage,' which premiered two years ago and recently began its third season.