The 'Close to the Enemy' director is accused of throwing tantrums when the BBC drama actress Emily Berrington asked for the details of a potential nude scene.
- Feb 6, 2020
AceShowbiz - British director Stephen Poliakoff has denied actress Emily Berrington's claims that he tried to pressure her into doing nude scenes for BBC drama "Close to the Enemy".
The 34-year-old screen star, who has also appeared in shows such as "Humans", "Outnumbered", and "Sons of Liberty", told Britain's The Guardian newspaper that Poliakoff became enraged when she asked for details of a potential nude scene - such as how long she'd have to be naked for and whether she would have a say in which parts of her body were exposed.
Upon asking Poliakoff, Berrington told The Guardian that he "started shouting really aggressively and saying I was being precious, and it was too difficult to work with actresses like me."
The BAFTA and Emmy award-winning director and scriptwriter is also said to have told Berrington that he "shoots what he wants" and "shows what he wants."
However, in response to Berrington's claims, Poliakoff told The Guardian in a statement, "I am sorry to hear Emily is upset. This is not my recollection of the conversation and, as I recall, my main purpose of the discussion - which took place a couple of months before the actual shoot - was to reassure her in a supportive way about the role."
"I have always been very conscious that nude scenes are extremely stressful for actors, male or female, and never want them to feel uncomfortable in any way."
A spokesperson for the BBC added of the allegations, "We take the greatest care when including intimate scenes in any drama, and we expect all our productions to work to the highest standard of integrity in this regard."
