Nicholas Galitzine Ran Out Of S*x Positions On The Set Of “Mary And George”
It seems Nicholas Galitzine has been keeping busy, and we are not just talking about his schedule. The actor, who recently steamed up screens in Mary & George, apparently explored quite a few, shall we say, creative expressions of affection on set. And the director behind that series, Oliver Hermanus, has plenty to say about it, along with giving us a peek at his new, much-anticipated film.
Pushing Bedroom Boundaries On Set
Oliver Hermanus, who helmed the opulent Starz drama Mary & George, recently shared some intriguing details while at the Cannes Film Festival. The series stars Julianne Moore as the ambitious Countess Of Buckingham, Mary Villiers, who schemes to place her handsome son George, played by Galitzine, into the king’s favour via his bed.
Speaking about the state of gay sex on screen, Hermanus admitted his love for “raw sexuality” in films and television. It seems he put this passion to good use. “I made a TV show in 2023 called Mary & George, and we would stand on set trying to think of new sex positions,” Hermanus revealed to Variety.
The entrancing Nicholas Galitzine as George Villiers in #MaryandGeorge. pic.twitter.com/FkpMR5h0oe
— mary & george sometimes (@MaryandGeorgeTV) January 7, 2024
He continued, “I would turn to Nicholas Galitzine and say, ‘What have you not done?’ He would go, ‘I got f***d that way yesterday. I already did an orgy with that guy the other day. I topped that guy and bottomed for the other.'”
Can you imagine those production meetings? Hermanus added that the intimacy coordinator would arrive with an iPad, flicking through options.
“It was the point where I was just trying to differentiate a French orgy from a British one, like Legos,” he quipped. It sounds like they left no stone, or rather, position, unturned.
A New Sound In Queer Storytelling
While those on-set antics for Mary & George certainly grabbed attention, Hermanus is now in Cannes promoting a different kind of story, his new movie The History Of Sound. This film stars the rather compelling duo of Josh O’Connor and Paul Mescal. They play two young men who meet during World War One and journey across the United States to record folk music. We are already intrigued.
As a gay filmmaker, Hermanus told Variety he aimed to offer audiences “a different queer experience” with this film. He mentioned his previous work, Beauty, which explored secrecy and repression, and his desire to now explore new narratives.
Oliver Hermanus' "The History of Sound," a gay romance starring Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor, will premiere in competition at #CannesFilmFestival. https://t.co/bIqO3iVfc8 pic.twitter.com/mn6ESbLxsI
— Variety (@Variety) April 10, 2025
So, what does this “different queer experience” look like, especially after the explicit scenes in Mary & George? Hermanus explained that The History Of Sound takes a different path. “There are moments, but I was very determined to not have the assumptions of sex scenes be pivotal, or gear changes in their relationship,” the director stated. “That’s not the film. They stick together from the first day they meet.”
Instead, Hermanus focuses on the subtleties of connection. “What I love is the moments that bring sex about, and then the moments after,” he shared. He offered a beautiful example: “Josh’s character has this amazing thing where he keeps collecting all the feathers that are falling out of Paul’s pillow and stuffing them back in. That’s romance.” That’s the kind of detail that truly makes a love story resonate.
The History Of Sound had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 21st.
