Martin Freeman, 52, defends controversial scenes with Jenna Ortega, 21

British actor Martin Freeman has hit out at backlash over his latest film, featuring 21-year-old actress Jenna Ortega.

The erotic thriller Miller’s Girl finally landed on Netflix last week, and has already stirred up quite the controversy: its lead stars Martin Freeman and Jenna Ortega share a 31-year age gap.

Though Ortega has not publicly spoken on the discourse about their age difference, Freeman defended the film, claiming it does not glamorise the relationship it depicts.

“[It’s] grown-up and nuanced. It’s not saying, ‘Isn’t this great?’” he told UK’s The Times in a recent interview, calling the controversy “a shame.”

The dramedy stars Ortega as 18-year-old Cairo Sweet, a college student who strikes up a flirtatious relationship with writer and professor Jonathan Miller (Freeman). Their relationship comes to a head after she writes a sex story for a writing assignment in his class.

Martin Freeman and Jenna Ortega. Picture: Netflix

Martin Freeman and Jenna Ortega. Picture: Netflix

Freeman compared the film to Schindler’s List, the 1993 drama about industrialist Oskar Schindler, who protected the Jewish employees of his factory from being persecuted by the Nazis during World War II.

“Are we gonna have a go at Liam Neeson for being in a film about the Holocaust?” Freeman told The Times.

According to Kristina Arjona, the intimacy co-ordinator who worked on the film, Ortega was “very sure of what she wanted to do” when filming intimate scenes with Freeman.

The stars worked with an intimacy coordinator for the film’s raciest scenes.

She added, “I’m hyper aware of both of my talent and making sure that we’re consistently checking in and that at no point are any of their boundaries being surpassed. And again, making sure – especially with someone who’s significantly younger – that they are giving continuous consent.”

Freeman broke his silence on the backlash. Picture Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty Images

Ortega, 21, found fame as Wednesday Addams in the Wednesday series. Picture: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

Shortly after Arjona made headlines with that interview, the Screen Actors Guild set new guidelines banning intimacy co-ordinators from discussing their work without express approval from the actors involved.

The new standards state, “Intimacy co-ordinators should maintain the confidentiality of an actor’s work and experience in performing highly sensitive scenes unless they have the actor’s permission to publicly share this information. The public release of details about an actor’s scene work or confidences entrusted to the intimacy co-ordinator without the performer’s consent is unacceptable.”

Violating these new guidelines could put intimacy co-ordinators at risk of being removed from the Guild’s registry.

Miller’s Girl is now streaming on Netflix.

This article originally appeared in Decider and was reproduced with permission.

Originally published as Martin Freeman, 52, defends controversial scenes with Jenna Ortega, 21