Doctor Who’s Freema Agyeman on leaving her ‘comfort zone’ for lesbian sex scene
Former Doctor Who star Freema Agyeman has opened up about leaving her ‘comfort zone’ and filming her first nude lesbian sex scene.
The actress, best known for appearing as Martha Jones on Doctor Who, made her début earlier this year in an incredibly different role – in sci-fi drama Sense8, created by the Wachowski siblings.
The Netflix series features Agyeman as lesbian writer Amanita, who is in a relationship with trans character Nomi (Jamie Clayton).
Speaking to the Big Issue, Agyeman opened up about the role – which featured a lesbian sex scene complete with a rainbow sex toy – and the show’s progressive trans and sexually fluid storylines.
She said: “The Wachowskis have always been massive heroes of mine. It was a significant chapter in my career on so many levels, playing a part that was so far out of my comfort zone.
“It scared me in so many ways – it was my first American role, my first nudity, my first real love relationship. The pressure to convey that emotion authentically was a huge challenge.”
However, though she was initially intimidated by the sex scene, the actress added: “Once you take your clothes off and dive in it’s strange how quickly it becomes comfortable. Fear is just a word.”
She added of TV’s portrayal of LGB and trans storylines: “My inbox is flooded with people expressing gratitude, which blows my mind.
“I feel so honoured and proud to tell a story that people feel is truly representative of them in an area that’s so lacking in television.
“There are a lot of channels that would argue they have LGBT relationships but we’re not talking about touching on it and moving on, it’s about fully exploring it.
“Netflix is out there dancing to its own drumbeat. I can feel a momentum shift. TV is becoming so much more complex than it once was.”
Read the full interview via the Big Issue.
